Beneath The Surface
by My-Bella
Summary: One summer, an internship in Africa, bloodlust, sharp teeth, and a boatload of fear are all that stand in the way of Bella Cullen landing a job at the Atlanta Aquarium - As long as she doesn't count cocky shark expert Edward Masen on her list.
1. 1 Intro

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. ****The original characters, plot, names, and nicknames are all the property of the author of this fanfic.**** Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism.** The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Beneath the Surface**

**Chapter 1 – Intro**

This was Masen's favorite time of the day, when the sun was only starting to rise and the water looked like gray glass. There was a calm and a sense of balance at this hour of the morning and he felt it not only coming from around him, but inside of him. The sand between his toes was cool and soft and the only sound filling the air was the crashing of the waves against the rocks further down the beach.

He could have any life he wanted. He could sit behind some desk in a suit with a Rolex on his wrist and an Aston Martin in the parking garage. He could spend his days in a huge house on the beach, trading stocks from his computer in nothing but a pair of boxers. He could take his photography from hobby to a way to travel the entire world, photographing his travels for magazines and books. He could even use his marine biology degree to work at an aquarium if he couldn't stand not working with marine life.

But he didn't want any of those lives. He wanted the one he had right now in this very moment. He wanted to be right here with the sky turning pink above him and the ocean laid out before him. He wanted to spend his days aboard his boat doing what he loved. He wanted the chase, the fear, the awe, and the knowledge each of his days had brought over the past five years. Most of all, he wanted to share his knowledge and his love for the animals he studied with the rest of the world. One day, people would look at them and see them as Masen saw them: beautiful, powerful, and worthy of respect.

This was going to be an important summer, almost as vital to MMR's survival as their first expedition. It would be the first time they took on an intern, making them eligible for additional funding. If the program went well, they would be able to get new equipment next year. There was also a possible side benefit of the intern talking them up to others, spreading their name and gaining them more exposure. If the program failed … Masen refused to consider failure as a possibility.

Whit was suddenly standing beside him and wedging the end of his surfboard into the sand. "Looks like it's going to be a good morning for surfing."

"Should we call Lee?"

"She drove me here. She's changing into her wetsuit."

"Gopher tag along?"

"Nah. Said something about preferring to sleep-in while he still can."

Masen only nodded, not having expected Gopher to surf with them. He knew how to do it but didn't enjoy it the way they did.

While Masen and Whit waited for Lee to arrive, they stretched out their arms and legs, getting used to the restrictions of their dark gray rash-guard shirts and knee-length wetsuit shorts.

Lee finally joined them, dressed in her dark blue full-body wetsuit. "Zip me," she ordered, turning her back to Masen and piling her brown hair on top of her head with her hands.

"Only if I can unzip you after," Masen teased.

"We tried that, remember? You were always too busy," she said, smiling at him over her shoulder while he pulled her zipper up.

"Smart ass," he replied, pushing her toward Whit.

She spun around and tossed her arms around Masen's neck, hugging him tightly. "You know you're my one and only. Pain in the ass, that is."

Masen pretended to be offended as he pulled her arms away. "Whit, today's the day, man. I'm gonna drown her ass."

"No you won't," Whit replied with a snort. "You'd be out a mechanic. Plus, you'd never let her go without having beat her wave ride time."

Lee childishly poked her tongue at Masen but barely got to enjoy it before she was squealing loudly, caught in his arms and being carried toward the water.

"You're going in," he promised.

"Whit!" She screamed for him knowing he was her only hope for not getting tossed into the water.

Whit only laughed at first but then added, "Make sure she goes completely under, Mase."

"I swear I'll stay home and not go with you this summer if you toss me in," she threatened.

Masen smiled, fully confident that her threat wasn't real. "Say it and I won't toss you in," he offered.

Her eyes widened and then narrowed. "No."

He gave a fake sigh. "Then you're going in."

As soon as he lifted her higher, she screamed. "Alright! I'll say it." She waited until he'd lowered her back to her previous position and tried to ignore his cocky smirk while she said what he wanted to hear. "You are the master."

"What was that? I couldn't quite here you."

Instead of repeating the words louder, she twisted in his arms and caused them to both fall into the surf, momentarily going under before coming up laughing together.

"You two are so damn demented," Whit said, passing them with his surfboard. "Keep playing around if you want. I'm gonna surf."

Before he could move past them, they grabbed onto his leg and pulled him down into the surf with them. Whit came up cursing and slinging his long hair around, throwing water into Masen & Lee's laughing faces. He lunged at Masen and the two rolled around in the surf until Lee used Whit's surfboard to playfully hit him in the butt.

"Quit before you two drown each other," she said.

"I don't see you hitting him," Whit replied, pointing at Masen.

Lee shrugged and smiled. "You were closer."

Whit snorted and put as much sarcasm as he could into his one word response, "Right." He took his board from her, nudged her shoulder with his, and then started paddling out into the ocean.

While Whit was busy paddling, Masen got up from the surf and ran his hands over his wet hair, pushing it back and away from his face.

"Stop primping and start walking," Lee ordered as she gave him a push toward the beach and their waiting boards. "We've got surfing to do."

Masen gave her a push right back and after sharing a grin, the two raced toward their boards, pushing and shoving the whole way and completely enjoying their time together. All too soon, they would be working aboard Galeos and unable to play around like this.

Masen hoped that when he shared the upcoming changes with his friends, they would be excited and supportive. Knowing them, they would feel that way as his friends but not so much as his crewmates. But that was for another day. Today, he was going to surf with his friends.

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><p>Bella's dream job was right there in front of her. All she needed was to reach out and wrap her fingers around it. It was that easy.<p>

Only it wasn't.

There was a problem. A problem with sharp teeth and beady eyes and an appetite for destruction. Disgusting monsters only concerned with ripping and tearing, bloodying the water and filling the air with screams of pain. They had already ruined her life once and she was determined not to let it happen a second time. She could do it. She could take the summer to conquer her … her _trepidation_ and then start her new job and her new life just as the leaves started to darken and fall to the ground.

She would have to lie, though. It wasn't her strong suit, but she could do it when it really mattered. Her sister would never let her go otherwise. One word of what she would be studying and Alice would lock her in a tower and feed her through an opening in the door like in some fairytale. It wouldn't matter that Bella was older or how much she promised she would be safe because her little sister knew just as well as she did that bad things could happen in an instant.

It would only be a few months and a few lies and then Bella would have the life she dreamed about. She would have her cozy little home just outside of the big city and a steady paycheck for doing what she loved most. She could even get that expensive sporty little two-door she'd been eyeing each time she passed the billboard for it. She'd tell everyone she purchased it for the fuel mileage but she really wanted it for the speed and the rush it would give her. All it would take was one little summer and then it would all be hers.

When Bella had first approached her Uncle Carlisle with her big idea, part of her had hoped he would refuse to let her apply. At twenty-two, she was more than old enough to make her own decisions but she trusted his judgment implicitly. Not only had her uncle encouraged her to apply, he had helped her with the essay she'd been required to submit with her application.

After seven rewrites, Bella finally felt her essay was ready to be sent. She tucked it into an envelope with her application, resume, and references, and then grabbed her keys from her dresser.

She wasn't surprised to run into her uncle in the hall. "Is that everything?" he asked, nodding toward the envelope.

"Yes." She shifted her weight and hugged the envelope to her chest. "Do you still think I'm doing the right thing?"

"Do you want that job in Atlanta?"

"The more I think about it, the more I want it."

"Then you have your answer, Sweetheart." He put his arms around her small frame and held her close. "Your father would be so very proud of you, Bella. I hope you know that."

"I haven't done anything yet."

"I won't argue because I know you well enough to know it would be pointless. But one day, you'll look back on this moment and see what I see. Until then …" He paused and kissed the top of her head before letting her go. "I expect you to go straight to the post office and mail that out."

"I promise I will," she said, showing her keys as proof of her intentions.

"Come by my office for lunch today, okay?"

"It'll be a late one. Maybe around one-thirty. I'm heading over to the park after I stop at the post office. Jenna called in sick and they need help with the whales this morning."

"That should be fine. Just give me a ring when you're on your way."

Bella leaned up and pecked her uncle's cheek. "Love you."

"I love you too." He smiled as he watched her turn and walk away. Just before she left his sight, he called out to her. "Be safe, Bug."

While Bella's steps never faltered, her heart certainly did, aching for the one who had given her the nickname of "Bug". The entire walk to her car she considered changing her mind and throwing the envelope in the trash instead of mailing it. It would be easy. She could throw it away at the park and then tell her uncle she hadn't been selected.

Sitting behind the steering wheel of her car and staring down at the words "Masen Marine Research" written in her own scrawling handwriting, Bella reminded herself of all the reasons she had filled out the paperwork in the first place. Jobs like the one in Atlanta didn't come along every day and allowing a little trepidation to cloud her judgment and make her lose out on an amazing opportunity would be stupid. It would also disappoint her uncle and that was a kind of regret she couldn't bear to carry. She _would_ mail the application. Whether she would be chosen to be an intern remained to be seen.

Once her application was out of her hands and on its way to Hawaii, Bella headed to the park filled with excitement for the tasks she would be performing today. She knew she would be working with one of the young whales instead of a full grown adult but she was just happy to have been trusted enough to be asked.

She practically ran through the park to get to the enclosure she would be working in today. "Morning, Mike," she greeted as she walked over to him.

"Morning, Bella. Thanks so much for coming in to help us out."

"It's no trouble at all. So what do I get to do first?" she asked. She had a huge smile on her face and was rocking on the balls of her feet, very clearly excited to get started.

Mike chuckled at her. "I'm afraid the first thing we'll be doing isn't all that glamorous, but Kiki really likes it." He handed Bella a hose with one hand and showed her an oversized toothbrush with the other. "You squirt the water into her mouth and I'll handle the brushing."

"Shouldn't we feed her before brushing her teeth?"

"The fish is how we get her to stay still long enough for us to do this. The whales are willing to do what we ask as long as there's a reward for it at the end. Kind of like getting a guy to go to a chick-flick with you."

"But, Mike, you would _never_ be a stereotypical male who only wants to watch sports," she teased. They both knew it was hard to find anyone who was more the epitome of the All-American Boy than Mike Newton. He only talked sports and cars, he was good to his parents, and had a beautiful wife who had been with him since high school.

"Watch it, Bella. Or I'll have Kiki rinse and spit in your direction."

"Mike, that may just be the grossest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"You're working with the whales now, Kid. There's gonna be all kinds of gross before this morning is over."

Bella cringed on the inside a little, hoping he was really only teasing. She didn't mind getting wet at all and a little dirt had never hurt anyone, but there were levels of being gross that were acceptable and ones that were not.

"Ready, Bella?" Mike asked as he lifted the silver whistle hanging around his neck.

She gave a nod and a smile she hoped look confident while twisting the hose in her hands a little.

Mike blew on the whistle and not long after, a gorgeous whale popped her head out of the water right in front of them. Mike squatted down and reached a hand out, petting the front of her head. "Morning, Kiki. Are you ready to get your teeth brushed?"

The whale made a noise and shook her head in that age old sign for "no".

"Come on, Kiki," Mike coaxed. "I've got fish for you if you're a good girl."

She made the noise again, this time nodding her head in agreement.

"That's a good girl," Mike said proudly as he stood. "Alright, Bella, let's give Kiki some water to swish with before I start brushing."

He helped Bella get the spray setting right on the hose and then directed her on where to spray into Kiki's mouth. Bella watched with amusement as Kiki lifted her tongue into the spray for a second before flattening it back out.

"That's good," Mike said, pushing the end of the hose away from the whale. "Kiki, swish and spit," he instructed, pointing off to his right side. Bella lowered her head to make sure the water was hitting the pool and not the concrete and completely missed seeing Mike twirl his finger in a circle and point right at her.

Kiki had seen it though. She turned her head the way Mike had originally pointed as if she were going to follow his first instruction. By now, Bella was watching Kiki again and she saw the whale quickly turn her head back toward them. She knew what was coming just like she knew there was no way to avoid it so she clenched her eyes shut and held her breath. The water hit her forcefully just above her knees and Bella squealed while Mike laughed.

"Welcome to working with Kiki," Mike said, continuing to laugh as he tossed a reward fish to the whale.

Bella looked down at her wet shorts, legs, socks, and shoes and started to laugh. She generally had a pretty good sense of humor and she was no stranger to her co-workers having the animals "welcome" her to new activities. When she'd first started working with the dolphins, her trainer had gotten one of the dolphins to give her a blowhole shower.

"You alright there, Bella?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, Mike," she said as she stuck one of her feet out and shook off water from the top of her shoe. "Go ahead and give Kiki another reward fish," she encouraged. "She got me good."

"That's the spirit, Kid. Shake it off and laugh it off. And then come over here with the hose so I can show you where I need you to rinse."

As Bella watched Mike get on his knees and practically put his hand in Kiki's mouth to brush her teeth, she started to wonder if she had overly built up the scary factor of sharks in her head. Whales were far bigger than sharks but Kiki seemed more like an overgrown puppy than a threat. Maybe this summer wouldn't be so scary or hard. Maybe she would surprise herself just as much as the people at MMR with how well she did around the creatures. For the first time since looking over the MMR website, Bella truly hoped she would be chosen for the program.

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><p><strong>AN:** Welcome to the newest story collaboration between My-Bella and Eternally Addicted! This first chapter is just a short little intro to Masen and Bella, letting you get a small taste of their personalities, relationships, and desires.

With the holidays upon us, the posting schedule will start off a little oddly, but by the New Year we hope to be posting every two weeks. Chapter 2 will post on December 1st, with a Twitter Q&A session to take place on December 2nd at 8:30pm Central Time. Chapter 3 will be up on December 15th with the Q&A on the 16th. MMR's twitter account is (at)teammasen

Not every chapter will have a Q&A as sometimes we'll be posting blogs from Masen and the crew on the MMR site. We'll let you know which we'll be doing when we give out the chapter's teaser a few days before it posts. Make sure you're signed up at www (dot) masenmarineresearch (dot) blogspot (dot) com to receive updates! You can find a clickable link on my profile page and Eternally Addicted's blog at www (dot) eternallyaddicted (dot) blogspot (dot) com.

Thank you for checking out our first chapter and we hope to see you around for the second! Or as EA so eloquently put it … God help the world 'cause here comes Masen!


	2. 2 Change My World

**A/N: **Just wanted to say **THANK YOU** for all the reviews for the first chapter. I tried to reply to them but FFN kept responding with an error message and wouldn't let me. Hopefully they have that fixed now. Please just know that I read every single one and EA and I appreciated them greatly!

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**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. ****The original characters, plot, names, and nicknames are all the property of the author of this fanfic.**** Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 2 – Change My World**

"This one." Esme sounded confident of her decision as she pushed the chosen resume across the glass desktop to Masen.

"Why this one?" he asked after skimming over the top sheet of the application. To him it looked just like the almost two dozen others they'd been going over together in the past week.

"Because of her essay. She wants more than a summer in the sun on a boat. She wants to observe and learn from us even though she's afraid."

"I don't remember reading about any fears."

Esme smiled at him, enjoying a rare moment of innocence from him. Apparently, he had yet to learn to read between the lines. "This section right here," she said as she tapped her fingernail against the page. "At first, she says she doesn't have much hands-on experience. But in the next few paragraphs, she goes on to describe her work with rays and dolphins, showing she actually has quite a bit of experience and knowledge."

"She has selective experience then, only having worked with the marine life she considers safe?" Masen questioned.

"Exactly. And you'll also notice that while she knows exactly what we research, she never uses the word 'shark' anywhere in her essay. I believe she's harboring a deep fear of sharks, and still she wants to be our intern."

"If she's that afraid of sharks, why would she be the right candidate? Won't her fear limit her ability to work with us?"

Esme smiled as she leaned back and relaxed in her chair. "Not if you do your job correctly. You keep running your mouth that you want to change the way sharks are regarded. Here is your chance to … How do you put it in your research and grant papers … Turn fear into understanding, respect, and mindful behavior."

He picked up the application again and thumbed through the pages, his eye catching sight of the section of her essay that talked about bull sharks. While this young woman had made a valiant effort to stay professional in her estimation of bull sharks, it was clear to Masen she wouldn't bat an eyelash if she were told the entire species had been wiped out.

"She would definitely be a challenge. Changing her viewpoint might not even be possible." He lifted his head and regarded his mother, knowing he would trust whatever decision she made. MMR's future was as important to her as it was to him, just for different reasons. "You really think she's the best candidate for the job?"

"I do. I also believe she has more to offer than two hands. Her education and experience are already vast, and she truly seems to want to learn more." Esme reached across the desk for his hand, giving him a heart-warming smile. "And I believe she may be able to teach my all-knowing son a thing or two. She seems like a real people person, something you need to learn to be if you're going to successfully vocalize your views and change the perspectives of others. Sitting behind that desk and publishing papers is only going to get you so far. You need to get out there, be the face and voice for your sharks. I know if I was deciding to help based on the look of a shark versus looking at you, the shark would be shit out of luck."

Laughter shot out of Masen and filled the room, bringing a pleased smile to Esme's face. "And just so you know," he said once he stopped laughing. "I can't be all-knowing and learn new things at the same time. I'd be an oxymoron."

"Well I can't argue with the moron part," she teased, closing one beautiful gray eye in a wink.

He narrowed his own eyes, pretending to be upset with her. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you've stopped loving me."

"Oh, Edward," she said softly, giving his fingers a squeeze. She was the only one who ever called him by his first name. "Sweetheart, I will never stop loving you."

Her words made him frown instead of bringing out that bright, beautiful smile she loved to see on his handsome face. She didn't need to ask him what was wrong because it had dawned on her the moment the words had left her mouth—those were the last words his birth mother—her big sister—had said to him when he was just a little boy.

Not one to ever be able to stand seeing him saddened, Esme brought his focus back around to the papers on his desk. "Your choice for summer research assistant is due tonight, Edward. You can either trust my judgment on this and free up your afternoon or you can sit there the rest of the day re-reading applications until you're ready to admit my pick is _the_ pick."

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Ladies choice then," he said as he stacked up the pile of applications with the chosen one on top. "We'll invite Isabella Cullen to join us for the summer."

"What an excellent decision, Edward." Her grin was too infectious for him to pretend to be annoyed with her. "I'll start looking for a rental big enough to fit all of us and our plus one."

Masen's smile widened as he regarded the woman in front of him. He knew her almost as well as he knew himself and there was no way on God's green Earth that she would stop at finding a place with an extra room. She would have it furnished and decorated as well, making it warm and inviting without even knowing this young woman or her tastes.

"Here," he said as he offered up his black credit card. "Have fun."

Esme made no move to take it, frowning at him instead. "You can put that right back into your wallet and you better do it before I decide to feel offended."

"Don't be stubborn, Mom. The internship is part of our research which means the funding for this summer program idea of yours is coming from it."

"Oh, I agree, but only as far as the cost of housing her goes. The furnishing is my choice and I will handle the cost of it."

Knowing better than to argue with her, he slipped the card back into his wallet and made a big show of closing the flap and setting it down on the desk. "Happy?"

Esme answered with a wide smile and a sparkle in her eyes. "Absolutely."

Masen could only laugh and shake his head as he watched her exit his office. It wasn't a typical office by any means; the back wall was made entirely of glass, offering up a beautiful view of the beach and ocean beyond. He would have loved to spend the day in those blue waters, but there was too much to be done before they left Hawaii to spend the summer in Africa—starting with running an inventory on Galeos and making sure they had enough supplies for maintenance and upkeep to last through the summer. He grabbed his keys, sent a quick text to his trusted mechanic with instructions to meet him at the marina, and left the home he shared with Esme.

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"It's thin. _Too_ thin." Bella flipped the envelope over once more as if that would somehow make it thicker.

"What were you expecting? A thirty page itinerary?" Alice asked with a small laugh. Bella knew her sister wasn't being unkind by laughing—that was just Alice's way. Whenever there was something making her nervous or uncomfortable, she laughed. The idea of an entire summer without her sister definitely made Alice nervous.

Bella set the envelope onto her bed as if it was made of crystal and ready to break at the slightest rough touch. "No, but I thought there would at least be some forms to fill out and most likely in triplicate. It's not a big deal. It's not like I really wanted to go anyway."

Her sister huffed at such an obvious lie and grabbed for the envelope, ripping it open before Bella could protest. Getting the enclosed letter out and unfolded proved more difficult with the two sisters wrestling across the bed for ownership of it until Alice triumphed. She continued to straddle Bella's back while reading the contents aloud ...

"_Dear Isabella Cullen,_

_We here at Masen Marine Research are extremely pleased and delighted to inform you of your selection as research intern aboard the vessel Galeos. Among the many applications we received, yours stood out to us. We look forward to working with you and are certain you will gain as much from us as we will gain from you._

_Congratulations on being selected for this unique and educational opportunity. Flight and boarding information will be sent to you as soon as they are finalized._

_If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me using any of the means listed below. I look forward to meeting you._

_Sincerely,_

_Esme Masen_

_Director of Operations_

_Masen Marine Research_"

"She sounds like a very lovely woman," Alice commented as she finally climbed off of her sister.

Bella missed her sister's comment, still reeling at the contents of the letter. "I got in?"

Alice huffed and rolled her eyes. "No, they sent this letter to you as a cruel, cruel joke for their own evil amusement. All that time on the water has left them with a skewed sense of humor."

"Let me see," Bella demanded with her hand held out.

"You don't trust me? I'm hurt." Anyone else would have believed her pout and sad eyes were real, but Bella knew better.

"Alice, hand over that letter or I'll tell Carlisle about that boy you snuck in here last night." Her threat must have sounded genuine because Alice quickly relinquished the letter. After reading it over and over again, Bella finally lifted her head to meet her sister's gaze. "I really got into the program."

"Yes, you did. Now you can tell me all about it and stop being sketchy on the details."

"I haven't been sketchy at all. You know I'll be doing research on marine life in Africa."

"Yes, but why Africa? What kind of marine life is so important over there?"

"It's not so much about the animals as it is about the waterways. Africa is located in just the right spot to give access to a superb marine science environment. I'll be able to explore the Red Sea and the sea of Madagascar, and that's just the two names you would recognize."

"Seeing nature in nature ... Okay, I get that. But, Bella, it's halfway around the _world_. Do you _know_ how far away from me that is?"

Bella couldn't stop herself from laughing at her sister—or from teasing her. "Yes, I do know how far away it is. It was part of the appeal, really."

Alice huffed and grabbed a pillow, smacking her sister in the shoulder with it. "You are incorrigible, Bella Cullen," she said as both sisters laughed.

A male voice suddenly rose above the din, quickly and completely grabbing the sisters' attention. "I would agree there are instances where our Bella is not easily swayed, but she is far from beyond reform."

"Carlisle!" Alice squealed, launching herself into the tall man's arms. "You made it home in time for dinner."

"I gave you my word this morning, Dear." He brushed a kiss to her cheek before setting his gray eyes on Bella. "Have you heard anything yet?"

Bella didn't answer right away, expecting her sister to shout out the good news like usual. This time, however, Alice remained silent. "This came today," Bella said as she passed the letter to her uncle.

She watched his face closely while he read, looking for any sign of sadness or apprehension. Unlike Alice, he knew exactly where she was going and what she would be studying aboard that boat. There was no sign of worry in his eyes as he regarded her, only pride. It was a look she both loved and hated because her uncle never looked more like her father than when he was smiling proudly over something.

"You'll do a wonderful job, Isabella," Carlisle said, handing the letter back to her.

"And make you proud," she added.

"My darling niece, you make me proud every day." He reached for both of his nieces, hugging them tightly. "You both make me proud. And I know your father would be as well."

"Now that she has her letter, we need to put together her wardrobe," Alice announced.

"Alice, I have plenty of clothing in my closet that I can take on this trip," Bella assured her.

"That's Florida clothing. You need Africa clothing. And when you get back at the end of the summer and are ready to move to Atlanta, we'll go out and get you Georgia clothing."

Bella briefly considered arguing with her sister but quickly decided she didn't have hours to waste on a battle she would never win. Besides, if shopping made Alice feel better about their impending separation, then Bella would go along with it. She would do anything and everything necessary to ensure her little sister's happiness—including a few white lies regarding her upcoming summer trip.

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"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

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"Check it again," Masen ordered.

"Dude! It's secure. Trust me."

Masen didn't raise his voice, only his eyes. "Gopher, again."

There was a lot of huffing and grumbling in response but Masen only smiled. He knew Gopher would check it again, find some small part he'd missed locking down, and fix his error without ever acknowledging he'd been wrong.

"Make sure to put it against the wall. We still have a vehicle to load." The sound of Esme's voice drew Masen away from his work. He used his clipboard as a shield for his eyes to see her better since he'd forgotten his sunglasses on the boat's kitchen counter.

She was wearing her usual marina outfit of jean shorts with an open white shirt on top of a white tank top. Completing her look was her ridiculously ugly and misshapen tan sunhat and her oversized black sunglasses. She looked like a model getting ready for a weekend on a yacht rather than a woman readying herself for a journey across the sea.

His _mom_. Technically she was his aunt since she was his mother's sister, but Esme had been his only parent for the past fifteen years. He had never known his father and his mother Elizabeth had passed away when he was only eleven. He had expected Esme to send him back to Chicago where his grandparents lived after the funeral but she had kept him with her in Hawaii. She had never once made him feel like he was a burden to her or that she regretted keeping him. If anything, she'd always made him feel like she was the one who needed him even though they both knew it was the other way around.

He had moved out of her house at nineteen only to find that he hated living on his own and could never remember to take care of the small things, like grocery shopping and paying bills. Esme had offered for him to move back into his old room and he had taken her up on it with the condition that he paid rent to her so that he would be a roommate and not a failure at living on his own. And when he'd told her five years ago that he was starting Masen Marine Research and planned to travel the world, she had left her job as an elementary school teacher to join him.

Esme's voice caught his attention again; she was standing near the boat that would follow them to Africa, transporting the research gear not used on a daily basis and any basic necessities they wouldn't be able to easily get there. Esme was overseeing the addition of a few crates worth of materials to make their destination homey for the summer. The first summer they had made the journey together, Masen had tried to explain that it was only a three month trip and they could do without the luxuries they were used to here in Hawaii. She had won the argument, ending it for all-time too, simply by pointing at his Bronco. He'd bought it as soon as he'd gotten his license nearly a decade ago and had rebuilt and restored it himself—with a little help from his trusted mechanic. He liked to use the excuse that it was cheaper to take his truck with him than to rent one for the summer. He hated to be without it and always waited as long as he could to load it on the boat.

"Masen, the rooms are ready," Lee said, pulling the clipboard out of his hands to check off the assignment. "Esme's set up in your room and you're bunking with Whit as requested. Do I get a gold star for following your orders?"

Masen let out a growl while ensnaring Lee in his arms and causing her to drop the clipboard to the deck with a loud clatter. "Why do you always wanna be a brat to me, huh? I should toss you overboard for your attitude."

She laughed. "Oh, look who's talking! You have zero room to call someone else annoying."

"You know you love me just the way I am."

She turned her head and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "Always. So what's next on the list?" she asked as she slipped out of his loose hold.

"Why don't you take a break and take Gopher to get some lunch? I'm pretty sure I heard his stomach rumbling a few minutes ago."

"What about everyone else?"

"Esme is having lunch with me and Whit is off doing his thing." He didn't need to explain further. Lee had been with Whit and Masen on the day that had changed their lives irrevocably—and their career paths.

Masen and Whit had met when they were thirteen. Whit was an army kid new to the island and hating every second of it and Masen had been selected by their teacher to show Whit around his new school. The rest, as they say, was history. The two boys were quite adept at finding trouble together and were rarely seen apart. That closeness was still there today, stronger than ever. It was their bad boy exterior that had drawn Lee to them and their good guy interior that had kept her around as a friend.

On the day that had changed them all, Whit had recently begun his career as a licensed nurse while Lee had managed to grab an internship with an engineering firm. Masen had still been trying to decide if he wanted to put his shiny new marine biology degree to use or join Lee at the engineering firm. But that was then. Now they worked together researching and collecting data in the hopes of preserving sharks and educating people on proper water safety. And before they undertook any trips away from home, Whit went to remember that day and to appreciate the fragility and magnificence of life.

Masen shook his head, clearing his mind and refocusing on the present. Lee had her arms around his waist and though he couldn't see her face, he was positive there were tears in her eyes. After all this time, it still hurt to know how close they'd come to losing part of the family they'd built together.

He gently removed her arms from him, giving her a warm smile. "Go on and take Gopher to lunch before he starts complaining of fatigue and torturous work conditions."

Lee's face instantly brightened at the thought of a sit-down, unhurried lunch. "We'll only be gone a couple of hours."

"Take the rest of the day off. You've all been working hard to get the boats ready and you deserve a break."

"What about keeping an eye on the ships and our cargo? Did you forget the guard company didn't have anyone they could send tonight?"

"No, I remembered. But I'll handle it."

"Mase, are you sure?"

"I'll handle it, Lee. Besides, it's not like I'm going to be sleeping or anything."

"I still say you have to be some kind of undead being to survive on the little bit of sleep you get."

"Last I checked, I didn't crave brains or blood so I think I'm okay."

"And you don't sparkle," she added with a laugh.

"Sparkle?"

She waved her hand in dismissal. "Some book I was reading. The vampires in it sparkled. They were made out of diamonds or something."

Masen laughed. "Yeah, because fangs and supernatural strength don't make them indestructible enough."

"Guess not." Lee gave him a quick hug and a kiss to his cheek. "Call me if you change your mind and want some help watching the boats."

"I can handle it."

"Fine. Then call me if you decide you want company. A little human on human interaction would do you good."

"I already promised you we'd go out together before we leave for False Bay," he reminded her. "We have plenty of time."

"I'm holding you to that promise, Masen," Lee warned. She blew him a kiss and then began moving toward the back of the boat. "Gopher, get your furry bee-hind up here," she called out. And because she knew it would make him move twice as fast she added two words, "Lunch time!"

It only took Gopher—born Emmett McCarty—seconds to drop everything and jump from the boat to the dock. He turned to help Lee off and was strong enough to grab her by the hips, lift her into the air, and then gently set her down on the dock. Masen smiled as he watched the two of them walk away arm in arm.

"They really are so sweet together." The softly spoken words startled Masen enough to make him move. Esme laughed at having surprised him while he grumbled under his breath and grabbed hold of the toe he'd stubbed against the railing. "Ready for lunch?" she asked after verifying there was no blood in sight.

Masen made a disgruntled face at her sugary sweet tone only to dissolve into laughter when she playfully flicked him in the forehead for it. "I've been dreaming about your meatloaf sandwiches since I saw you making them this morning," he said as he picked the clipboard up and tucked it under his arm.

"Edward, what am I going to do with you?" she asked while ruffling his hair. "I slap some leftover meatloaf between two slices of bread and you act like it's a meal fit for a king."

"It's fit for this king," he replied, making her laugh.

"Don't quit your day job, Kid, because you suck at comedy."

"What? I thought I managed pretty well there. You _did_ laugh."

Esme smiled as she pinched his cheek. "You know what you should manage next? A shave. A real shave and not that thing you do with that electric razor. The president of the company should be clean shaven, especially when he's going to be greeting an intern soon."

Masen snorted. "It's my company. Not having to shave is just one of the many perks of having created it. Besides, there's no point in shaving it all off when it'll just start coming back in by the end of the day. There are so many other ways I can spend my time."

She shrugged. "It was worth a try. Maybe one day I'll find out what you would look like if you resembled the owner of a successful research company instead of a beach bum."

"_Bum_? Did you just call me a bum?"

Esme let out a loud snort. "Just calling it like I see it."

Masen shook his head. "It's not going to work, Mom. I like things just the way they are."

"Change is a good thing, Edward. And by my records, you are overdue for some."

He rolled his eyes at what he considered unnecessary motherly advice and quickly changed the conversation back to their impending lunch and the meatloaf sandwiches he couldn't wait to dig into.

.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

.

"Not this one," Alice said, tossing the dress to the side. "And certainly not this one."

"Hey, that's my favorite sundress," Bella cried. She reached across the bed and snatched it from the toss pile her sister had created.

"And it shows, Bella. It has a hole near the hem."

"I know," she said as she hugged the peach colored dress to her chest. "I snagged it my first day working with the dolphins at Sea World. It has sentimental value."

"Maybe so, but it has no place in your summer wardrobe. You need to look like the sophisticated and knowledgeable woman you are and you cannot do that in old clothing."

"The more comfortable my clothing, the more focused I'll be on my work," Bella pointed out.

Alice continued sorting through clothing as if her sister hadn't spoken at all. "This white one with the little blue flowers is perfect for your arrival. I shouldn't even let you take it knowing it could get some sort of slimy gunk from the water on it, but I want you to look your best when you meet these people."

Before Bella could respond, her sister took the conversation into a completely different direction. "You promise you'll write? I want to hear from you every day. And I want real letters mixed in with your emails, even if it's just a few words."

Bella chuckled at her sister's attempt to hide her real desire. "It's not the words you want. It's the stamps that will come on the letters."

Alice let out one of her infamous nervous giggles before turning and dashing out of the room. Bella stayed where she was on the bed knowing her sister would return shortly. Within minutes, the younger sister returned with a flower covered box in her arms. She set it on the bed between them and carefully pulled the lid off, setting it atop the tossed aside clothing.

In the box were hundreds of letters collected during Alice's eighteen years of life. Most had come from Carlisle during his many business travels while the rest were from Alice's friends, sorority sisters, pen pals, and even a few past lovers. Bella didn't know for sure, but she also suspected there were old letters from their parents hidden amongst the many envelopes.

It was their mother who had instilled a love of letters in Alice. Renee had been so proud of the love letters their father Charlie had written to her when they'd been dating. She had enjoyed pulling them out and reading them to her daughters in place of bedtime stories. Bella smiled at the memory of her mother's explanation … _Why read you a story about a fake Prince Charming when your father is the real deal?_

Alice's excited words drew Bella's attention back to her. "Look at this one! From Uncle Carlisle's first trip to London after we moved here to live with him."

It amazed Bella that Alice could remember the when and where of each of her letters with such perfect clarity. "Remember how he sent us that picture of him standing with the royal guards?" Alice questioned.

Bella smiled and nodded to show she did. She also remembered how Alice had cried herself to sleep in Bella's bed every night until Carlisle had come home safely. Alice had only been ten at the time and Bella fourteen. They had both been much too young to have lost their parents and been thrust into a whole new life far from the home they'd grown up in and the friends they'd known their whole lives. As the oldest, though, it had been Bella's job to take care of Alice and that had meant pushing aside her own hurt to focus on her little sister.

"You promise right, Bella? You'll send me letters?" Alice asked, somehow managing to look ten years old all over again.

Bella reached out and grabbed her sister's hand, squeezing it tightly. "I promise, Alice. I can't promise it'll be every day, but you will definitely get a letter each week that I'm gone."

.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

.

"Settle down," Masen called out, trying to be heard over the noise in the room.

The noisemakers seemed to have not heard him at all. Gopher continued to tap against the table to whatever song was playing in his head while Lee and Whit discussed the nail polish bottles sitting in front of them.

"I'm thinking this blue but I also like this coral."

"That's orange."

"No, it's coral. It says so right here on the bottle."

"The bottle can say anything it wants. That shit is orange."

Masen took in a breath and yelled out over all their noise. "Hello! Think I could get your attention so we can get this meeting started?"

"Why do you need our attention?" Lee asked. "You'll state the same safety rules, we'll go over our same initial assignments, and then we'll break for lunch. Same old, same old."

"Close, smart ass," Masen replied. "But you forgot the part where I tell you about the intern coming to spend the summer with us."

Not only did he have their attention now, he had all three of them speaking at once.

"Fresh hands. Cool."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"What's an intern?"

Masen ignored their questions for now and gave them the facts. "Esme and I were looking at ways to get more exposure for MMR while also getting more funding and we found that if we created an intern program, we would be able to accomplish both things together."

"An intern, Masen? How the hell is that going to work? We have our routine down-pat. Introducing some stranger to the mix could throw it all off," Lee stated.

"Or it could make it better," Whit suggested.

"Thank you, Whit," Masen said, quickly latching onto his support. "This young woman—" It was as far as he got before Lee interrupted.

"A chick? Really? We're going to finally even the odds? Oh, I think I like this intern idea better already. But hang on! How come you got to pick the person without any of us giving input?"

"Because the three of you can never agree on anything," Masen answered.

"The hell you say," Lee argued. "We agree all the time."

"Give me an example. In fact, let me make it easy for you. Give me one example of you three agreeing on one meal," he challenged.

Lee opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly while Whit looked anywhere but at Masen and Gopher stared down at his hands.

"That's what I thought." Masen had a pleased grin on his face. "So would you like to hear about the intern now?"

Lee waved her hand for him to continue.

"This young woman is from Florida and she's been working with dolphins at Sea World. She's also—."

"Man, what a change up," Gopher interrupted. "From cute and cuddly to the apex predator of the sea, all huge and toothy."

"It's going to be a very big adjustment," Masen agreed. "She doesn't see sharks the way we do."

"Then why did she get picked?" Lee asked, sitting up straight in her chair and really seeming interested for the first time.

"We've all been talking a lot in the last year about getting out there and changing the perception people have about sharks. This intern …" He glanced down at his notes for her name, "Isabella Cullen will be the first perception we try to change."

Lee shook her head. "While I'm all for extending our reach and helping our cause, I don't think on the water with the sharks is what's best for someone who's afraid of them."

"What would you suggest? It's not as though there are books out there that give an accurate portrayal. And there are very few true documentaries," Masen pointed out. "Seeing it first-hand seems to me to be the only way right now. But think about how it could be in a few years if this works. Not only would we have our papers out there, we would have hers. And after the summer she's supposed to take a job with the Atlanta Aquarium. Think about what it could do for us if the Aquarium promotes our conservation efforts."

"Well I've only got one question," Whit announced. He waited until he was sure they were all looking at him and then asked, "Does she surf?"

Lee and Gopher broke out into laughter while Masen smiled and shook his head. He should have known he wasn't going to keep them serious for more than a few minutes at a time. It would be different once they started the trip but right now was still down-time in their heads.

"So when will she get here?" Lee questioned.

"Esme made arrangements to have her arrive next Friday night and we'll pull out Saturday morning."

"Does she do anything besides play with dolphins?" Whit asked.

"We didn't ask for hobbies," Masen told him. "She did mention she can drive a skiff though, so Gopher you'll have some help setting decoys."

"Bitchin," Gopher replied with a head bob.

"Is she going to help with anything else?" Lee questioned.

"More than likely. But nothing directly in the water to start with. We want her to feel secure with how we do things before having her participate. Esme and I really want this program to be a success."

"Ooh la la," Whit sang. "He pulled Esme's name into the mix. Mase, you nervous we won't be on our best behavior with the intern? Would it help relax your nerves if I promise not to hit on her no matter how hot she looks in a bikini?"

"I promise not to hit on her either," Lee quickly chimed in. She lifted her fingers in a peace sign and added, "Scout's honor."

Gopher reached out and grabbed her fingers, bringing them to his lips for a kiss. "I see no other women in the world so don't worry about me," he said, looking only at her.

"Suck up," Lee chided even as she smiled at him.

"Very funny," Masen told them, shaking his head at their smiling faces.

"Oh, relax, Mase," Lee said. "You've got this. If you can get all of us to spend three months on a boat with your pain-in-the-ass self, then you can convince a dolphin lover to care for sharks."

"I'm glad you have so much confidence in me, Lee. Allow me to return the favor … This summer, we will be keeping up a blog of our travels and findings. At least once a week, one of you will write a blog post, sharing an experience you've had aboard Galeos with the rest of the world. You can add pictures and video, but you also have to write an actual post. It has to be five-hundred words or more and it can't be one sentence repeated again and again."

"Why the hell are you looking only at me when you say that shit?" Gopher asked, looking as indignant as he sounded.

"You know why," Lee said before Masen could. When Gopher had first expressed an interest in joining MMR, Masen had asked him to write down his reasons for wanting to become part of the team. Gopher had turned over a sheet of paper filled with two sentences written again and again … _I want to be with Lee. Sharks don't scare me._

"A blog, Masen? Where in the hell did you pull that lame ass idea from?" Whit questioned.

"Look, I know you were never a fan of writing in school, but this is important. It's another great way to get our name and our efforts out there into the world," Masen explained. "I'll be doing it too. In fact, I'll do the first post myself."

"As our fearless leader, I think you should do them all," Lee suggested.

Masen immediately shot her down. "Nice try, but no. We each have different personalities, different styles, and different visions of what we hope to accomplish. That means that we can connect with a larger audience if we all work together. This can be a prime example of Team MMR's professionalism and commitment. And once you start writing, you'll see that five-hundred words comes pretty quick."

"It can be about anything?" Gopher questioned.

"Anything related to marine life or life aboard Galeos," Masen answered. "Just no explicit or foul language. We don't want to get any emails from angry parents of children who looked up conservation efforts and got an eyeful of your consummation efforts instead."

Gopher shot him the middle finger for his comments while Lee and Whit laughed.

Masen brought them to order once more and then went through the safety rules and initial responsibilities they were used to hearing. By the time he was done, they were all in a hurry to do other things and they left without asking any of the questions he had expected to answer. Knowing them as well as he did, he was sure he would get random questions tossed at him over the next few days until the intern arrived.

.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

.

"Don't torque it much. Just barely a smidge," Lee warned from her spot behind Masen's shoulder.

From his squatted position, Masen took the wrench away from the bolt and turned his head to look up at her. "Do you want to do it?" he asked, giving her a fierce scowl.

She ignored the look he was giving her and rolled her eyes at him. "You were the one who said you wanted to learn. In order to learn, you first have to be instructed. So shut up and listen. If you tighten it too much, the bolt will strip and the whole assembly could come loose from the engine's vibrations. It's not something that would happen right away, but it's definitely something you want to avoid."

He huffed and turned back to the pipe in front of him. "You already told me that three times. You're just using it as an excuse because you're enjoying the chance to boss me around for a change."

She nodded in agreement though he couldn't see it. She had detected some sluggishness while prepping the boat for the journey to False Bay and had found that a bolt for one of the hoses was worn. She had planned on replacing it herself and being home by now, but Masen had insisted she show him how to do it. She knew he had all the confidence in the world in her, but she also knew this boat was his baby and he enjoyed learning how to take care of it properly—she just had to get him to shut up and listen first.

For his part, Masen didn't consider it arguing. He saw it as examining all possible solutions to a situation. He'd always been the kind of person to look at a problem from different angles to see if there was room for an improved solution. For this particular situation, Lee's solution was best—tighten the bolt to the assembly without overdoing it.

He took in a deep breath to steady his nerves and then carefully wrapped his hands around the wrench. It was vital to have a good grip so he could feel exactly when the bolt reached maximum tightness. Moving slowly and carefully, he pulled the wrench toward himself—neither person breathed.

Not until a third person bounded into the room while yelling out a greeting and causing Masen to jerk and pull too much, stripping the bolt and falling backwards on his ass.

"Fuck!" Masen screamed, throwing the wrench at the yeller and just barely missing his target. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

"What? What did I do?" Gopher cried, looking between Lee and Masen and the wrench that had slid past him to hit the wall.

"Gopher, get the fuck out of here before he kills you," Lee ordered, meaning every word. She had both hands anchored to Masen's shoulders, keeping him seated on the floor and away from her apparently suicidal boyfriend.

"Let me go. I'm going to fucking kill him. He's going to be chum when I'm done with him," Masen snarled. He would have gotten out from under Lee's grip if he'd been sure he could do it without hurting her. He had to wonder if she wasn't a little crazy for once again saving her boyfriend from death—and if maybe he wasn't insane too for caring enough about her to let the idiot stick around.

"Hush it," Lee ordered. She squatted down to be face-to-face with Masen. "He's already turned tail and run. You need to focus on this engine."

"The fucking bolt is stripped, Lee." He proved his point by reaching out and twirling the thing with his finger.

"Then we need a new one. Do we have any extras on the boat?"

"Fuck if I know. What does the inventory sheet say?"

Lee huffed as she used Masen's head to help her stand and then walked over to where the inventory clipboard hung. She hated it when he got himself all worked up over the small things in life—especially when he never bothered to take time off for the big things. If it wasn't related to his boat, his dog, or his family, Masen wanted no part of it. And even those things could only draw him away from his work for so long.

Lee flipped through the pages on the clipboard a few times before sighing and putting the board back. "We don't have extras."

"Let me guess who had the job of making sure we had extras," Masen growled. He'd gotten to his feet and retrieved his wrench, envisioning the many ways he would use the tool against the big tool in his life.

Lee took the wrench from him and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jean shorts. "Doesn't matter. We need the bolt if we want the engine running at optimum performance. I'll get online and find the closest place to pick some up."

He let out a growl and roughly tugged at his hair. "Why? Why does he do these things? And how the hell does he always manage to do them at the most inopportune times?"

Lee smiled as she rubbed Masen's arm in hopes of soothing a little of his anger. "He doesn't mean to mess up, Mase. He just tries so hard to impress you that he gets himself into trouble."

"It's not me he's trying to impress."

"Oh, yes it is. He knows I love him and accept him the way he is. But you only tolerate him and he wants a real friendship with you."

"We're friends. As long as he's not fucking with my boat."

She rolled her eyes while grabbing his forearm and tugging him toward the stairs. "Come on. Let's go look online for some bolts."

After searching a few of her favorite sites for parts, she found the bolts—two and a half hours away.

"He's a dead man," Masen promised. If asked an hour ago, he would have said Gopher was an okay guy most days. If asked right now, he wouldn't be able to recall a single reason for having the guy around. And if asked again once he had the bolts in his hand, he would recall how happy the idiot made Lee and that would be reason enough to forgive the latest mishap.

"Alright, Mase," Lee said as she stood. "If we head out now, you can drop me at the house and reach the parts store before it closes."

"Promise I can kill him when I get back, Lee. Please."

She rolled her eyes while pushing him toward the door. "I promise if you don't get those bolts, you won't be able to sleep tonight from worrying over it."

Masen snorted since they both knew he wouldn't sleep much, if at all, whether he had the bolt or not. Sleep was never big on his list of priorities; it only got in the way of his work.

"Whatever. Just go," she said, pushing him once more.

They locked up the boat and Masen drove them home, speeding around the curves like usual. When they pulled into the drive, he noticed Whit's yellow Ducati and decided he wanted to take the bike for his trek across the island instead of Lee's Accord. He would have taken the Bronco if it hadn't been loaded onto the ship just this morning.

"Tell Whit I'm taking his bike," Masen said as he dropped Lee's keys into her hand.

She grabbed his forearm and gave him a stern look to match her warning. "Be safe. It's one thing to speed in the Bronco and our cars but another to do it on that bike."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "You love me."

"Barely," she scoffed.

"You love me," he insisted, winking at her and smiling wide.

"Yes, I love you. So be safe damn it."

He made the hand sign for "promise" and then headed for Whit's bike. He put the helmet on but left the visor up and then started up the bike, letting the engine rev and rumble beneath him.

He caught the frown on Lee's face from the corner of his eye and let the bike roll over to where she was still standing by her car. "I'll call when I get there and when I leave, okay?"

The tension lines around her eyes eased up and she smiled as she nodded. "Thanks, Mase."

"After awhile, Crocodile."

"Later, Gator," Lee replied, reaching out and pushing his visor closed.

.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

.

If Bella had been in that front yard with Masen and Lee, she would have told the two friends that they had the parting backwards. But she wasn't there. She was high up in the sky and hours away from landing in Hawaii, chewing on her thumbnail and trying to envision what the next few months of her life would be like.

Bella had exchanged quite a few emails with Esme Masen in preparation for her summer journey and she knew she would be one of four crewmembers on the boat. Edward Masen served as both captain and boss while Esme wouldn't be on the boat for most trips, preferring to stay on land and handle the business side of their research. Esme hadn't given many details about Edward and the crew other than their names, stating that she wanted Bella to form her own opinions. She had sent a picture of Edward and herself, though, stating that they would be the ones to meet Bella at the airport. He looked kind of young to be the head of research in Bella's opinion—or maybe it was the preppy way he was dressed in the photo with perfectly trimmed hair, freshly shaven face, and a crisp white shirt with a red tie. He seemed more suited for an office building than a boat at sea. She wondered if he really did some of the work or just gave orders from behind a desk on the boat.

With a shake of her head, Bella cut off that line of thinking; she couldn't and shouldn't base her opinion on a few emails and a picture. Once she was on the boat and spending time with the crew, then she would get to know them. Just as she hoped they didn't have any preconceived notions about her, she wanted to keep her mind open about all of them. Still, she couldn't help but be nervous at being the newcomer. Five years together as a team would definitely have forged tight bonds between them all.

All her thinking had kept Bella occupied right up until the wheels of her plane touched down on the airport runway. A rush of excitement and adrenaline flooded her system and a huge smile filled her face. She was really doing this. She was really going to spend the summer on the water so she could start the next stage of her life in the fall.

As she headed toward baggage claim, she looked around for any sight of Esme. Her flight had originally been scheduled to arrive two days from now, but severe storms headed for Florida had forced Bella to depart earlier. Esme had assured her that she would meet her at the airport and take her to the house they would stay in until the boat left for False Bay in a few days.

Bella scanned the crowd again and found that none of the people milling around matched the pictures she had been sent. There was also no one holding a sign with her name like they sometimes did in movies. She hoped that by the time she'd retrieved all of her bags someone would be here to take her to the house. She couldn't wait to get out of the sundress Alice had insisted she wear and into a comfy pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

A very nice gentleman inside the airport helped Bella wrestle her trunk from the turnstile and get it onto the side that held the wheels. She was able to get her two duffel bags herself, stacking one onto the trunk and setting the other next to it. With that done, she reached into her carryon and pulled out her cell phone, hoping she would have signal here.

No bars registered on the screen and even shaking it didn't help. Bella had never been very good with electronics, probably because they didn't mix well with water and that was where she spent most of her time. If it weren't for Alice's insistence, Bella wouldn't have brought the phone along at all.

Another smile lit her face as Bella thought of her little sister. Alice had decided the two of them needed to spend nearly every waking moment together in the last week so there would be enough memories to tide them over in their three month separation. Bella had been unable to refuse her sister and looking back now on the time they'd spent together, she was glad for it now.

"Isabella Cullen?" a smooth voice questioned.

Bella turned toward the voice and found a man a good deal taller than her with shoulder-length, shaggy black hair. He had an infectious smile on his face and gray eyes that reminded her of her uncle's. He was also holding a picture of her in his hand.

"That's me," she said, eyeing him warily. This was not Esme and it was certainly not Edward.

The man stuck his hand out to her. "I'm Whit. Esme sent me to pick you up. She apologizes for not coming herself but she couldn't get out of her meeting. Some big deal to do with one of our grants."

Bella recognized Whit's name from the email Esme had sent and smiled as she took his hand, giving it a firm shake. "It's nice to meet you, Whit. Esme told me that you're the navigator, medical officer, and peace keeper."

He grinned. "Yeah, I don't know about that last one. We don't have a day that goes by without somebody threatening to drown somebody else." His eyes drifted to the pile of luggage beside her. "Are these all of your bags?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if it seems a bit excessive but my sister packed for me and she's rather hard to deny."

"When you see all that Esme plans on bringing along with her, you won't think yours is such a big pile."

Whit grabbed the duffel from the top of the trunk and the trunk itself while Bella carried the second bag. She followed along behind him, trying to keep up with the long strides he was taking. They worked together to load everything into the trunk of his car and then they were off.

"So Florida, huh?" Whit asked as they drove along the highway.

"Yeah. It's pretty, but nothing like this," she said, waving toward the scenery outside of her window.

"I've lived a lot of places, but none as beautiful as this one." He must have seen her curiosity on her face because he added, "I was an army brat growing up. We moved all over the U.S. until we ended up here. My parents love this place as much as I do so my dad retired and they opened up a surf shop."

"You didn't want to join the family business?"

"What I do every day … It's not business. It's life."

.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

.

The door to Masen's room flew open so suddenly that Lizzy leapt on top of him and began growling at the intruder. The book Masen had been reading connected with the wall and then fell to the ground with a dull thump. He'd tossed it away to wrap his hands around Lizzy's haunches to keep her from leaping at the uninvited guest. The last thing he needed was to have to rush her to an emergency vet days before they were scheduled to leave.

"So, so sorry, Mase." Lee's apology might have had a shot at working if she hadn't been snorting behind the hands doing a piss-poor job of covering her smile.

Masen ignored her while pulling his black and white Boston Terrier against his chest and scratching behind her ear, talking to her as if she were a baby who had been startled to tears. "Come here, Lizzy. Come here, sweet girl. Ignore that mean ol' Lee."

Lee dropped her hands to her hips and rolled her eyes at his behavior. He didn't see it, though, too busy reaching for the container of treats he kept on his bedside table. He shook a few into his hand, watching with pride as Lizzy sat up and patiently waited for her reward for protecting him from the intruder. She had her mouth open with her tongue dangling out of it, looking to Masen as if she were smiling.

While his dog happily munched on the treats in his open palm, Masen glared at Lee. "You know how freaked she gets when someone comes busting into my room, Lee."

"Hey, I didn't tell her to go all bodyguard over you. Besides, I thought she was in the living room munching on one of the thousand toys you've bought her."

Masen's lips pulled up into a smirk. "My best girl deserves the best toys."

Lee stuck her finger in her mouth and mimed throwing up. "Spare me."

His smirk widened as he twirled his finger. "You know where the door is and how to get out of it."

She smiled and showed him a finger of her own, halfway down her hand. "You know if you treated your dates half as good as you do that dog, you might actually have a girlfriend. I say might because you'd still be a workaholic, another relationship killer as we both know."

Masen ignored her goading and continued to tend to his dog, scratching her belly now that she was done with her treats and splayed out across his lap.

Lee sighed and then walked the few feet over to him, grasping his free hand in hers and giving it a hard tug. "Come out with me."

"For what? You were just insulting me."

"Because you promised you would come out and have a beer with me before we leave. Tonight is that night, Mase."

"Lee, I just got back from picking up the bolts and Whit's not back from whatever errand my mom sent him out on."

"So. I'm so much cooler to hang with than Whit and you know it."

"Well you were and then you started hanging out with Gopher and lost your cool factor."

Lee gasped and then smacked her open palm against the side of Masen's head, making him burst into loud laughter. The sound instantly had Lizzy barking and jumping around while trying to lick his face.

"Not the face, Lizzy," he commanded, gently pushing her little head away.

"Why not? You obviously plan to stay right here so that's all the action you're going to see tonight."

Masen didn't even give Lee the warning of a look before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her down onto his bed. She squealed and struggled as his fingers assaulted all of her ticklish spots and Lizzy licked at her ear.

It wasn't until she was hiccupping and red-faced that he stopped, pulling her into a sitting position and resting his chin on top of her head. "So beers?" he asked.

"Beers," she agreed. "You and me. And Whit will eventually amble in when he's back from Esme's errand."

"And Gopher?"

"He'll be on his best behavior. And for the record, I know you blew him off when you got home and he tried to apologize. Whether you believe it or not, he really is sorry."

"Can't he just not screw shit up from the start instead of being sorry about it later?"

"Sure. Just as soon as you stop being a workaholic insomniac."

Masen let out a heavy sigh that was mostly fake. "Will you stop busting my balls if I agree to go out with you?"

"And if you buy my first beer."

"Done."

"I knew you would agree."

"Smart ass."

She slapped his thigh hard enough for the sound to echo in his room so he squeezed her in his arms until she squeaked out an apology. He kissed the top of her head and then let her go. "Take Lizzy for a walk while I change. And put a note on the fridge so Mom knows Lizzy's already had her treat for the night."

"Come on, girl," Lee said as she scooped the dog into her arms. "And don't you worry. I'm not telling Esme any such thing. You deserve all the treats you can get for putting up with Masen."

"I can hear you," Masen called out into the hallway.

"Duh!"

He smiled at her comment and then shut his door to get ready. He picked his fallen book up from the floor and tossed it onto his bed. He had planned to finish reading up on controlling reflection flares while shooting photos on the water but for Lee he would let it wait another day. She was technically older than him by a few months but he had always seen her as younger and in need of his protection and guidance. It both touched and exasperated her in equal measure. It also got her almost anything she wanted from him, a fact they were both well aware of.

A half-hour and a couple beers later, Masen looked up from the table and zeroed in on something that had not been in the bar just minutes ago. Or rather some_one_. The sundress was too classy for a place like this but Masen didn't hold it against her—he couldn't when it made her legs look long enough to wrap comfortably around him. And those full pouty lips of hers … He knew right where they could go. The fact that she was swaying to the music and seemed completely unaware that most of the male eyes in here were on her made her that much more appealing to him. The beauties unaware of their appeal were always easier to bed and rarely squawked about his rush to leave when playtime was over.

She lifted her arms and he watched her elegant fingers scoop her reddish-brown hair back and restrain it with a band from her wrist. It left her neck on view and he decided it was his mission to get his lips on that expanse of skin before the night was over.

The squeal of a microphone sounded off and was followed by a deep male voice. "We're Poked With Precision and we're going to play a song called 'One Night With You'. We hope you all like it."

A perverted smile filled Masen's face as the band's name and song title registered in his mind, creating a slew of images involving him poking the beauty at the bar with precision many times over for just this one night.

The fast strum of an electric guitar filled the bar and was joined a few seconds later by a deep male voice.

_Just one dance,_

_Give me just one chance._

_Just one night with you,_

_All I need to get me through._

Masen set his beer down on the table and stood, taking a second to straighten his shirt and push his jeans lower on his hips before walking over to her. When he reached the bar beauty, he said nothing. He only offered his hand and after a second's hesitation, she took it.

He knew this place almost as well as he knew his boat and it allowed him the ability to step backwards and not release her from his eye contact. As they moved together across the floor, he could see her pulse pounding just below her ear and he couldn't resist ensnaring her in his arms and pressing his lips against the beat of her heart. He closed his eyes and focused on how each thump of her heart brought her warm skin in closer contact with his lips.

_Just one kiss,_

_Give you just one kiss._

_Ya know you want it too._

_Just one night with you._

He waited for her to push him away for being so forward with her. He normally danced at least a song or two with a woman before putting his lips on her, but he hadn't been able to control himself this time. It should have bothered him and probably would later on but for now he was far too busy trying to place the faint fruity smell coming from her body. He drew in a deeper breath hoping to guess but all he found was that she made him shudder with need. The tremor that ran through him caused his scruff to scratch her soft skin and once again he found her reaction unusual. Most women pulled their head down to hide their neck from further assault but she shifted the opposite way, giving him more room. For a moment, he wondered if one of Whit's jokes hadn't come true, that the Devil had come dressed as a woman to bring Masen to his knees.

He would never remember exactly how it had happened but he somehow went from being pressed against her in the middle of the floor to pinning her against the wall in the darkened corner. One of her hands was splayed out against his cheeks with her fingers sliding back and forth along his scruff while her other hand kept a death-grip on the hair at the back of his neck. He had her left leg hiked up around his hip with her knee resting on his forearm, allowing him to be as close as he could get to her without removing clothing. He could feel the sweat dripping down the sides of his face and coating his back beneath his shirt; he vaguely wondered just how long they'd been going hot and heavy against this patch of wall.

It was only because his lungs screamed for a fresh breath that Masen tore his mouth away from hers. He'd thought her lips were full before but now that they were swollen from his kisses … A deep groan rumbled through him as he leaned into her body and ground himself against her, relishing the rush of warmth against his jeans and the soft sound of her moan in his ear. His hungry green eyes met her hooded brown ones and he found himself unable to look away despite how badly he wanted to kiss her again.

Between his loud breathing and hers, Masen didn't hear the throat clearing from behind him the first time. Or the second. Or even the third or fourth. The owner of the throat gave up on making sounds and went for the shoulder tap.

"Go. Away." Masen pronounced each word slowly as if speaking them too fast would allow the razor-sharp tone they were spoken in to slice through skin.

"So I see you met Isabella." _Whit_. And not just Whit but Whit giving Masen information that cooled him off quicker than a bucket full of ice water dumped down his worn jeans ever could have.

.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

.

**A/N:** SO … How about that Masen? LOL We can't wait to see what kinds of questions you guys have for the MMR crew tomorrow night during the Twitter Q&A. Make sure you follow teammasen! .com (slash) teammasen We'll start at 8:30pm Central Time.

If any of you are interested in Bella's application and essay, those are on the blog.

Chapter 3 will be up on December 15th with the Q&A on the 16th.

Not every chapter will have a Q&A as sometimes we'll be posting blogs from Masen and the crew on the MMR site. We'll let you know which we'll be doing when we give out the chapter's teaser a few days before it posts. Make sure you're signed up at . to receive updates! You can find a clickable link on my profile page and Eternally Addicted's blog at . .

**FINAL NOTE:** This is just to cover our butts – we do not expect than any reader would do this, but we still need to cover ourselves … The lyrics appearing in this chapter are original, copyrighted material and should not be copied or used without the express permission of the authors. If you have any questions, contact me with a PM and I will be happy to explain.


	3. 3 Let Me Introduce Myself

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. **The original characters, plot, names, and nicknames are all the property of the author of this fanfic. Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism.** The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 3 – Let Me Introduce Myself**

Bella was still struggling to catch her breath when the arm that had been holding her leg up was suddenly yanked away. She would have fallen if Whit hadn't been there to catch her.

The man she had been kissing and holding so tightly was at least a full foot away from her now. She could no longer see the green of his eyes since he had them narrowed into such tiny slits. The jaw she had been touching was hard as rock now and the lips that had felt so soft against her own were pressed together so tightly that they looked thin and white.

She couldn't take her eyes from his hands, watching closely as he roughly jerked his plaid shirt straight onto his shoulders, covering up the thin white v-neck shirt beneath and the spots that had become see-through from his sweat. She followed those hands as they traveled up and disappeared into his hair, remembering how it had felt to have her own hands there. When he'd first approached her at the bar, she'd thought she was dreaming—no way was he there for her. But he had been and he'd wanted her hand so she'd given it willingly. Seeing him now, clearly angry and unsure of the situation, she wanted to put her hand in his even more.

"I'm going to guess you guys didn't ask names," Whit said, looking between Bella and the guy she'd been kissing.

"I was just standing there and then he was … and it was … really fast," she blathered. She was trying to focus but her mind was too busy replaying those kisses.

Whit looked as though he wanted to laugh but then he looked over at the guy and his expression immediately went neutral. "I better make introductions then. Isabella Cullen, this is Edward Masen."

Her stomach clenched and she felt her face drain of blood and color. Edward had the opposite reaction—his face and neck turned an alarming shade of red and his hands curled into such tight fists that it made the tendons in his forearms flex before her stunned eyes.

"What kind of bullshit is this? Did you think it was funny? Some kind of joke?" He was not quite yelling the questions at her but it was pretty darn close.

"I could ask the same thing," she defended. "I know _I_ look like the picture I sent Esme but you don't look anything like the one I got."

"What's going on?" a female asked, sliding in beside Edward and wrapping her arm around his.

"Major case of mistaken identity," Whit quickly answered. "Esme must have used an old pic of Masen here."

"Very old," Bella agreed with a stiff nod. "Short hair, clean face, dark glasses, red tie. Complete opposite of … of _you_."

The last two words came out as an accusation and the addition of her finger pointing at him seemed to be more than Edward could handle. The distance between them was completely gone and his body anchored hers against the wall. His warm breath felt like a rough wind against her face as he spoke. "If I find out this was some kind of plot to screw with my research or discredit MMR, you will be sorry you ever stepped foot in Hawaii."

Before Bella could respond, Whit had already pulled Edward away and was towing him out of the bar. Her initial reaction was numbness. It had all happened so fast and had been such an overload of sensations.

Her second reaction was to feel shocked. It was true that he didn't know her but what kind of people had he come in contact with in his life to automatically assume she could be here to ruin his career and his company?

Her final reaction, and the one she would stick to until she realized it was pointless, was to get angry. No, not just angry. Down. Right. _Pissed_.

"I can't believe that guy. What an asshole!" she ranted, pointing toward the direction Whit had pulled Edward. "I just arrived tonight and I've only met Whit. I have no idea where the rest of the people are or when I'll meet them and … And I didn't ask him to come up to me. He was just … just _there_."

"So let me get this straight," the woman said, speaking each word slowly. "Whit brought you here and then Masen approached you?"

"Yeah. Whit left me at the bar. He said he was going to find his friends Lee and Gopher and bring them over to meet me. He said he wasn't sure if Edward—or Masen—whatever he calls himself, was even here. But before Whit ever came back, there was this guy and he wanted to dance and I … I don't know what happened." Her voice had gone soft on the last few words as the memory of the way she'd felt when Edward had first appeared flooded her mind. It had been sort of like flying and falling at the very same time, like when she was younger and would hold her arms out and spin herself in a circle as fast as possible.

Her quietness only lasted a few seconds and then her anger ramped her voice right back up. "I know it wasn't my fault. I didn't do anything wrong."

"I told him this intern idea was ridiculous."

Bella looked closely at the woman standing in front of her and thought about how she'd been holding onto Edward's arm before. "You're Lee, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'd say nice to meet you, Isabella, but that's not exactly the case, is it?"

Bella was stunned silent by the woman's remark. She had known there was a chance she could be treated like an outsider but for it to happen so quickly and in this way … Maybe she should have thrown the application away after all.

A tall guy with cropped blond hair came over and put his arm around Lee's shoulders. "Why's Whit shoving Masen into your car?"

"Ask the intern," Lee said. She slipped out from under the man's arm and stalked across the bar.

"Isabella, right?" the guy asked, holding his hand out for a shake.

"Yes, that's right," Bella said as she put her hand in his. "Well, almost. It's really just Bella."

He frowned at her while letting her hand go. "Then why did you put Isabella on your papers."

"I thought it sounded more professional."

He laughed heartily. "Anything is more professional than my name." He put his hand over his heart and bowed his head a little as he introduced himself, "I'm Gopher."

"Why? I mean, Esme sent me everyone's names and I just couldn't figure out why a Gopher."

"'Cause I _go for_ whatever Masen tells me to get."

Bella couldn't help herself; she giggled. "That's sort of mean."

"Nah. It's just a name. Besides, it's kind of grown on me the last few years."

"What's your real name?"

"Emmett. Emmett McCarty. But just call me Gopher like everyone else."

Bella nodded but she wasn't really thinking about what to call this man. She was thinking about Edward. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"If Lee is Edward's girlfriend, why did he ever kiss me?"

"Wait! What? Masen kissed you?" His shocked expression turned into confused as he added, "And why would you think Lee is his girlfriend?"

"Yes, he kissed me. But now he's mad at me and that's why Whit made him leave. He thinks I knew who he was and was trying to mess with his career. But I didn't know it was him. He's older and taller and a lot scruffier than his picture. And Lee seems to dislike me simply because he's mad at me and then there was the way she was holding his arm."

Gopher chuckled and put his hand on her shoulder, leading her over to a table to sit down. "First of all, Lee is _my_ girlfriend. She's just real protective of Masen. He's the same way about her. You mess with one, you deal with the other kind of thing. Secondly, there are very few things in this life more important to Masen than the success of MMR. Just the implication that it could be threatened would be more than enough to set him off. But I wouldn't worry about it. Whit will calm him down and talk to him, get him to see this was just a crazy mix-up."

"Do you think Whit can really do that? Because I'm pretty sure Edward would like nothing more than to send me right back to Florida."

"Yeah, well, lucky for you MMR is mostly a democracy. If we don't all vote to send you back, then he can't do shit. And I can tell you right now, Esme's not going to vote his way and I'm not going to vote his way. Whit probably won't either."

"But Lee will?"

"Yeah, but that's just Lee."

Bella took a moment to digest his words and to work on calming down. As shocking as this whole situation was, it wasn't an excuse to behave unprofessionally. And now more than ever she needed to come off polished and composed. "I came to learn, not to get sent home on my first night here. What can I do to fix things?"

"Oh, you're going to learn alright," Gopher said, laughing once again. "You are the Guppy, Masen's the shark, and Lee is the fisherman all too happy to offer you up as chum."

"Is there anything I can do to salvage this?"

"I think the best thing to do is for me to take you up to the house so you can get some sleep. Masen's kind of slow to cool so it's best to just leave him alone for now. As for Lee, just leave her alone. Once Masen is cool with you, she will be too."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen paced up and down the hallway with Lizzy following at his heels. He'd changed out of the tight sweaty clothes that had been constricting him and was now in a pair of his favorite boardshorts. He'd wanted to spend the night on the boat but Lee and Whit had refused to take him to the dock, citing the big breakfast Esme had planned for the morning as their reason.

They were each leaning against a wall, facing each other except for when Masen's pacing blocked their view. They had hoped he would walk off his anger and be receptive to hearing what they had to say but with each step he took, the more it seemed to them that talking to him tonight would be pointless.

Masen came to a dead stop and glared at the floor in front of him, his long fingers flexing and rolling into fists before loosening again. "Who the hell does she think she is to come here and put my company at risk?"

"Our company," Lee corrected. She changed the cross of her arms but otherwise didn't move from her spot.

"Yeah, exactly. Our company," Masen agreed. "So why the hell aren't you two as pissed as I am about this?" he asked, looking between his friends.

Whit was all too happy to offer an explanation and a smirk. "Because _we_ didn't have our tongues down her throat."

"Look, it doesn't matter what he was doing before he knew who she was," Lee stated. The fact that she was taking up for Masen in all of this didn't surprise Whit in the least. "The point is that we know now she's the intern. Do we let her stay and put this ugly incident behind us? Or do we send her home and scrap this intern program?"

"Ending something before it starts because of a miscommunication would be stupid," Whit replied. "We've never been stupid about anything dealing with MMR. It means too much to all of us to risk it."

"What if letting her stay is a risk? What if she holds a grudge against Masen and tells people the intern thing is just a way for him to hook up with girls?" Lee questioned.

"I don't think she would do that," Whit said.

"You just met her," Lee reminded him. "You have no idea what she'll do."

"Exactly," he replied, smiling at her. "And neither do you or Masen. So I say give her a chance." Whit's smile widened as his eyes focused on Masen alone. "If for no other reason than because Esme wants the intern program to work."

Masen sighed and shoved his hands into his hair. His mom was not going to be happy to hear about this mess. She would probably order him to apologize and that was the last thing he felt like doing. He didn't consider any of this to be his fault and therefore felt no need to apologize. Of course, if she asked him to do it, he would no matter how he felt about it.

"How the hell did this happen?" he asked, shaking his head.

Whit answered him right away, smiling as he did it. "An old picture, an early flight, and a horny Masen."

Lee couldn't help it—she snorted _and_ giggled. When Masen turned his glare on her, she just laughed harder. "I can't help it! He's right. I warned you it had been too long since the last time you'd been out. If you'd listened to me then you wouldn't have went after the first girl you saw."

Masen just barely managed to keep himself from blurting out the thought in his head—_she wasn't the first girl I saw tonight_. She hadn't been the second or third either. She had just been the first and only to catch his interest.

"Look, just apologize and be done with it," Whit suggested.

"Apologize?" Masen all but roared. He was only mad because he'd just been thinking he would have to do it and now Whit was bringing it up. "What the hell do I have to apologize about?"

Before Whit or Lee could start listing possible offenses, the front door opened. There stood the woman who had turned Masen's night upside down with Gopher standing right behind her.

Masen glared at her for a long silent moment before picking up Lizzy and heading out the backdoor. He closed it with so much force that he could feel the door rattling in its frame as he stomped down the steps that led to the beach below.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Damn, Guppy. You know how to clear a room," Gopher joked as they watched Lee slip out the backdoor, following after Masen.

"What did you just call her?" Whit asked as he took the bag Bella was holding from her. They'd gone straight to the bar after the airport so all of her things had still been in the car Whit had driven.

Gopher had a proud smile on his face as he explained the name. "Guppy. I figured it was appropriate what with the way Masen tried to make her dinner and Lee practically filleted her for upsetting him."

Whit shook his head while laughing lowly. "Dude, of all the nicknames. You know Mase is going to have something to say about it."

Bella wasn't paying attention to either of them; she was too busy staring at the closed backdoor and wondering if she would ever be forgiven, much less accepted. She still felt she'd done nothing wrong but she knew that often didn't matter—life was rarely fair.

"Alright, Guppy, let's get you to your room so you can get some sleep," Whit said, pointing toward the stairs.

"Any chance I can just go by my own name?" she asked as she followed after him.

"Whit, what do you think?" Gopher questioned from behind her. She could hear the smile in his voice and knew he was only pretending to consider her request.

"I think we'll vote on it over breakfast," Whit replied, shooting Bella a smirk over his shoulder.

They left her with all of her bags in a very nice room at the top of the stairs. Her wide window looked out onto the moonlit beach and the water beyond and a soft breeze was flowing in and ruffling the white lace curtains. She enjoyed the cool air for a bit before turning from the window to sit down on the bed. During her earlier talk today with Alice, she'd promised to call and as much as she wasn't in the mood for it, she would do it for her sister.

Alice answered on the first ring. "So how amazingly awesome is it? I want every detail! Are they all as nice as they sounded in the emails?"

"It's great so far, but I'm really too tired to give details." It was only half a lie since the jetlag had finally caught up with Bella now that the adrenaline and anger had left her system.

"Well then you should be in bed."

Alice's matter-of-fact tone had Bella laughing despite her tiredness. "I will go to bed as soon as you get off my phone."

"Then I'm off. Love you."

"Love you too. Good night." No sooner than Bella closed her phone, there was a knock at her door. "Yes?"

The door opened and a woman who looked exactly like her picture poked her head inside. "May I come in?"

"Please," Bella replied as she stood.

Esme came into the room and gave her a warm hug before taking hold of her shoulders and searching her face. "Oh, but you are not an Isabella at all. Is it Izzy or Bella?"

"How did you know?" Bella blurted out, her brown eyes wide with shock.

Esme laughed softly. "I have an eye for these things. So which is it?"

"Bella."

"Then welcome to the island, Bella."

Bella only smiled. Her reaction had Esme narrowing her gray eyes and looking even closer at her. Bella felt as though any second now Esme would pull the whole sordid scene from earlier right out of her mind.

"Were all the kids on the playground well-behaved?" Esme questioned. "Whit sent me a text that he was taking you to meet everyone. And I'm sorry again I wasn't able to greet you at the airport. There was no way to reschedule my meeting. I had also hoped to get out of my date tonight to be here when you arrived, but I wasn't able to get out of the flaming disaster in time."

Bella couldn't help herself and her laugh filled the room.

"Not kidding," Esme said, putting her hand over her heart. "The guy was such a klutz that he knocked over a cart and very nearly set the place on fire. I'm all for imperfections, but not the kind that leave behind a trail of fire. But enough about me. How did it go with meeting everyone?"

Bella tried to be diplomatic with her answer. "It wasn't what I expected."

"So which of my kids do I need to pull aside? I'm sure I can narrow it down to two. Gopher being inappropriate or Edward working instead of hanging out."

Bella tried her best to keep a smile on her face and not let herself feel upset again over tonight's events. "It was fine. Everyone seems great so far."

"MMR has really pulled us closer together, made us more of a family. Or as my son likes to call us, Team Masen. He has yet to figure out that I'm the Masen in that team, but that's okay. We all need our little stories we tell ourselves." Esme gave Bella a wink and then laughed when she saw Bella's eyes widen in shock.

"My son is a wonderful man. He really is. But he's far from perfect and I know he has a tendency to be a bit brash without realizing it. Actually, that's something I'm hoping you'll help him with. I'm hoping he can learn from your experience with public speaking and become a more influential spokesperson for us."

"I'll do what I can to help." Bella truly meant those words; she just wasn't sure Edward Masen would let her help.

"Okay, well, I just wanted to meet you and tell you how happy I am to have you here with us. I'm sure you're jetlagged so I'll let you get to bed. If you need me, I'm two doors down the hall on the right."

"What about the bathroom?"

"Next door on your right and it's a 'women only' domain so don't worry about having to deal with left-up toilet seats. The guys all use Edward's bathroom downstairs. There are plenty of towels in the closet to the left of your room if you want a shower to wash the airport off. And of course feel free to raid the kitchen because I'm quite certain they forgot to offer you anything to eat in their excitement to meet you."

"Thank you, Esme."

"You're very welcome, Bella. Get some sleep and in the morning we'll get to know each other better."

The bedroom door closed and Bella let go of the smile she'd been holding. Esme certainly seemed to like her but then again she didn't know about the incident in the bar. Bella's mind immediately filled with images and sensations and her thumb rubbed against her lower lip as if that would erase the tingling from it. It didn't matter what kinds of feelings she'd had in that brief encounter with him because nothing could ever come of it. For one, he was Edward Masen of Masen Marine Research. And for another, he spent his life in the water. She wasn't what she would call a picky woman, but being in a relationship with any man who lived in the water was a deal breaker. It was why she'd broken up with her last boyfriend after nearly a year of being in a practically perfect relationship.

It was best for everyone concerned if she just pushed this night aside and pretended it had never happened. She would focus on what she came here to do, which was learn from everyone at MMR and get the experience she needed for her future in Atlanta. Her mind was completely made up on this matter and she ended her mental discussion with a stiff nod of her head. With her course set, she took a shower, put on comfy shorts and a t-shirt, and then slipped between the cool sheets of the bed. She was asleep within minutes.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen's walk along the beach finally took him back to the house and he looked up to see if Esme's light was on. Now that he felt ready to be rational about tonight's events he wanted to talk to someone who would be completely unbiased and he knew that would be his mother. She loved him unconditionally but she also was the first to say he wasn't perfect whereas his friends tended to side with him no matter what, especially Lee.

He brushed the sand from his feet and then entered the backdoor where Lizzy was anxiously waiting to greet him. Her little nub of a tail was wagging so hard that she was practically sliding on the hallway floor.

He smiled as he leaned over and scratched behind her ear. "Hey, girl. You should be sleeping and not waiting up for me." He'd let Lee take her inside at least an hour ago and he'd thought she'd be fast asleep in his bed by now.

After scooping up his puppy and depositing her on his bed, he climbed the stairs to see his mother. There had been a faint light coming from her room which meant her lamp was on and she was mostly likely reading one of her romance novels. He didn't understand how she could be so rooted, so pragmatic, and yet love romance novels; he considered them to be the most fictional of all books ever created.

He knocked softly at her door and called for her at almost the same level just in case she was asleep.

"It's open," she called back.

He opened the door to find her curled up in bed with a romance novel and smiled at having been right. "How was the date?"

"It blew chunks," she said, closing her book and smiling up at him.

"Not on you, right?"

"You know what you can do with that cocky smile, right?" she shot back. She waited until he lifted his hands in surrender before smiling at him and then she reached out to pat the empty space next to her.

He smiled as he stretched out beside her, careful to keep his dirty bare feet off her bed. She smiled right back and ruffled his hair until he pushed her hand away. "You know that's why my hair is the way it is," he accused, giving her a fake scowl.

"Oh, right," she laughed, rolling her eyes at him. "Because I don't see your hands in your hair at least five times a day."

"Two," he countered, grinning even wider.

"Five," she replied, showing him the exact number of fingers.

He scoffed and closed his fingers over hers. "Three, max."

She rolled her eyes at him once more and then planted a kiss on his forehead. "So how was the meet and greet with the intern?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "About that …"

"Yes, what about that?"

Masen's eyebrows shot up toward his forehead. "What did you hear?"

Esme gave him a toothy smile as she leaned in toward him—and then she flicked him in the forehead. "Nothing yet. So get to telling. And don't leave out anything _I_ would consider important to know."

His eyes narrowed as he turned fully on his side to face her. "You know what I would like to know? Why did you send this girl an outdated picture of me? I know it was you 'cause said it was the one of me in that red tie you bought me."

"First of all, Bella is not a girl."

"Bella," he scoffed, interrupting his mother. He felt annoyed that this girl had spent enough time around his mother already to have a nickname.

Esme narrowed her own eyes, daring her son to interrupt her again. "_Bella_ is a lovely young woman. I spoke with her earlier and I like her a lot already."

"Well if you had sent her a recent picture of me, maybe I would have liked meeting her too."

"Edward, I know you are not trying to pin whatever went wrong tonight on me."

He growled at her words and got up from the bed to pace around her room.

She left him alone for almost a full minute before breaking the silence. "I sent you the email with her picture last week so we would both know what she looked like when we went to get her from the airport. If you haven't looked at the email, I can't help that."

"I planned to look at the email. On Friday, when her plane is due in. But it's Wednesday. Why is she here two days early?"

"She was attempting to be considerate to all of us."

"Considerate?" He knew he was being too loud and he stopped pacing long enough to force himself to take a calming breath. "How was she being considerate?"

"A bad line of storms is moving into Florida tomorrow night and is supposed to stay until late Friday. She knew if she stayed there was a very real chance her flight could get grounded and that it would throw off our schedule of leaving on Saturday. To make sure we didn't have to change our timeline, she took an earlier flight out."

Masen said nothing but he did hang his head.

"You must have really given this young woman a piece of your mind if you're feeling that guilty about it," his mother commented.

He glared at the floor in front of him, not quite daring to do it to her. "I'm not feeling guilty. I just … I wish we wouldn't have gotten off on the wrong foot right away."

"Edward, there's something you're not telling me. What happened tonight?"

This time, he did glare at her but the anger he felt was only toward himself. "I kissed her, alright."

Complete silence met his words. But only until Esme lost the battle with herself and her giggles filled the room.

He growled and slid his hands into his hair. "Thanks, Mom. Just what I need."

"Come on, Kid. Put yourself in my shoes for a minute. We've both been so worried about what could go wrong on the water with our intern idea and here we are facing our first dilemma and we haven't even shown her the boat yet."

Masen really didn't want to laugh but only because he didn't want his mother to know he saw her point. Of all the many scenarios of something going wrong, none of them had involved him kissing the intern.

"I see your smile, you know," she told him as she patted her bed. "Come sit down and let's talk about what to do to fix this situation."

He sighed heavily but did as she asked. He even put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze to show there were no hard feelings about her laughing at him. "I don't know that she'll want to fix things. She'll probably just want to go back to Florida."

"Wrong."

"What do you mean _wrong_? How can you possibly know I'm wrong?"

"Because when I spoke with her earlier the only thing she said about tonight was that it wasn't what she expected. Edward, if you go to her—in private—and you sincerely apologize, she'll put tonight behind her. But you have to mean it and you can't let it come off as 'my mommy made me'. Bella is a smart young woman and she will know the difference."

He let out another drawn out sigh. "I just don't want her to think I'm the kind of person who hits on every female who joins our crew. I don't want that kind of reputation for me or MMR."

"Then tell her that."

"What if she doesn't believe me?"

"If she doesn't right now, she soon will. She'll see how dedicated you are as soon as we're aboard the boat and you're working."

He nodded and then turned his head to grin at her. "So I guess I'm apologizing."

"I wouldn't smile like that while doing it if I were you."

He rolled his eyes at her silly response. "I think I know how to apologize, Mom."

"Can I ask you something without setting off your pacing again?" she asked as she used her fingers to brush his hair off his forehead.

"You can try."

"Is the kiss bothering you because Bella is the intern?"

"Of course it is. I already told you I don't want to get a bad reputation."

"That wasn't how I meant it and we both know it."

He didn't answer right away and he also didn't look her in the eyes when he finally did speak. "It's only about work."

She cupped his chin in his hand and studied his face for what felt like a long time to him. Then she smiled and ruffled his hair. "If you say so, Kid."

"Whatever," he grumbled as he got up from her bed, suddenly not wanting anything to do with her unbiased opinions.

He had her door open and was halfway out of it when she called him back in. "While I will in no way hold it against you if you wait to apologize until morning I'd appreciate it a whole lot if you did it tonight," she told him.

He only nodded before telling her goodnight and closing her door. He looked down the hall toward the room he knew Bella was staying in and after staring at it for at least a minute he sighed and moved toward it.

As Masen's hand touched the cool metal of the doorknob, a flash of this very same hand clutching Bella's waist filled his mind. He could feel her curves against his, taste her on his tongue, and smell the fruity scent of her soft skin.

He let go of the knob as if it had abruptly caught fire and practically sprinted down the stairs, suddenly in need of an open sky above him and cool air filling his lungs. He was halfway to the backdoor before he stopped and admitted he was panicking. And really, what was there to panic about? So he'd kissed the intern. Big deal. He hadn't known it was her. And he certainly wasn't going to do it again. Hell, if it weren't for the shock of finding out who she was he wouldn't even be giving a second thought to what it had been like to kiss her. He never spent time thinking about women in that way; his mind was always focused on work and family.

His mother's words came back to him … _if you go to her and you sincerely apologize, she'll put tonight behind her_. And if Bella put tonight behind her, then Masen could put tonight behind him. No harm, no foul. No need to ever think about what had gone on in that dark corner of the bar ever again.

Grumbling and huffing under his breath, Masen slowly climbed the stairs and approached Bella's door again. Since he could see light coming from under the door, he gave one soft knock and then opened it. The lamp next to the bed was on, casting a soft glow on Bella's sleeping face. Those hard lines he'd seen earlier when they'd been arguing were all gone and her lips were pursed a tiny bit, sparking fresh flashes in his mind of what it had been like to kiss her.

A muttered "fuck" fell from his lips as his head and shoulder leaned on the doorframe for support. He didn't close her door right away, not like he had planned on. Instead he stood there trying to figure out what it was about her that had him feeling so unlike himself. It wasn't until she shifted in the bed that he closed the door; the last thing he needed was for her to wake and see him there and think he was a stalker.

He would just apologize in the morning. Before breakfast. Before the others showed up. He would go to his room for now and finish the reading Lee had interrupted with her bright idea of going out tonight. Yep. He would apologize in the morning and all of this … this _weirdness_ would go away. He and Isabella—or Bella or whatever she wanted to be called—they would agree it had been a misunderstanding and they would be co-workers from here on out. Co-workers.

When he got to his room, he found Lizzy asleep on his pillow and decided to leave her there until after he'd had a shower—the second one of the night. But as he was standing under the cool spray, a new idea of how to solve his issue with sun flares came to him and he spent the rest of the night sketching while everyone else in the house slept.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Two minutes after four in the morning … Bella wanted nothing more than to turn away from the clock on the bedside table, close her eyes and fall back to sleep. But her stomach was very loudly arguing for her to get out of bed and find something to eat. She tried her best to ignore the growling and focus on the waves she could hear through the open window but her stomach refused to be denied and she reluctantly pulled herself out of the very comfy bed.

She found the kitchen easily enough and even found a box of fruit bars in the cabinet that sounded perfect for appeasing her stomach and getting her back to bed quickly. She was sitting at the kitchen island and halfway done with her snack when a low growling-gurgling sound reached her ears. At first she thought it was coming from an appliance in the kitchen but it when grew a little louder she knew it was coming from the hallway. She quietly slipped from her stool and eased her way down the hall and toward the sound.

Light spilled out of an open doorway and across the floor, illuminating the back end of the hall, making it possible for her to see her reflection in the glass of the backdoor. She looked a mess with her hair sticking up and her t-shirt rumpled; she would have laughed if she hadn't heard the growling sound again.

It was coming from inside the lit room and when she poked her head around the corner of the door jamb she quickly found herself covering her mouth and nose with both hands to stifle her laughter. Lying on its back with its feet moving and the growling sound coming from its small belly was the little dog she had seen Edward carry out of the house last night. It was obviously having one very interesting doggy dream and she wondered why it was allowed to sleep on the pillows like that instead of in a dog bed on the floor. The next question to enter her mind was where the owner of the bed was at this hour and it was answered almost as fast as she thought it.

Sitting propped up against the bed with a sketch pad in his lap, a pencil in his hand, and his head leaned back against the mattress was Edward Masen. Bella jerked her head away from the doorway, unsure if Edward was just thinking with his eyes closed or actually sleeping. Either way he was not someone she wanted to interrupt or wake up.

And yet there she was sticking her neck out both figuratively and literally. She held her breath at first and watched for any sign that he was about to move. When it became clear to her that he was indeed asleep, she let out the air she'd been holding and took in soft, quiet breaths while studying him.

She knew he had felt built from having held so tightly to him but now she could actually see how toned he was since he was shirtless and in a pair of shorts. She could also see he had a tan and that it was from being outdoors. _On the water_, she thought as she noticed his feet matched the rest of him—_no socks and shoes for this guy_.

It looked to her as if he'd fallen asleep right in the middle of working on whatever was on that pad resting on his legs. The deep lines creasing his forehead gave her the feeling that he might even be dreaming about finishing his project. Gopher's comments about Edward taking work seriously came back to her—_maybe Edward's overreaction had just been worry for his company_. That didn't excuse his behavior at all but at least it was a better option than him being a natural jackass.

_There could be another reason for those lines and his sleeping sitting up_, she thought as she noticed the way his lips were pursed. Maybe his dream was actually about yelling at her some more. She wondered how long he'd stayed outside on the beach avoiding her before coming inside and crashing this way. Guilt twisted her stomach but just as quickly as she felt it, she pushed it away. This wasn't her fault, whether he could see that or not.

She turned away and was almost in the kitchen before she sighed and turned right back around. She couldn't just leave him like that; she couldn't leave anyone that way no matter how much they'd aggravated her previously. She quietly entered his room and knelt beside him before carefully removing the pencil from his fingers and the pad from his legs.

There was a very old looking fleece throw sitting on a chair in the corner of the room and she used that to cover him, carefully draping it over his shoulders in hopes he wouldn't wake. She was so close to him that she could smell soap on his skin; it was a very different scent from the sun and sweat that had been coming off of him in that dark corner of the bar.

Bella quickly stood and moved away from him, feeling like she couldn't trust herself around him. She had no reason to feel that way but it was still there and it was strong enough to make her sprint across the room to the safety of the doorway.

With all that space between them Bella could now smile and shake her head at her silly behavior and odd thoughts. There was nothing between them—never had been and never would be. It was just jetlag and being in a strange place with new people.

With a flick of her hand, she turned out the light in his room and threw them both into darkness. He didn't move or even twitch and she felt confident he was still sound asleep. With her good deed done, Bella finished off her fruit bar, enjoyed half a glass of cold milk, and then headed upstairs to the soft bed waiting for her. There were a couple hours left before the sun would be up and she wanted as much rest as she could get; she had a feeling her first full day in Hawaii was going to be a very long one.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: ** So there we have it! Poor, unsuspecting Bella was given a very old picture that in no way matched the man who dazzled her into a dance and then drugged her with his touch and taste. As Eternally Addicted so eloquently put it … One is what Bella was expecting and the other is the Hotness she saw! Head on over to the Masen Marine Blog to get a look at the old picture and the current Masen.

And don't forget! We'll have a Twitter Q&A tomorrow night with (at)teammasen. You can ask the characters questions or chat with EA and me. We'll be on for about an hour, starting at 8pm Central time tomorrow night (Friday, Dec 16th).

If you're looking for something Christmas themed and cute and cuddly with only a hint of drama to read, check out EA's _Memories of Christmas Past_. It's a favorite in my stories listing!


	4. 4 Confuse Me Mister

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. ****The original characters, plot, names, and nicknames are all the property of the author of this fanfic.**** Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 4 – Confuse Me, Mister**

"Ugh! Lizzy!" Masen groaned while pushing her little face away from his. "You're getting two breath-mint biscuits this morning."

His puppy was undeterred and continued licking the corner of his ear.

"I'm up okay," he said, reaching behind him to lift her from the bed and into his arms. "World's wettest alarm clock," he joked as he pressed his head to hers. She put up with the cuddling for a few seconds before beginning to wriggle in his arms.

"Let's go get you a biscuit." He set her on the floor and then used the corner of the bed to pull himself up. After dropping the throw blanket that had been covering him into his chair, he shuffled toward the kitchen yawning and stretching his arms over his head. Lizzy ran past him and when she tried to stop to make the turn into the kitchen she ended up skidding on her behind right past the doorway; Masen laughed under his breath and wondered if she would ever get the hang of turning corners.

"Morning, Lizzy," Esme called from the kitchen through her laughter.

"Those look like pancake ingredients," Masen said after kissing his mother's cheek.

She laughed as she ruffled his wild hair. "Morning to you too, Kid."

"Morning," he said, giving her a sheepish grin. "I would have said that first but you distracted me with bowls."

Esme snorted. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

"Mom, I'm hurt." He even pouted and fluttered his eyes at her but she didn't buy it; she just laughed harder. He bumped her hip with his and then grabbed the box of dog biscuits from the top of the refrigerator to shake a couple out for his puppy.

"Eat them both," he said as he set them down in front of Lizzy.

"Are those the mint ones?"

"Yeah, her breath's pretty rank this morning. What did you give her last night?"

"_Me_?" Esme questioned with a laugh. "I'm not the one giving her treats for every little thing she does."

"I can't help it that she does stuff to earn them. Well, I could but I won't." He leaned over and scratched behind his puppy's ear while cooing to her. "Lizzy's my best girl."

"You're in an awfully good mood. Does this mean your apology went well last night?"

Masen lifted himself up and dropped down on the counter beside Esme before answering. He had planned to tell her how Bella had already been asleep but that wasn't what came out of his mouth. "So thanks for covering me up. What were you doing down here so late? Or early I guess."

"What are you talking about? I went to bed after you left my room last night."

He narrowed his eyes at her, not in the mood for one of her jokes this early in the day.

"Honest, Kid," she said as she held up her hands, one containing a spatula with butter dripping from the end. "I went to bed. It wasn't me who covered you."

Now his eyes were wide with shock—they were also turned up toward the ceiling.

"She's not up there," Esme informed him. "She wanted to see the beach."

His eyes dropped to his bare feet resting against the cabinet beneath him and he watched his heels thump against the door for a bit while trying to decide how he felt about Bella being the one to cover him. "You think she came in my room?"

"Well your door _was_ wide open and covering a sleeping person _is_ the polite thing to do. Lizzy's an amazing dog but I don't think it was her. And I'm certain we are ghost free here. So that just leaves Bella. Guess you really do know how to apologize, Kid."

Masen had two choices: he could confess he hadn't apologized last night or he could go out and do it right now. He chose the latter. "I'm gonna take Lizzy out. She hasn't been out yet."

He grabbed the leash from the wall and hooked it to her collar; she was so excited to be going outside that she forgot all about finishing the last half of her second biscuit. She gave a happy bark as she pranced ahead of him, leading the way to the backdoor.

Just as his hand curled around the doorknob, Esme called out to him. "Say 'hi' to Bella for me."

He grumbled under his breath about the comment as he opened the door and waited for Lizzy to get down the steps. As soon as her feet hit the sand, she was running and barking happily. He looked up expecting to find her going after one of his friends but the person petting his dog was Bella.

She was smiling with her brown hair swirling all around her in the early morning breeze coming off the water. The way the sunlight hit her hair made it shimmer and look red and even blond in some spots. She wore an aqua colored bikini top with faded denim cutoff shorts and he was again struck by how long her legs seemed, especially with her bending over to pet Lizzy. He almost smiled at the sight but then he realized some idiot guy was there with her and smiling became the last thing he was interested in doing.

Masen walked over and intentionally stood between Lizzy and the guy, pretty much blocking Bella from view. Glaring at the guys he said, "You should keep your hands to yourself. She's been known to bite random guys who touch her."

"She seems friendly enough to me," the guy replied with a shrug.

"Looks like it was your lucky day then. Better move on before your luck runs out."

"Edward, this is Jack," Bella said as she put her hand on his forearm. He couldn't decide if he wanted her hand to stay there or if he wanted to shake it off so he just left it there until he could choose.

"He was just telling me how those rocks in the distance are where people cliff dive," she explained. "We were going to walk over and look at them. I'm sure you've seen them plenty times before but you're welcome to come along if you want."

Masen snorted while keeping his eyes fixed on the guy in front of him. "Well then I don't need to ask your last name, _Jack_. You really should study up on the island before using it as a way to hit on women."

Jack glanced between Bella and Masen. "She didn't say she was taken."

Up to this point, Masen had merely been annoyed with the guy but now he was downright pissed. He was just looking out for someone new to the island and that didn't mean anything—he was just keeping the intern safe.

He shrugged off Bella's arm and stepped closer to Jack while standing at his full height, which was a good three inches taller than the guy. "Whether she's taken or not doesn't mean I'll let a Jack _Ass_ like you run game on her. Turn around and go back to whatever hotel you're staying in."

The guy rolled his eyes and leaned to the side to see Bella. "It was nice to meet you, Bella. Maybe we'll run into each other again without your big brother showing up."

"_Leave. Now._" There was no question those words were a threat Masen was ready to back up. After taking enough steps backward to feel safe turning his back to Masen, Jack turned and jogged away from them.

Once the guy was far enough away to satisfy Masen, he turned around to face Bella. And found her looking as pissed as he felt, with her arms crossed in front of her and her bare foot angrily tapping against the sand.

He found her anger cute and couldn't help the smirk that curled his lips. After all, she really had nothing to be angry about. He'd only kept her from making yet another mistake and if anything she should be thanking him.

"What?" he asked when she continued to stand there glaring at him.

Bella's lips parted and although Masen was prepared for yelling and girly drama, he wasn't sure what to do with her calm and sensible words.

"I understand you may feel some confusion and maybe some lingering resentment over last night's unplanned and odd circumstances but that gives you no right to behave as you just did. I am going to assume you were out to embarrass me as some sort of revenge because the only other reason for your behavior is jealously and you made it _very_ clear last night you want nothing to do with me. If it were solely up to you, I'm sure I would be on a plane heading back to my home. But since you aren't and we are going to work together for the next few months, you will have to find a way to accept last night was a complete accident and that I am—"

Masen silenced her rant by putting one hand over her mouth and the other at the back of her head, keeping her from pulling away. He locked his blue eyes with her brown ones and said, "If you'd shut up for a minute I could tell you I know you didn't pull anything last night. Esme sent an old picture and I didn't know about your flight change so I hadn't had time to look at yours. We got off on the wrong foot but that's over." He moved closer to her as he took his hand away from her mouth. "And just so we're clear, if I really wanted you gone, you would be."

"Mase, what are you doing man-handling the intern?" Whit asked.

Masen laughed at him as he completely let go of Bella. "She wouldn't shut up on her own. She's as bad as Lee."

Whit snorted as he stood beside Bella and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Don't let him get away with that crap. Do what Lee does and kick him in the shin."

"Lee and Gopher here yet?" Masen questioned, trying to change the subject.

Whit nodded his head while his eyes switched between Bella's face and Masen's. "Helping Esme set the table now. So I'll just let you two finish up whatever you were doing so you can come inside." He let go of Bella and then took Lizzy's leash from Masen, walking backward toward the house while smiling at them. "And I'm hungry, Mase, so hurry the hell up with your apology."

Masen sighed and ran his hands through his hair before turning his attention back to Bella. "I apologize your first night with us wasn't what you expected, Bella. Masen Marine means a lot to all of us and I can't help being protective of it. But today's a new day and a new chance for you to get to know all of us."

He put his hand out to her, offering her a shake, and after standing there switching her weight from one foot to the other long enough to get him annoyed all over again, she took his hand and firmly shook it. "No harm, no foul, right?" he asked as they continued to hold each other's hands. He had meant to let go but now that her skin was touching his he had no interest in ending their contact—not until he figured out why her touch felt so damn good. _It's just a handshake for fuck's sake_, he thought as he looked at their locked hands.

"I can forget last night if you can," she replied.

His eyes slowly rose until they were once again looking straight into hers. He had serious doubts that he could ever forget last night and part of him was suddenly angry with her for making it sound as if she could. He knew it was stupid since they had to forget it to be able to work together and yet it was still there and causing his head to throb. There was nothing remarkable about this girl on the outside, nothing that should make her unforgettable to him. And since they'd only exchanged a few dozen words between each other he had no way to know what she was like on the inside. This thing with her … this _want_ of her, it had to be just one of those "I want it because it's forbidden" things, right?

Bella was the first to pull away from the handshake and she shoved both of her hands into the pockets of her denim shorts while dropping her eyes to the sand at her feet.

Masen shuffled his own feet through the sand for a long silent moment before saying, "We better get inside for breakfast before Whit convinces them to start without us."

"If you don't mind, I'd like just a minute to myself before going in."

"Sure. I'll get Esme to save you some breakfast if Whit revolts."

"Thank you, Edward."

Another awkward silence settled over them and Masen decided he'd had enough of it; he left her standing on the beach and headed up the slight slope to the steps of the house.

He was barely through the backdoor before Whit was pushing him into his bedroom and closing the door behind them. "Mase, what the fuck man?"

"That's my question," he replied as he grabbed the edge of his dresser to stop his stumbling. "What's with pushing me in here like that?"

"What's with pissing on Bella's leg like some territorial dog?"

Masen ignored the look Whit was giving him and pled innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, you do. Just like you know we've been friends long enough for me to tell when you're really stupid and just playing stupid. Look, Mase, I get that you might not realize that's what you were doing since being territorial is completely foreign to you, but you were. There was no reason for you to stop Bella from talking to that guy."

"He was an asshole," Masen defended. "He was trying to convince her the rocks at the edge of the beach were for cliff diving. What if he'd taken her over there and she'd jumped off and gotten hurt? We leave in a couple days and we don't have time for injuries."

"Are you sure you want to stick with that story? Are you sure that's why you really got involved, Mase? 'Cause it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if you liked her. She is a beautiful girl. And smart too."

"She's the intern."

Whit gripped Masen's shoulder and looked his friend right in the eyes. "That's just a title, Mase. Listen, I'm saying this as someone who knows you and has never seen you have this strong of a reaction to a person before. Hell, man, you barely even blinked when Gopher came along and swept Lee up, and you were supposed to be dating her.

"So with that in mind, I suggest you figure out what you're going to do and fast. Do you give it a shot now or wait until she's no longer our intern? Personally, I wouldn't wait and risk missing out. Just know that either way, you do need to decide. A girl—a _woman_—capable of catching your interest this way, that's not something to be ignored." Whit left without another word.

Masen sighed and went over to his bed, tossing himself down on it heavily. He replayed everything that had happened since he's walked out the backdoor this morning, trying to find a way to prove Whit was wrong. He certainly hadn't felt like he was being territorial. Protective, maybe, but that was his job. He had to look out for the intern just the way he looked out for everyone else in his crew. Right?

_**"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**_

As soon as Edward went into the house, Bella let out a heavy sigh and sat down hard in the sand. Her mind was spinning and her head was throbbing from the confusion she felt over him and everything he'd said. And so much more for what he hadn't said. She gripped her head in her hands to see if that helped with the throbbing; it didn't and she ended up staring at the hand that had been locked in his.

_I apologize your first night with us wasn't what you expected, Bella._ What kind of apology was that? What was it supposed to mean? Did it mean anything? It sounded to Bella like nothing more than a PR statement a company would make. She wondered if she should just be thankful he hadn't asked her to apologize. Actually, she wondered why he hadn't instead of going so far out of his way to not apologize.

And then there was that whole thing with Jack. Why run him off? So what if he was lying about what the rocks were for? It wasn't like she'd had any plans to do any cliff diving. She was just glad to have someone wanting to show her the island and not treating her like she was a disease.

But worst of all … Worst of all was her inability to deny or understand how the best part of her morning so far had been when Edward was holding on to her hand. It had started out as just a somewhat strained, somewhat friendly shake but had turned into two hands pressed together for no foreseeable reason. And the way he had looked at her, _really_ looked at her—her body warmed all over again just from thinking about it. No one had ever looked at her that way, as if they were memorizing every detail about her. It was the same way he'd looked at her last night when he'd offered her his hand. It was such an intoxicating feeling, to have someone focus that intently on her and make her feel like he was trying to never forget her; it was why she had put her hand in his and followed him across that bar.

But feeling that intensity from him just made her confused all over again because if he wanted nothing to do with her beyond work, why would he look at her that way? _Maybe he looks at every woman that way_. Her thought had her frowning and feeling upset, not wanting that to be true for reasons she couldn't explain to herself.

What did she want to be true, though? Did she want him to have feelings for her? Did she want his whole display this morning to be from jealousy? _I want him to not be able to forget the same way I can't_, she admitted to herself. Alone in her room last night it had been so easy to believe she could forget about the time they'd shared together in the bar. But standing here on the beach with his skin touching hers … She shivered and closed her eyes against the rush of warmth flooding through her. Even though it had been half a day since then and she'd showered and changed clothes, she could smell the sweat and sun from his skin and taste the hint of beer on his tongue.

Bella jumped to her feet, no longer wanting to be alone with her thoughts. She brushed the sand from her shorts and feet the best she could and then went inside the house to find Esme and see if she could help with breakfast. Having a task was just what she needed to get her mind refocused and off of Edward Masen.

As she entered the house, she caught the scent of freshly made pancakes and could hear music playing and people laughing. She came into the kitchen just in time to see Esme twirl around Gopher's large frame with a plate full of pancakes and continue on to the large table where Whit and Lee were sitting across from each other and laughing. They looked like a big, happy family—like the one she'd had when she was younger.

"Esme, come on. Just one bite," Gopher pleaded.

She laughed as she set the plate on the table and then looked up at him. "If I didn't let Whit or Edward sneak a bite, what makes you think I'll let you?"

"'Cause us cooks have to stick together," he replied, giving her a wide, toothy smile.

"Try again," Whit told him with a laugh. "I offered to do all the dishes on my own and she still wouldn't budge."

"That's because neither of you know how to stop at just one bite," Esme told them. "Now! Whit, you go drag Edward out of his room. Gopher, you can get Bella since you're just standing around."

"I'm here," Bella said as she stepped forward into the dining room. "Breakfast smells and looks amazing."

"Gonna taste even better," Whit said as he passed her in a hurry. "Masen, get out here. Time to eat." She watched as he stopped in front of Edward's bedroom and tapped out a rhythm against the wood with both fists. "Time to eat. Let's go."

"Whit, don't break my door down," Esme warned.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Bella asked, following Esme into the kitchen.

"You can tell me if you prefer juice or milk."

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping."

"You're very sweet but I've got it all under control. Just go take a seat."

Bella gave Esme a smile and then did as she was told, heading into the dining room. Whit was back in his seat and Edward was sitting on the other side of the table next to Lee. Gopher had taken the seat on the other side of Lee and Bella was pretty sure the seat at the head of the table was Esme's. That left the chair between Esme and Whit open—the seat directly across from Edward.

She was seriously considering backing out of the room and skipping breakfast but Gopher ruined her chance at a quiet escape. "Guppy! How'd you sleep last night?"

"Guppy?" Lee questioned, looking between Gopher and Bella.

"Gopher's bright idea," Whit said with a laugh. "I kind of like it myself."

"We're not calling the intern 'Guppy'," Edward stated matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" Esme asked, setting down cartons of juice and milk on the table. "A guppy's known as a learner fish and Bella is here to learn."

"It's a ridiculous name," he said, keeping his eyes on his mother.

"Why don't we vote on it?"

He shook his head while reaching for the milk carton. "I'll give her a nickname when she does something to earn one."

"I didn't hear you call dibs on giving the intern a nickname, Kid. You snooze, you lose."

"Guppy's a great name," Gopher defended. "And if you ask me, she definitely earned it last night."

With the look Edward gave Gopher, Bella wouldn't have been surprised at all to see the man suddenly burst into flames.

Whit laughed next to her and then put his arm around Bella's shoulders. "Mase, if you're so against Guppy, how about Flame?" he offered.

Edward's eyes turned their way and Bella was pretty certain she'd seem them widen in shock just before narrowing into a glare. "What the hell are you talking about, Whit?"

"Don't you remember those fish we saw last summer when we were snorkeling? Those Flame Angelfish. Small and spunky and beautiful. Remember they did that cool thing where their coloring looked different depending on how the light hit them?" Whit's 'nothing' shrug didn't match his wide smile at all as he added, "I just thought it would be appropriate since Bella's hair was like that outside earlier."

"No way," Gopher yelled out. "No way in hell does she get a cooler name than me. If she gets a cool name, then I get a new name."

"Let's vote. Those in favor of Guppy?" Whit questioned, lifting the arm that wasn't around Bella high into the air.

Gopher's hand shot up and waved in the air.

Lee stared at Gopher as if she were waiting for him to put his arm down but when it quickly became clear that he wasn't going to do that, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back in her chair.

"Hell no," Edward stated, still holding Whit's gaze.

Whit's lips twitched and then he turned his head toward the head of the table. "Esme, I do believe this makes you the tie-breaker."

All eyes turned to her; she sat in her seat smiling and taking in each of the faces looking back at her. Bella would swear they all leaned in when they saw Esme's lips part—all except for Bella. There was something about the way Esme was looking at them all that made her feel like she had a plan and it didn't involve the vote.

"Pancakes lose their flavor once they get cold. I'll give an answer after we all eat."

Esme's decree was met with loud groans from both sides of the table and one low laugh from Bella. No one attempted to argue, though, not even Edward. They all started scooping pancakes onto their plates and pouring drinks into glasses while filling the air with conversation. Bella was waiting for a chance to jump in, both in the talking and the gathering of food.

"You'll starve like that," Whit said as he plopped a couple of pancakes onto her plate. "Waiting for your turn around here leads to Esme's favorite phrase … You snooze, you lose."

"Is it always like this? Always so busy?" she questioned, watching Edward pass the juice to Lee and answer a question from Esme at the same time.

"Some days more than others. We're all excited right now because we know we're leaving Saturday. As much as we like our down time, we also enjoy our time on the boat." He grabbed her empty glass and asked, "Milk or juice?"

"Milk, please." Once he'd set the filled glass down in front of her, she added, "Thank you."

"No problem. Anything you need, let me know."

She smiled and lifted her hand, pointing to the syrup jar at his end of the table. "Could you pass the syrup?"

Instead of reaching for the jar, he reached for her hand, closing his fingers around her wrist in a light grip. He let out a whistle and said, "Nice. Omega makes the best waterproof watches. But isn't this a little big for you?"

Her face flushed and her heart sped up as she searched for a way to answer him without lying or telling the truth. Of all the many ways she had imagined having to talk about her past, her watch giving her away had never been one of them. The fact that she could also feel more than just Whit's eyes on her wasn't helping matters.

She forced a laugh and a smile as she turned her arm and pulled her wrist from Whit's fingers. "You can't get them too small or it makes it hard to read the numbers underwater and that defeats the whole purpose of having a waterproof watch."

The jar of syrup was plunked down next to her and Bella's head swiveled at the sound, her eyes immediately lining up with Edward's. "They make women's watches."

"This one had more features." The words had come out sounding confident enough and yet she was gripped with the certainty that he didn't believe her.

"Edward, give her the guava syrup too. Let's introduce her to our favorite local flavors," Esme suggested.

If not for Esme speaking up, Bella had no idea how long she would have been locked in that intense stare with Edward. He had obviously been listening to her conversation with Whit if he knew to comment on the watch _and_ give her the syrup. Once again, he had her mind reeling with confusion.

"So how did you like your walk on the beach?" Esme asked as Bella finally recovered herself and reached for the maple syrup jar.

Now this was a question she was happy to answer and a true smile filled her face as she recalled the feel of the sand between her toes and the wind in her hair. "It's so beautiful. I can't imagine how amazing it is to wake up and walk out onto your own beach every morning. Back home I can only get to the beach one or two days a month."

"Why so little?" Gopher asked. "Florida's all about the beaches. Just look at how Miami is setup."

"Sure, if you live in one of the coastal cities like Miami," Bella answered. "But I live in Orlando so I'm in the middle of a busy city. When I want sand and sun, I have to drive to it. The closest I get most days is the fake beach in our turtle exhibit at Sea World."

"You won't have that problem this summer," Esme promised. "We'll make sure you see plenty of beaches. And after we're done with our research and make it home, we'll show you our beautiful beaches here in Hawaii before you leave us."

Bella's smile was so wide it made her cheeks throb. "Thank you. I'd really like that."

"So," Esme called out, getting everyone to look her way. "What's on the agenda for today? Oh and in case I didn't mention it before, we are all going to dinner at Side Street Inn tonight so figure that into your timelines."

"Shouldn't be an issue," Lee said as she looked to Gopher for confirmation. "Our only plans were lunch with my parents. Right?"

Gopher had his mouth full of pancake so he could only nod.

"I've gotta go help my old man put up some new shelves and stock at the surf shop," Whit announced. "Depending on how much my mom tries to manage the project, I should be done in time for dinner," he added with a laugh.

Edward's initial response was cryptic. "I'll be home in time for dinner."

"That doesn't tell me where you'll be before then," Esme told him.

He lifted his head from his plate and smirked at her. "Where do you think I'll be, Mom?"

Esme leaned toward him and mirrored his smirk. "I know you aren't sassing me, Kid."

"Are you fishing for an invite?"

"Nope. You're taking Bella with you and I don't want to get in the way of the grand tour."

Bella expected Edward to balk but it was actually Lee who didn't like the idea. "We can save the tour for Saturday. Masen's got his hands full with prepping the boat and Bella would just be in the way since she doesn't know our routines. Why doesn't she go with Whit instead?"

"No." That time it was Edward who spoke and Bella couldn't help staring at him. She was sure she had heard him wrong.

"Whit doesn't need the help," he added. "Besides, she should pick her room so we can move her stuff aboard tomorrow."

"That's settled then," Esme said as she patted her son's hand. And then she turned her smile toward Bella. "You'll have a great time checking out the boat and then you can tell me all about it over dinner tonight. Oh, and make sure you put a strong sunscreen on. The docks are murderous this time of year without protection."

Bella nodded while peeking at Edward from the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his reaction to basically being ordered to spend the day with her. His face gave nothing away and his eyes … She couldn't be certain but she was pretty sure his eyes were focused on the watch on her wrist.

_**"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**_

Even after every plate on the table was emptied, Esme still refused to render her vote on the nickname. Instead, she assigned Masen, Whit, and Gopher to clear the table and load the dishwasher.

Gopher struggled to keep his voice and his laughter low. "Your Mom is insane, Dude. She totally knows she's dragging this whole nickname thing out way more than it needs to be."

"Mase's fault for being such an easy target," Whit joked, elbowing Masen in the side.

"You think you're _so_ witty, Whit."

"To whit I say, suck it, Mase."

It was nearly impossible to hear Masen's response over Gopher's laughter. "To whit? That doesn't even make sense."

"Burns don't have to make sense, bro. They just have to burn," Whit informed him. "And judging from your glare and Gopher's laugh, I succeeded."

Lizzy picked that moment to come into the kitchen and bark at them, letting them know she wanted to go out. Gopher grabbed for her leash and said, "I'll take her out while you two finish your lovers' quarrel."

For the second time this morning, Masen glared at Gopher with hopes of setting him on fire with his eyes alone. "You're an ass."

Gopher shrugged his large shoulders. "You say ass, I say genius. To-ma-toe, Tomato."

Whit's snickering was only increasing Masen's annoyance. It certainly didn't help matters when he opened his mouth after Gopher had finally left the kitchen. "So that's a nice watch Bella has, huh? I noticed you staring at it. Thinking of getting one for yourself, Mase?"

"I wasn't staring at anything." Even to his own ears, Masen's reply sounded overly gruff.

"You know, she really can come to the shop with me. It wouldn't be any trouble at all."

Masen forced himself to breathe out slowly and not throw his mother's plate into the dishwasher. Whit's teasing was really starting to get on his nerves, especially since it had been a long time since he'd kept going like this. "Whit, relax. Everything is fine, man. I'll show her the boat, she'll pick her room, I'll get a couple things done, and we'll leave. I can do the final prep tomorrow since I don't need to go to the airport now."

"Alright. Just thought I'd offer and give you some time to figure yourself out."

"I don't need to figure anything out. I'm the team leader, she's the intern. That's pretty damn clear to me."

"So you're going to wait then?"

"I'm going to load the dishwasher and then I'm going to change and head to the marina."

"Okay, cool. We're avoiding the topic for now. I can dig it." Whit ignored the glare Masen gave him in response and continued on. "So listen, when we get in tonight after dinner, I've gotta tell you about this dream I had last night. Most realistic one I've ever had and this girl … Masen, you would not believe how awesome this girl was."

"Whit, I really don't need to hear about your wet dreams, man," Masen joked, grinning at his friend.

Whit wasn't fazed by the teasing at all. "For this girl, I'll happily wash my sheets every morning."

The commotion of Lizzy and Gopher coming back into the house ended the conversation and Masen left Whit to finish loading the dishwasher while he filled a bowl with water for Lizzy.

He had just set the bowl down when Esme called out. "Are you three done in my kitchen?"

They grinned at each other and then dashed for the dining area, taking up the seats they'd occupied earlier. Esme laughed at how eager they all seemed. "I haven't gotten a reaction out of you guys like this since that time I dated that pro football player from the states."

"It's not every day we catch you locking lips with a celebrity, Esme." Gopher smiled and then puckered his lips.

"Not now," Lee scolded. "We want to hear her vote, not your teasing."

Esme's eyes scanned the room while her smile widened as she spoke. "Until such time as we deem it necessary to hold another vote … from this day forward … as set forth by my vote—"

Masen couldn't take her teasing a second longer. "Mom. Please."

She laughed as she leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Sorry, Kid. Her nickname's Guppy."

"Yes," Gopher cried triumphantly—he also added a fist pump in for good measure.

"I knew you'd come through for me, Esme," Whit said as he made a heart with his fingers for her.

Lee's response was a "great" that sounded anything but genuine and went perfectly with her obviously fake smile. Masen made a mental note to talk to her later and calm down her annoyance with Bella.

For his part, he didn't say anything about the name. He gave his mom a kiss on her cheek, thanked her for breakfast, and then headed to his room to change clothes. With the vote done, he was ready to focus on the next thing and that was his boat.

A half hour later, he shoved his wallet and phone into his khaki cargo shorts and straightened his gray v-neck shirt on his shoulders. He slipped his feet into a pair of black water shoes, turned out the lights, and went in search of the intern.

He found her sitting in the living room talking with Whit and playing tug-of-war with Lizzy. "She's so strong for being so little," Bella said as she laughed and gave the rope another tug.

"She's always latching onto Gopher's shoe strings and trying to pull him around," Whit told her.

"Guppy, are you ready?" Masen asked, getting a scowl from Bella and a smile from Whit.

"Do I really have to be called that?"

"You can petition Esme for a new name but I doubt she'll give it to you as long as she knows you hate your current one," he replied.

She sighed as she got up from the floor. "Gopher just had to go and open his big mouth."

Masen and Whit stared at each other for a moment, completely shocked that it had barely taken a full day before Bella was uttering one of the most common phrases spoken in their group. And then both men were laughing loudly while Lizzy barked and Bella stood there looking confused.

"Come on," Masen said, still laughing as he turned around and headed for the front door. "I'll explain it to you in the car." He grabbed the keys to Lee's car, put his favorite pair of sunglasses on, and opened the door wide for Bella to go out first.

"Play nice," Whit yelled after them. His laugh was silenced by Masen closing the door with a little more force than was necessary.

They were almost to the marina before Bella broke the silence between them. "Why did you and Whit laugh?"

Masen couldn't help letting out a few more chuckles before answering her. "Because we've lost count of how many times those words have been said about Gopher. The man is always saying or doing something stupid."

"It can't really be always if he's part of MMR."

He nodded in agreement. "That's true. He does have his moments and he knows to be serious on deck when we're working."

"What exactly does he do? Esme said in her email that he wore a lot of hats but she didn't get specific."

"He spends most of his time cooking or cleaning. The rest of us rotate as his helper but until you're comfortable with helping out with the research, we'll let you be his helper. He also drives the skiff and lays out the decoys. Sometimes he helps me on deck by handing me different tools when I call for them."

"A little of everything then. And Whit is your captain, medic, and navigator?"

Masen nodded. "Lee helps with the navigating and I take over as captain when Whit wants a break."

"She's the mechanic too, right?"

"Yeah, she really knows her stuff."

"Seems like you're all really skilled and talented."

Masen grinned, pretty sure she meant more than what she'd said. "Go on and ask."

Bella waited until they were parked at the marina and out of the car before taking him up on the offer. "With the combined talents you have, you guys could be successful at anything. So why them?"

"Sharks are the animals that need our help most right now. Did you know that sharks are one of the most endangered species in the water? It's estimated that close to seventy-three million sharks are killed each year so people can eat shark fin soup, and that's actually an underestimate because most of the finning goes unreported."

"Million? That doesn't even sound possible. There shouldn't be any left if that's a real number."

"You have to consider that sharks have been around for four hundred million years and that there are over three-hundred-and-fifty identified species."

Bella's eyes widened in shock. "Really?"

"Yep." He hauled himself aboard Galeos and then held his hand out for Bella. Once he had her safely aboard, he asked, "Does that change your opinion on what we do at all?"

She didn't answer right away and when she finally did she didn't seem very sure of her reply. "Conservation is important. We don't want any species totally wiped out. Atlanta having such a large exhibit is probably a really good thing."

He couldn't stop himself from smirking; then again, he didn't try. "Don't worry, Guppy. You'll see them in a different light soon enough."

She gave a fake smile that made him laugh and then he led her on a tour of Galeos' interior decks. He started at the top where there was a small, covered outdoor seating area. It was used as a place to have lunch outdoors in the daytime and a quiet place to be alone at night.

Next, he showed her the living area, dining area, and kitchen since each flowed into the other. At the very front of the boat was the captain's area where Whit controlled the boat and laid out all of his maps. Bella seemed surprised to see paper maps and real charting tools with all of the tech gear filling the room so Masen explained how they were a backup in case they ever lost power in the middle of the ocean.

After assuring her that had never happened and that they had numerous fail-safes in case it did happen, he brought Bella below deck to their offices and sleeping quarters. The first two rooms on either side were a small bathroom and a linen closet; he explained how everyone had a set time they were allowed to get ready in the morning since they all had to get up at the same time. The next two rooms across from each other were singles that had been turned into offices. The one on the left was shared by everyone and had a desk, a couple laptops, a printer, and other normal office paraphernalia. The room on the right was the medic's station, holding all of the medical supplies and a bed in case someone had to be quarantined. The following two rooms were doubles and Masen let Bella know the one to the right had already been claimed by Whit.

"You can have the double across from it or the single that's one door up from his room," he explained. "The other single is Lee and Gopher's room and Whit doesn't like sharing a wall with them. The room at the very end of the hall is usually my room but Esme will be in there until we reach Africa. She prefers staying on land so once we get there she'll be in a rental house. We'll stay on land with her a day or two each week, depending on weather conditions and resupply needs.

"Look around and pick whatever room feels comfortable," he told her as they looked into the empty double room together.

Bella turned so that she was leaning against the doorway and looking up at him. "If there's another single, why didn't you have Esme take that one so you could keep your room?"

"Moms get first dibs." He was smiling as he said it and it caused Bella to smile in return. She had one of those good smiles; the kind that reaches the eyes and makes the person seem like they've never known a sad day. His mom—both of his moms—smiled that way.

He left Bella in the hall to explore and pick out her room while he went upstairs and into the captain's area. He hadn't bothered taking her down to the final deck, figuring she'd never have any reason to go down there. The only things on that deck were the engine room, the supply room, the laundry room, and his project room.

After tuning the radio to the local news station, he started going over the charts Whit had laid out on the plan table. He had complete faith in his friend but always triple-checked everything just to be safe. Lee liked to say he was obsessive compulsive but Masen saw it as protecting his family.

It was as Bella entered the room and started to tell him which room she'd picked that the radio deejay's voice caught Masen's ear.

"Hang on," he said to her as he turned up the volume on the radio.

"That's right! You heard it here first. Right off the coast of Kauai. Drop everything and go get a glimpse because as we all know, this hardly ever happens and should _not_ be missed."

The deejay's words had Masen smiling and rearing to go. "We gotta go now," he said as he turned off the radio. He reached for one of the smaller camera bags from the shelf on the wall and he could feel the excitement and anticipation building up inside of him as his hand closed around the strap. He was so excited that he nearly ran right over Bella—then again, he hadn't been expecting her to still be standing in the doorway.

"We've gotta go," he said, twirling his finger to get her to turn around and start moving.

"Why? Where?"

He couldn't help looking impatient with her so he made up for it by not physically moving her out of the room. "Just trust me, you're going to love this. But we have to go right now."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Happy Friday! We hope you all had a great holiday time with family and friends. Now it's time for a new year and plenty more Masen! What do you think he heard on the radio that has him in such a rush to leave?


	5. 5 Another Side

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Last Chapter:**

It was as Bella entered the room and started to tell him which room she'd picked that the radio deejay's voice caught Masen's ear.

"Hang on," he said to her as he turned up the volume on the radio.

"That's right! You heard it here first. Right off the coast of Kauai. Drop everything and go get a glimpse because as we all know, this hardly ever happens and should _not_ be missed."

The deejay's words had Masen smiling and rearing to go. "We gotta go now," he said as he turned off the radio. He reached for one of the smaller camera bags from the shelf on the wall and he could feel the excitement and anticipation building up inside of him as his hand closed around the strap. He was so excited that he nearly ran right over Bella—then again, he hadn't been expecting her to still be standing in the doorway.

"We've gotta go," he said, twirling his finger to get her to turn around and start moving.

"Why? Where?"

He couldn't help looking impatient with her so he made up for it by not physically moving her out of the room. "Just trust me, you're going to love this. But we have to go right now."

**Chapter 5 – Another Side**

Masen was extremely pleased to see Bella moving quickly down the hallway and not talking. He grabbed his keys and sunglasses from the kitchen counter where he'd left them earlier and then locked up Galeos.

"Back to the car?" Bella asked as he hopped off the boat to the wooden dock below.

"Not yet." He set the camera bag down with his sunglasses on top before turning and holding his hands out to her. She hesitated for a moment before taking them and letting him help her down to the dock.

He passed her the bag while he put his sunglasses on and they walked to the front of his boat. A small skiff was tied up and he helped her aboard before unknotting the rope at the back of the boat and throwing it in without rolling it up like he usually would have. He quickly hopped aboard and then climbed up to the front to free the other rope. He actually wrapped that one up but it was done quickly and messily. With the boat free, he used one foot to push it away from the dock and give it some clearance.

He quickly moved behind the steering wheel and after storing his camera bag between his feet, he shoved the key in the ignition and turned it. He was in such a hurry to get going that he almost flooded the engine when he started it up. Bella must have known what he'd done because she started laughing. He decided to get back at her and as soon as he was sure she wasn't paying attention, he shot out of the slip and sent her grabbing for the nearest fixed surface while squealing loudly. It was his turn to laugh and he did it until she came up beside him and glared at him.

He smirked and said, "Oops."

She turned her head away and he assumed it meant she was ignoring him. However, it wasn't long before her curiosity got the best of her, forcing her to look over at him. "So why the rush to lock up your boat and get on this thing? Where are we going?" She had to stand close and yell to be heard over the wind and engine sounds and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Whenever she got this close to him, he felt an urge to pull her closer.

He tried to get his mind off of touching her by focusing on their destination and tightening his hands on the boat's steering wheel. "We're going to head over to Kauai to see something special." He could tell she had immediately assumed it was shark-related because her face paled and she stopped breathing.

"No sharks," he promised, looking her straight in the eyes so she would believe him. It was Elizabeth who had first taught him to always look a person in the eyes when he was being serious so that he would be taken seriously. It was Esme who had made sure he followed that advice as he grew older.

Bella gave a shaky nod and started breathing again. It wasn't much but it would at least keep her from passing out. The last thing he needed was to have to tell his mom that the intern had fainted.

Of course, her reaction did bring up a question he'd wanted to ask her from the moment Esme had pointed it out to him. "Bella, why did you apply for the internship if you're afraid of sharks?"

"It's not … Okay, I am afraid of some of them, but … I can handle it a lot better if I know I'm going to see them."

"So if I told you we might see tiger sharks on the way to Africa, what you would say to that?"

She shrugged but it didn't cover up her slight flinch. "Great. As long as I'm watching from the boat."

"Let's say you watch them from the boat and they aren't doing anything more than swimming around. Would you attempt to get in the water?"

"By myself?" she sounded as horrified of the thought as she looked.

He tried not to but he couldn't help laughing at her expression.

"Scaring me amuses you?" she accused, tightening her brown eyes in a glare.

He shook his head while still smiling. "No, I'm amused that you act like you came here to be fed to the sharks instead of study them." He waited to see if she would disagree before adding, "We're not going to do anything that risks your safety, Bella. You'll never be in the water by yourself. If you decide to get in, you'll be with me."

"Somehow I don't think that would be much safer." Her teasing comment shocked him and made him laugh. He got along much better with people who had a sense of humor, unless they had too much like Gopher.

"So what exactly is that supposed to mean, Guppy?" he asked.

She only smiled in response.

He really wanted her to answer his question but he didn't want her to know that and refused to ask again. Instead he focused on guiding the boat toward the spot he knew would be best for viewing. And he might have also stolen the occasional glance at her from behind the safety of his dark sunglasses.

The wind on the water was strong today and it kept her hair swirling all around her head. He waited for her to get annoyed with it the way Lee often did and sit down to get out of the wind but Bella stayed where she was, smiling with her eyes closed. Her different reaction to the wind immediately had him thinking of how differently she'd reacted last night to his scruff against her soft skin, pulling him closer where others had pushed him away. _Had it really only been last night?_

With a deep breath and a hard shake of his head, Masen cleared away those thoughts and once again focused on his destination. He was getting close so he slowed the boat just in case what they'd come to see had moved faster than he'd expected. The last thing he wanted to do was scare them off before Bella had a chance to see them. Plus he really wanted to get some shots with the camera to show the family in case they had missed out.

Bella opened her eyes as soon as the boat started to slow and looked around. "Are we at your secret destination?"

"Yep." Masen shut the engine off completely and reached into the cabinet beneath the steering wheel for the binoculars kept there. He moved to the back left of the boat and with his sunglasses pushed on top of his head he scanned the direction he knew they would be coming from. He didn't see anything but he wasn't worried; he knew they would be here soon enough.

"Do you see whatever it is?" Bella asked from right beside him.

"Not yet," he said as he lowered the binoculars to look at her.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"I _know_ we are."

"What if we're not?"

"We are."

She shrugged as if to say "we'll see" and the movement called attention to her shoulders.

"You're getting pink. How strong of a sunscreen did you put on?"

Bella's features hardened and she hissed out a "shit" as she grabbed for the small backpack she'd brought along with her. "Whit was telling me about his parents and their shop and I forgot all about it. But I have a bottle with me," she explained. Once she pulled it out, she tried to give the bottle of sunscreen to him.

"Can't you just put a shirt on? They do make shirts in Florida, right?"

"They make shirts everywhere, Edward. Just like jackasses."

He grunted and snatched the bottle from her. "Fine. Turn around and lift your hair up."

She pulled a hair band from the pocket of her jean shorts and used it to twist her hair up into a bun and secure it against her head. He didn't like being this close to her or having a view of her long neck but he liked the idea of her being burnt and hurt even less, especially since it would make it difficult to have her doing any work outside until she was healed. With a sigh, he squeezed the sunscreen into his hands and then rubbed them together to warm the lotion a little before he started to work it into her shoulders.

His hands were honestly being completely innocent with the sunscreen application but his mind … That dark corner of the bar was replaying in his head in vivid detail. She had been so close to him, pressed so tightly that he'd been able to feel her heart beating through her dress and his shirt. His mouth had seemed to fit perfectly wherever he'd placed it on her body … her lips … her ear … her neck. _Damn, her lips_. Her kisses had left him feeling light-headed, as if he'd had a few too many beers. But unlike with the beers, he had never gotten his fill of her. He'd wanted another kiss and another and another until he'd started to wonder if she was some kind of drug, infecting every part of him and turning him into an addict.

And when she'd put her hands on his face and started to rub his scruff while they kissed … He could remember thinking that if kissing her felt so good then sleeping with her was going to be one hell of an adventure, a belief that had only increased the more his large hands had explored her small curves.

"Do you ever plan on telling me why we're floating out in the middle of the water like this?" Her question gave him something other than her body to focus on, especially since he wanted to keep their reason for being here a surprise.

After quickly racking his brain for a good reason and not coming up with anything great, he decided to tease her. "Consider this your very first lesson."

She turned her head and looked back at him. "What am I learning?"

"Patience." He smiled and winked at her just to be playful; he was completely unprepared for her blush and the shockwave it sent ripping through him. He couldn't remember ever wanting a woman the way he wanted her right then—the same way he'd wanted her last night.

He kept his hands on the bottle of sunscreen and dipped his head forward enough to make his glasses fall over his eyes and hide the hungry look that had to be in them. He forced himself to talk to her to help hide his struggle and the slight tremor in his hands.

"I don't know how often you wear sunscreen in Florida but you're going to have to be sure you put it on here and on the water. The sun is stronger and if you aren't careful, you'll get a burn bad enough to make you sick and keep you from working and learning."

"I always wear a little just to be safe but I got distracted listening to Whit talk about his parents," she told him.

"Distraction is something you are going to be faced with every day with us and you're going to have to overcome it."

She turned her head away, but not before he'd seen her frown and the confusion in her eyes.

"I'm not trying to come off like a jerk. I'm just being honest with you," he said. And to prove his point, he gave her an example of a situation she would definitely encounter. "We do a lot of group tasks that require concentration and focus. If you're distracted by the group next to you, then it puts your own group at risk."

Masen smoothed the lotion over the last uncovered section of skin and very nearly yelled out the "finally" sitting on the tip of his tongue. He managed to keep his mouth shut and to hand the sunscreen to her instead of tossing it like he wanted to do. "Make sure you get your arms and face really well," he warned as he passed her the bottle of sunscreen.

While she took his advice, he rubbed the sunscreen residue from his hands onto his shorts, not wanting to risk getting any on his camera or having it slip from his slick hands. Once he was sure his hands were dry, he pulled his camera from its bag and started to set it up for the types of shots he hoped to get. He compensated for the sun and the wind and the fact that he would need to shoot each frame quickly. He also made sure to turn the image stabilizer on to compensate for the rocking of the boat.

He pushed his glasses back up onto his head and then aimed the viewfinder and took a few test shots to set the zoom. It was on the last shot that he saw the first sign of what they'd come here for—a spray of water suddenly shooting upward into the air.

Masen came up behind Bella and after turning her slightly to the left he extended his arm over her shoulder and pointed while speaking into her ear. "Look there."

They didn't have long to wait before the head of an orca broke the surface and sprayed water into the air. Seconds after it disappeared, a larger orca barely broke the surface before wiggling its tail and disappearing. A third and a fourth where seen curving through the water together, both of them sending up spray.

"Orcas," Bella squealed. "It's a pod of orcas."

"Keep watching. They'll pass fast," he warned. He had already stepped away from her and was pressing the shutter button as quickly as he could. He'd managed to line the boat up just right and the pod would pass on their left, getting within a couple hundred feet of the boat. He hadn't wanted to get too close, knowing the waves made by the passing pod would quickly throw the boat off course and he didn't want to risk needing to run the engine and possibly scaring them.

"Look at them! They are _so_ beautiful," Bella gushed.

He looked up just in time to see her gripping one of the poles for the canopy that extended over the steering wheel. She used the pole to help lift herself up onto the rim of the boat. "Careful," he warned.

"I just want a better look. Can we get closer?"

"Not with this boat. Any closer would make the waves too strong and we'd get rocked off course."

"I count five."

"Four."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure. Looks like three mature adults and one smaller adult."

"I think there's a young calf between the two mature ones leading the way."

"We might be able to tell with my pictures later," he said as he continued to snap photos.

"Look how they curve through the water so gracefully. It looks like glossy black hills gliding through the water to break up all the blue."

"One at the back has his tail coming up," he called out, wanting to make sure she didn't miss it.

"I see it! It looks so huge, even from here."

He stopped photographing long enough to move to the front of the boat and once he was sure his footing was secure, he brought his camera back into alignment with the pod. It only took a couple shots before he saw what Bella had seen earlier.

"You were right. There's a calf. Looks like they're being protective of it. The only sign was a much smaller fin breaking the water and then going under again."

"I hope we can see it better in your pictures. Oh, hey! Do you want me to take some so you can get to watch too?"

"Trust me, I'm definitely watching." He had a lot of practice in watching through the viewfinder. Besides, he loved getting to compare what he saw while taking the pictures to what he managed to capture in his images.

"Edward! I can hear them, Edward!" Bella's excitement was so palpable and the feel of it had him smiling behind the lens. This was the payoff of the anticipation created by being surprised and it was a feeling he had always enjoyed. He was glad she was enjoying it as well.

As many pictures as Masen took, the pod still seemed to move out of range too fast for his liking. He hoped most of the pictures would come out and that he'd have a couple really impressive shots. He put away his camera and dropped his sunglasses over his eyes, noticing at the same time that Bella was still standing on the edge of the boat, trying her best to catch a few last glimpses of the orcas.

He smiled and said, "Come on down, Guppy. There's nothing more to see."

He only had enough time to register the smile on her face before she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said, punctuating the words with giggles and squeals.

He swallowed thickly and then wrapped his own arms tight around her while breathing her in. She smelled of sunshine and fake coconuts, a scent that should have been disgusting but somehow wasn't.

"That was so great. Thank you so much." Her voice made him realize exactly where she was and he quickly set her down. He had also planned on letting her go—what he hadn't expected was to feel her fingers wrapped around his wrists, barely holding on and yet burning him all the same. "I mean it, Edward. Thank you."

Looking into her sincere brown eyes and feeling her body brush against his with each breath she took … He could feel his blood pumping faster through him and his body temperature rising for every second he spent standing so close to her. He was nearly salivating with the urge to kiss her and watching her lips part wasn't helping.

It would be easy; he wouldn't even have to do anything but bring his head down to hers. Just a few inches and he would be touching his lips to hers and tasting the sweetness of her mouth.

"Are you hungry?" It was the first thing that had come into his head and he jumped all over it while backing away from her. "We'll head back to Galeos and I'll throw lunch together. We can sit and eat on the upper deck and look through the pictures. And then I'll finish up what I need to do on the boat."

"Oh. Okay. Sure."

He turned away and made sure to secure his camera bag before starting up the boat. If only it was as easy to secure away this crazy urge to kiss the intern. He needed to get his head straight and do it quickly because once they set sail for Africa he really wouldn't be able to avoid her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Do you want help in the kitchen?" Bella asked as she followed Edward through the living room into the dining area of the boat.

"No, it'll just be sandwiches. Nothing fancy. Besides you're a guest until Saturday."

For some reason, she felt his refusal had more to do with wanting to be away from her than wanting to treat her like a guest. It amazed her how fast and often he could switch from hot to cold—and she was only counting the switches she'd experienced today! _Men should come with a temperature switch so you can permanently put them on warm_, she thought as she climbed the stairs to the upper deck.

She wondered if his change in demeanor was because of the hug she'd given him. Maybe if she explained she couldn't have helped herself even if she'd tried then he might relax and go back to behind the gentler version of himself. She could tell him how it was a family trait thing, an odd quirk passed down to her and her sister from their mother. When any of them were overly excited, they just reached out and grabbed the person closest and gave them an enthusiastic hug. Her dad had always teased her about it since she was otherwise reserved around strangers.

Thinking about her parents made her think of Alice and Carlisle and sent the first wave of homesickness coursing through her and Bella couldn't dig her phone out of her pocket fast enough. When the housekeeper answered, she made it very clear she wanted to talk to Carlisle first. If she let Alice get the phone first she'd never get the chance to talk to her uncle.

She had planned for her first words to be a happy greeting and reassurances that she was fine but the honest truth flew out instead. "I miss you, Uncle Carlisle."

"Going that well, huh?" he asked with a quiet laugh.

She smiled and closed her eyes, picturing him sitting at his desk in his study. "It's actually going okay so far. I just suddenly realized that I'm about to go three whole months without seeing you or Alice. That's never happened before."

"You're at an age when it's time for you to carve your own path in the world, Bella. The thing to remember is that no matter how winding or bumpy that path becomes, the way home will always be there for you."

"Thanks, Uncle Carlisle. I really needed to hear that."

"So, tell me. What have you learned so far? Dazzle me with your newfound knowledge."

Bella's eyes opened as she laughed at his teasing. "I haven't learned anything yet but I did get to see a pod of orca. It was so different to see them swimming in the ocean like that. I know they can move all kinds of ways from my time at Sea World, but I'd never really thought of them as graceful swimmers until I saw them today."

"Any chance you'll send a picture in your email to Alice?"

"I'm sure Edward won't have a problem with that."

"Edward Masen? You're already working with the head of MMR?"

"It's not working yet. More like getting acquainted."

"Still, I just assumed you would work your way up for a week or two before getting one-on-one time with him."

"It's not that kind of company from what I've seen so far. It's really a team effort."

"I'm proud of you, Bella. I know you left here still having some doubts but it sounds like you're over that now."

"At least until we actually board for Africa on Saturday," she admitted.

"You'll do fine, Bug. You always do. And now I'm going to tell you I love you and pass the phone to your sister who is doing her patented 'patiently waiting' dance that always looks more like a 'hand it over now' dance."

She could hear him laughing while her sister swore she had been the picture of patience; the exchange was one she'd personally witnessed many times and hearing it now made her feel less homesick.

After clearing his throat and promising her sister he was almost done, he said, "I love you, Bella."

"Love you too, Uncle Carlisle."

With the way Alice immediately started rattling off in her ear, Bella wasn't sure her uncle had heard her at all. Apparently her little sister had been under the mistaken impression that there would be a phone call as soon as Bella woke this morning so Alice had set her alarm and gotten up extra early. There hadn't been a call but there had been a few too many coffee cups drained by her little sister while waiting for the phone to finally ring.

Bella pictured her sister pacing with the phone pressed to her ear, and waited for a break in the chatter so she could speak. "Ali, I can't give you a minute by minute accounting of my day over the phone. I did call at the first opportunity, though. And I plan to write you an email tonight to fill you in on my first full day here."

"So you're working with the Edward guy already?"

"No, not yet. He just brought me on a tour of the boat. I need to pick what room I want to stay in so they can load my things up tomorrow."

"They have enough rooms that you can pick one? How big is this boat?"

"Pretty big. I'm standing on the upper deck right now and I've got a nice view of all the boats in the harbor."

"Take a picture for me, okay? I want to see everything!"

"Sure thing." Bella hoped her response had sounded convincing. While she hated to lie, even by omission, there was no way she was sending an account of everything they did and saw. Alice needed to be focused on her college courses, not worrying about her big sister.

Bella's skin suddenly began to tingle; she knew what was causing it and did her best to ignore it while also trying to listen to her sister.

"Bella, isn't that great?" Alice asked.

She had no idea what her sister had been talking about but she agreed anyway. "If you think it's great, then it's great."

"Anyway, they're on their way over to pick me up now. I really wish you would have called earlier so we could talk more."

"We'll have time later. And I promise to email you tonight."

"I can't wait. I have to go. I miss you and I love you and I want you to be safe. And don't forget to send some paper letters too. Bye!"

Alice hung up without waiting for a response but Bella didn't close her phone right away. She kept it pressed to her ear, pretending there was still a tornado of talk swirling out of her phone and into her head while trying to get control of herself before she faced the eyes—and the man—making her skin tingle and her body warm.

She'd told Edward she would put last night behind her, act like it had never happened, but it seemed the harder she tried to do that, the more it refused to be forgotten. It had just been so … so _intense_. But even that wasn't the right word for it. She'd had passion and intensity with her last boyfriend but not on the scale of what she'd felt last night. No, last night had been something else … something different … something _powerful_.

And at least some of that same power was still there because she'd had the hardest time remembering to breathe when his hands had been on her, rubbing her sunscreen into her back. His touch had been purely innocent but the thoughts in her head and the desire pulsing through her had been anything but. There had been a voice whispering in her head to just turn and kiss him, and when he'd winked at her … That wink had made her lips tingle, her palms itch, and her body warm. She'd wanted to be back in the dark corner of that bar covered by his body, drunk from his kisses, and anchored to reality only by the prick of his stubble on her palms.

Now she stood here on his boat pretending to be on a call because she could feel that power again and she wasn't even looking at him. She knew instinctively it would only get worse once she turned to face him. Or better. She wasn't sure which she meant or wanted. And she also wondered if his reaction to her hug might be because he was feeling all the same things she was experiencing.

Bella decided it didn't matter because he had made it very clear he only wanted a professional, working relationship with her. She took a deep breath to clear her head and then pretended to speak into her phone. "Okay. Love you too. Talk to you later. Bye."

When she turned, she found Edward sitting across from her with his feet up on the small table and half his food already gone from his plate. He had his sunglasses on again so she had no idea if he was really looking at her or not.

She tried to see through his dark lenses to the eyes behind them while slipping her phone into her pocket, but all she saw was her own reflection.

"Family?" he asked as he grabbed for the bottle of water next to his foot.

"Yeah. I was excited to share my view of the orcas with them." She sat down in the chair beside her and picked her sandwich plate up from the table.

She lifted one of the sandwich halves and after deciding it looked like it was chicken salad she took a big bite. Her eyes widened at the amazing taste and as much as she wanted another bite, she waited long enough to thank him for the sandwich first. "This is really, really good. Thank you."

He shrugged. "I just cut up Esme's leftover chicken, tossed in some pickles and onions, and added a little spicy mustard and mayo."

Her brown eyes grew even wider. "_You_ made this?"

He nodded while swallowing down some of his water.

"You don't really seem the type to spend your time in the kitchen. More like you would grab something already made and eat it while working on something for your company."

His shoulders lifted in a shrug. "My mom is a firm believer in teaching a person to fend for himself. She taught me to cook, wash dishes, do laundry, grocery shop, pay bills, balance a checkbook, all those kinds of things. I'm better at some than others."

"I took a cooking class once with my sister but she was a lot better at it than me."

"A sister, huh?"

"Yeah." Bella started smiling as soon as she pictured her sister. "Alice. She's a few years younger than me."

"If you had to pick one word to describe her?"

Bella didn't even need to think about it. "Bubbly."

Edward snorted. "Bubbly. I haven't heard that term used in a long time. So on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most, how annoying is she?"

Bella gasped, which wasn't the best thing to do at the moment because she had a mouthful of chicken sandwich. Her predicament had Edward laughing loudly and nearly dumping the last corner of his sandwich into his lap.

"Come on," he urged, swirling the water around in his bottle. "Be honest. What does she score?"

After forcing herself to swallow her food and drink some of her water, Bella answered him. "She's not annoying at all."

His grin turned from amused to full-on cocky. "So are you lying to me or yourself, Guppy?"

"I'm not lying at all. She's really not annoying. Honest."

He just continued smiling in that same cocky way.

And that smile was really starting to get on her nerves; he couldn't smile at her like that and expect her to feel professional towards him. It just wasn't possible. "Like you can even judge what constitutes annoying. You're little tantrum this morning on the beach was way more annoying than anything my sister's done lately."

He tipped his bottle of water at her, smile still firmly in place. "Notice how you said _lately_." Before she could respond he added, "And just for the record, I'm not annoying."

"Ha!" she yelled. "I dare you to say that with a straight face." She quickly added, "Without the sunglasses."

"What do my shades have to do with anything?"

"I've found it's harder for people to deceive me if I can see their eyes when they're speaking."

At first, he didn't move or speak. Then he sat up, pushed his glasses onto his head, and leaned so far forward that his face was suddenly just a few inches from hers. "I'm not annoying."

She didn't hear what he said because she was too busy blurting out a single word. "Blue."

"What?" he asked, pulling away and sitting up straight.

"I … uh …"

His head cocked to the right a little. "You okay?"

While her lips said "yes", her headshake said "no". She didn't even notice she'd given two different answers because all she could focus on was how he'd licked his lower lip before hiding his mouth behind his hand to keep from laughing at her.

Bella needed an immediate way out of this conversation and she decided her lunch was the way to go. "This sandwich is really good." As soon as the last word was out of her mouth, a huge bite of chicken salad went into it.

_They're blue. But how can they be blue? _she asked herself while slowly chewing her food. She was certain last night they had been a gorgeous shade of green with the power to compel her to follow him wherever he led. Not that this shade of blue was any less commanding. Maybe the green had somehow been a trick of the lighting in the bar. Or maybe he wore contacts. _Or maybe you need to focus and not notice anything personal about your boss_, she chastised herself.

A beeping sound had her looking up; Edward had put his empty plate and bottle on the table and now had his camera bag in his lap. His face was hidden behind his camera and she assumed the beeping sound was coming from him scrolling through the pictures.

Thinking of the orcas had her curiosity going strongly enough to get her to talk. "Did you get a shot of the baby?"

"Maybe after I moved. I'm still on the ones I took from the back of the boat."

She set her plate down on the table and came around to stand behind him and get a look at the pictures. She watched him click through a couple pictures and noticed quickly he'd taken the pictures so fast that seeing them reminded her of one of those flip books she'd played with as a kid where each page had a drawing and when flipped through quickly, the drawings seemed to move and tell a story.

"How do you do that? Do you have a special camera?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Take them so fast?"

"I modified the shutter speed to handle action shots better. I didn't really need to use that mode for the orcas, but it's so rare to see them here that I wanted to document it rather than just photograph it."

"Is that camera fast enough to capture the animals in Africa?"

"The seals, sure." He turned his head to look at her and the smile on his face had her rolling her eyes before he even spoke. "But the _sharks_ have a special camera."

"See that right there was annoying," she told him.

He was still smiling as he turned his eyes back to his camera. "Don't worry, Guppy. The word's not gonna bite."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Really?" Edward asked. He was standing on his side of the car with his arms on the roof and his chin on his arms. Bella couldn't see his eyes behind his dark glasses but that didn't stop her from being certain he was glaring at her. Once again she wished for a switch for his moods because he'd been nothing but pleasant the entire time she'd sat on the arm of his chair going through the pictures on his camera with him and pointing out which ones she'd liked best.

He must have grown impatient waiting for her to answer because he suddenly stood up straight and shook his head at her. "Clearly you don't know the meaning of 'annoying'."

"Why?" She glanced at him for a second before turning her eyes back to the buttons of the shirt she'd put on over her bikini top. "Because I put a shirt on when I wanted to and not when you wanted?"

He didn't answer and when she looked up she saw that he'd left her there and gone to stand in the long line in front of the gray building. She pulled a plain, dark blue baseball cap out of her bag and threaded her ponytail through the back before joining him in the line.

The sign over the order window said "Waiola's Shave Ice" and four colorful placards listed all of the available flavors. Bella glanced around and took in the size of the line and all the customers milling about with their treats in their hands; it certainly seemed to be a popular place.

"What flavor do you want?" Edward asked as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

"Uh … Grape, I guess."

He had been poking around in his wallet for cash but he looked up at her answer. "Grape? That's it? _Grape_?"

Since he was looking at her as if she'd grown a second head, she gave him that same look as she answered him. "Yeah, _grape_."

"I'm beginning to believe that you lack a sense of adventure, Guppy. And it just makes me wonder all over again why you signed up for the internship."

"What does the flavor of my shaved ice have to do with whether or not I have a sense of adventure? And I'll have you know, I have a great sense of adventure. I try new things all the time."

One eyebrow lifted above the frame of his sunglasses at the same time one side of his mouth curled upward. "Guess your list of new things doesn't include shaved ice flavors."

She laughed more at his expression than his words. "Alright, Mr. Adventure. What are you having?"

"You'll see."

It was at least fifteen minutes of standing in the hot sun before they made it into the shade of the order window. Edward asked for her grape ice first and then he ordered his own treat, a rainbow ice with condensed milk and ice cream. It was certainly the most colorful shaved ice order Bella had ever seen but she doubted that translated well in the taste department. Edward seemed to enjoy it, though, with the way he was practically sticking his nose in the concoction each time he leaned in for a bite off the top.

They didn't stick around Waiola's to eat; Edward drove to one of the greenest parks she'd ever seen; it was such a stark contrast to the sandy beach and blue waters yet just as gorgeous. He led her over to a section with rocks perfect for leaning against and then he kicked off his shoes and planted his feet in the green grass. He had a satisfied smile on his face as he sat there with his back against a rock, poking around in his cup with his spoon.

Bella let the silence spin out between them for a moment, enjoying the feel of the grass on her own bare feet, before interrupting with a question. "Are you going to tell me why we're here? Or would you rather ignore me?"

Despite his mumbling and low tone of voice, she still heard him. "Ignore my ass."

She could have let him know she'd heard but she decided instead to try to get back that comfortable place they'd found while going through his pictures on the boat. "That picture you got with the baby's head coming out of the water, could I send that one to my sister?"

"I've got to put the MMR watermark on it first, but yeah."

"Is that in case you want to use the picture later in your research?"

"It's really more in case I decide to sell the picture. One of the ways I raise funds for MMR is to sell some of the pictures to magazines."

"Have you sold a lot of pictures?"

He had just shoved a large spoonful of his treat into his mouth and instead of waiting to answer after he'd finished, he just pushed it all to one side instead. "I think I'm up to two dozen now."

Bella couldn't help laughing at him. "You looked like a chipmunk just now with your cheek puffed out that way."

He shrugged. "Didn't want to swallow all at once and get brain freeze."

"You know earlier when you said you modified the shutter speed? Did you mean you had it done somewhere? I know you have a degree in Engineering but I don't think cameras when I hear that term. I think engines."

"A shutter is part of the camera's engine."

"Right, but it … It's just that it's really delicate."

"It is," he agreed with a nod. "It requires a lot of focus and steady hands. It's actually not that difficult but maybe that's only because I've been taking things apart and putting them back together since I was a little kid."

"Did you ever take anything apart that you couldn't fix?"

He snorted and then swirled his spoon around in his cup for a while before answering. "When I was eight, I took my mom's favorite music box apart. I wanted to see what I was winding up and how it created the sound. I learned two really important things that day … First, always diagram what you remove and where it belongs. Second, moms are a lot more forgiving than we deserve."

He'd seemed sad when he'd said the forgiving part and Bella wondered how much trouble he'd gotten into for breaking the music box. She couldn't remember ever having broken anything that belonged to her parents, but she had backed her uncle's car into the garage door during her very first driving lesson. She'd been mortified while Uncle Carlisle had laughed and said he hadn't liked the door that much anyway. It seemed to her that uncles could be just as forgiving.

She didn't share her memory with Edward, deciding he most probably didn't want to know. "Thanks for the shaved ice."

"Alright, Guppy. Enough's enough," he said, holding his spoon out to her. "Take a bite of a real shaved ice dessert."

"What? Why?"

"Because if I let you off this island without trying one of the best reasons to visit Waiola's, then I'll have failed in my duty to show you the local cuisine. And I don't fail at anything if I can help it."

She laughed and leaned away from the offered spoon. "What if you have cooties?"

He sighed but it was in direct contrast with the huge, cocky grin on his face. He lifted his glasses up, placing them in his hair and leaving her to guess at the exact shade of blue his eyes were right now. They weren't the deep blue of the sky or the almost-turquoise of the water. They were more like the steel blue of her favorite sleep shirt; it was the only shirt she'd ever bought just because she'd loved the color of it. The color had the best of both worlds in her opinion, the cooling comfort of blue mixed with the soothing powers of a soft gray. Only Edward's eyes didn't leave her feeling cool, or comfortable, or soothed. No, his eyes made her feel hot, jittery, and anxious.

He brought his eyes and his spoon closer to her. "If I had cooties, you'd already know it."

Her mouth fell open at the meaning behind his comment and he took that as permission, sliding his spoon between her lips and resting it on her tongue. After tipping the spoon up to make sure the bite stayed in her mouth, he scooped up more of his treat and slid his spoon into his own mouth.

Bella still had the bite in her mouth so she put her hand in front of her lips to speak. "Really cold."

"Yeah, but how's it taste? Great, right?"

She rolled the bite around on her tongue, trying to warm it up and dissolve some of it before swallowing it down. She was also busy trying to reconcile an Edward who wanted to share his favorite treat with the one from earlier who'd seemed annoyed with everything she did. _Maybe they put some kind of mood altering drug in his shaved ice_, she thought. _Or maybe the sun has melted his brain and made him forget he's annoyed with me_.

She could feel his eyes on her and knew he was waiting for her answer. "It's really sweet. I wouldn't say it's bad because it's not, but I wouldn't do both the ice cream and milk on my own."

"Too sweet," he scoffed. "That's like saying the grass is too green or the water's too wet."

She giggled at his offended tone. "You really don't like it when someone disagrees with you, huh?"

Instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own. "What do you think of the park?"

"I like it." She looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes between the soft blades of grass. "I especially like the green of it. Some days it seems like there's no green places left in Orlando with all the buildings and the roads and on-ramps. If I had a place like this back home, I'd go every day. Do you come here a lot when you're home?"

Edward nodded and Bella realized she was seeing his first real, content smile since she'd met him. "Usually just Lizzy and me come but sometimes Whit tags along and we'll play Frisbee with Lizzy. She likes to roll around in the grass until the white fur on her starts to turn green. She doesn't care for the bath that comes after but that never stops her from rolling around the next time we come."

"How long have you had her?"

"Almost a year now."

"Are you going to celebrate when she hits a year old?"

He snorted. "Oh, yeah. Hats and streamers. A dog food cake. I'd get a clown but she always tries to eat balloons when she sees them."

She laughed and pressed her elbow into his upper arm. "I didn't mean it quite like that. I just meant that she seems to mean a lot to you. Maybe you were planning to get her a new chew-toy or something."

He didn't comment, choosing instead to just smile and swirl his spoon around his cup.

"Where did you get her? A Boston Terrier doesn't seem like it would be a local pet."

"I rescued her when we were down in Australia last summer."

"Really? Rescued how?" she asked, shifting her position so she could see his face.

"Whit and I had gone surfing together early one morning. We were walking up the beach heading back to where we'd parked and I heard this little whimpering sound. I followed it to this broken down car that you could tell had been in the lot a long time and when I looked under the car, there was this tiny little black ball pressed against the inside of the tire and shivering. I pulled her out and I could see right away she was sick. So Whit and I asked around for a vet and took her in.

"She was dehydrated and malnourished but otherwise okay. She was so young the vet figured she'd gotten lost from her mom and had gotten scared and hid under the car. At first I left her there, figuring she belonged to somebody and they'd come and get her. But when I called to check on her a couple days later and nobody had called about her, I went and got her." Edward shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal but the soft look in his eyes gave him away. "She needed a home."

There didn't really seem to be anything for Bella to say to that so she stayed silent. But just because she didn't have anything worth saying didn't mean she wasn't thinking. She wondered if one person could get whiplash from seeing so many sides of another person. In one day, she'd seen bossy, annoying, excited, professional and relaxed. And now she'd just seen sweet and caring. _The last was definitely the best_, she thought as she smiled around a spoonful of her plain grape shaved ice.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"We're so late," Bella squealed, holding tight to Masen's hand as they ran across the parking lot together.

"We're not that late."

"We so are," she argued with a soft laugh. "Esme's called you three times already. I bet she's gonna ground you."

"I'll tell her it's your fault," he said, smiling as he opened the restaurant door and ushered her in ahead of him. His hand stayed at the small of her back, guiding her around the crowded restaurant and to the booth containing his family.

Lee was sandwiched in between Whit on the end and Gopher against the wall on one side, the three of them laughing their heads off about something. Esme was sitting at the edge of her side of the booth but when she spotted Masen and Bella, she scooted over to make room for them.

As soon as Masen was seated, he snagged a couple of calamari strips, tilted his head back, and dropped them into his mouth.

"Seriously, do you have a tapeworm?" It was the second time Bella had asked him that today. The first had been in the kitchen of his home before they'd changed for dinner. She'd told him she couldn't understand how he was hungry after the huge breakfast, the filling lunch, and the shaved ice. She'd also channeled his mother perfectly and told him not to fill up on junk right before dinner.

He decided to answer her the same way he had in the kitchen. "I have a high metabolism."

Her reaction was identical to earlier; she snorted and rolled her eyes which made him grin. And then she picked up a menu, using it as a shield to hide her face and the blush creeping up her cheeks. She didn't seem to realize the menu only blocked her from the people sitting across from her and not right beside.

Rather than pointing out the flaw in her master plan, Masen picked up his own menu. "Mom, will you split Kim Chee with me?"

"Split hell," Whit said, yanking the menu from Masen's hand. "You give the woman like two spoonfuls and then devour the rest. I think Guppy's on to something with this tapeworm idea."

"Mom, tell him that's not true," Masen ordered while struggling to get his menu out of Whit's hand.

Esme's initial response was to laugh. "I would, Kid, but he's right. And stop with the horsing around. We've been waiting for you to show up and we want to get dinner ordered."

"Yeah, some of us are starving," Gopher added, rubbing a hand over his stomach.

"What's wrong, Gopher? You skip fifth breakfast?" Masen teased, showing of a toothy grin. "Or was it third lunch?"

"Masen! Focus!" Lee ordered, pointing at the menu in his hands. "What do you want to eat?"

"I'm still waiting on Mom to answer me. Are you splitting the rice with me?"

"Not this time. Why don't you ask Bella to split with you?" Esme suggested.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "She'll probably end up ordering plain chicken fingers. She has no sense of adventure when it comes to food, which is really gonna suck for her once we're on the boat and subjected to Gopher's cooking."

"Actually," Bella said as she finally lowered her menu. "I'm debating between the Yakisoba with Kim Chee and the Farmer's Salad." She gave Masen a sideways glance and a smile. "My _metabolism_ can't handle both."

"There you go, Edward. Perfect solution. Share with Bella," Esme suggested.

Masen didn't hear her, though; he was too busy staring at Bella. "From grape to Yakisoba? You sure about that, Guppy?"

Bella nodded and whatever thought she had in her head made her face turn red from the effort she was putting forth not to laugh. Finally she couldn't hold it anymore and she let out her laugh and her thought, "They're just noodles. They won't bite."

Masen gave a dramatic groan and shifted his body away from her to block her and her laughter out. The effect was ruined by the fact that he was laughing under his breath.

Whit leaned across the table and flicked Masen's forearm to get his attention. "Inside jokes, huh?"

Masen snorted at his friend's ridiculous grin. "One joke. And only because she made such a big deal out of not saying 'shark'."

"Uh, no. That was the second. The first was the thing about going from grape to the noodles."

A thump to the back of his head had Masen turning away from Whit and looking at his mom. "What?"

"Focus, please. What have you decided on?"

"I'll split the noodles and salad with Bella."

"Good. Now get the waiter's attention so we can order our food."

Masen did as he was told and as soon as he'd given the order he was splitting with Bella to the waiter, he dove into the plate of calamari, earning himself a slap from Lee for hogging the appetizer.

While he was busy rubbing the red spot on the back of his hand, he noticed Whit was once again leaning across the table. "What?"

"Nothing. Just wondering if you decided to take my advice after all."

"No." He was positive he'd said it with just the right amount of force to make it clear to Whit that nothing was going on, but the grin on his friend's face said otherwise.

"What room did she pick?"

Masen lifted a finger and started scratching the bridge of his nose; it was a tell that Whit knew well and that had him laughing.

"So if you didn't take her on a tour of the boat, what did you do with her all day long that made you late for dinner?"

Masen considered answering his friend. And then he considered how much fun it would be to let Whit's mind spin with all kinds of crazy ideas and then let him down with the truth. They'd toured the boat, seen a pod of orcas, viewed some pictures, and then spent the afternoon playing Frisbee in the park where they'd lost track of time. Nothing exciting or intriguing at all about that. Except for that one _tiny_ little detail about it having been the best time he'd spent with a female, other than Lee and Esme, in a long time.

Masen's silence earned him a single raised eyebrow from Whit. "That eyebrow thing doesn't work on me. I don't have the requisite equipment," he told his friend.

"You only say that shit because you can't do it."

"You only say _that_ because you have a man-crush on The Rock."

Whit pulled in a breath and then did something truly scary—he smiled. "Mase, let's go get some beers at the bar."

"Get them from our waiter."

"Our waiter is busy."

"Okay, what about that waiter?" Masen asked, discretely pointing to a server two booths over.

"That guy's not our waiter. It would be irresponsible—nay immoral and ineffectual—to have him serve beers at a table not his own, for then he will be deprived of his rightly due compensation."

Masen snorted at his friend's rant. "Practicing for the blog, huh? And just how would it be feeble to ask a different waiter for help?"

Whit got to his feet as he said, "I'll tell you at the bar."

He groaned but got up to go with his friend; he knew refusing to go was only going to put off the inevitable. He always confessed to Whit sooner or later and usually sooner was the better choice. "We're getting beers. Anyone else want one?"

No one seemed to even notice he had spoken; Gopher and Lee were looking at something on his phone while Esme and Bella were busy laughing at whatever they'd been telling each other for the last few minutes.

"I'm buying," Whit said as they settled onto stools at the far end of the bar.

"Bribery? Really, Whit? I expected so much better from you."

"No, the beer's to loosen your tongue up. The bribery is that if you don't tell me, I'll ask Bella. And I probably won't be all that great at not giving away why I'm asking."

"Mother f-er," Masen growled.

His friend's reply was instant and crude but it also had him laughing and relaxing since both of them knew it wasn't true. "Only if it's yours."

Once they'd each enjoyed a few sips of their beers, Masen started talking without furthering prompting. "I gave her the tour of the boat and then left her to pick out her room while I went up to look over the charts. I had the radio on and—"

"You heard about the pod," Whit interrupted. "Which means you grabbed a camera and hopped on the skiff. Had Bella seen a pod in the wild before?"

"No. And she really enjoyed it."

"So is that when you started warming up to calling her Guppy?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You hated that name this morning but you just used it at the table to tease her."

Masen grinned at him. "You're reaching, Whit. It's not pretty, man."

Whit lifted his one eyebrow again and then said something that had Masen struggling not to spit out the beer he'd just filled his mouth with. "You're right, Mase. It's not nearly as pretty as that smile on your face when you first walked up with your hand on her back."

Whit laughed at the effect of his words while patting a coughing Masen on the back until he got his hand shoved away. "So what else did you do with Guppy today, Mase?"

He shrugged. "We had lunch on the boat and looked through the pictures I took. Then I wanted shaved ice after so I took her to Waiola's and then we went to the park to eat them. We ended up sticking around and playing Frisbee and lost track of time. It was nothing."

"Except you shared your photos and your snack _and_ your park with her."

Masen tried to stop his hand but his finger was already scratching at the bridge of his nose and Whit noticed immediately.

"Spit it out, Mase."

"She noticed my eyes were different today."

"_Now_ we're getting somewhere," Whit said, tipping his beer bottle toward him. "Did they stay blue all day?"

"Don't know. Wasn't looking in the mirror to see."

"Did it _feel_ like they were blue all day?"

"Look, let's not make a big deal out of this, okay? I spent the day with her, she wasn't completely annoying, and it was … nice."

"Well then, here's to a nice day," Whit said, holding his beer bottle up to toast.

Masen clinked bottles with him; he also tried to use drinking from his bottle to hide his smile. He didn't want to give Whit anymore ammunition against him than he already had tonight and his friend had a way of weaseling more information out of him than he wanted to give.

And he damn sure didn't want to give up the fact that he was hoping to have another nice afternoon tomorrow with Bella once the final check was complete on the boat. He had plans to take her to the aquarium to find out under safe, controlled circumstances just how afraid she was of sharks so he could tailor his lessons to her needs. And if Whit had anything else smart-ass to say, Masen would just point out that he wasn't doing anything more than being a good boss and mentor. Not one damn thing.

"Come on," Whit said as he stood and patted Masen's shoulder. "Waiter's dropping off our food."

"Good because I'm starving."

"Worked up an appetite today, did ya?"

"Whit, I swear I will beat the shit out of you if you don't stop."

He gave a low, menacing chuckle. "Mighty touchy for it not being a big deal, Mase."

"Seriously, man, be a friend and shut the fuck up."

"Not another word during dinner," Whit promised, pretending to button his lips shut.

Masen didn't trust that pledge at all and if there had been any way to discretely sucker punch Whit in the side without Esme's eagle-eye seeing it, he would have done it in a heartbeat.

"It's about time you two return," Lee said as they sat down.

"We needed beers and the bar had them," Whit told her. "If you'd have had them, I never would've left your pretty face alone."

"That's _gorgeous_ face to you, butthead," Lee said, grinning as she pinched Whit's shoulder. "As a matter of fact, a guy mistook me for Kate Beckinsale just this morning."

Masen snorted and his lips pulled up into the cocky grin that always pissed her off more than his words. Although this time, it was going to be a close race. "Did you give a biscuit to his guide dog?" he asked.

Lee gasped while Whit and Gopher guffawed laughter on either side of her; Masen's smile widened knowing they would pay for that laughter later on and probably more than he would for making the joke.

Lee recovered quickly, her own sinister smile gracing her face as she leaned in toward him. "He might have been blind, but I bet he still surfs better than you."

"Oh, shit!" Whit and Gopher had not only spoken at the same time, they'd slid as far away from Lee as they could get.

Masen's elbow hit the table with enough force to rattle the plate of noodles next to his arm. He pointed a finger at Lee and looked at her with narrowed eyes. And then his entire face relaxed and a huge smile filled his face. "You win this round."

"Oh my gosh," Bella gushed, holding both of her hands over her mouth. "I thought you guys were serious." The paleness of her face mixed with the twitch in her hands showed just how worried she'd been and it took everything in him not to laugh at her reaction.

"Edward, shame on you," Esme said, swatting him in the back of the head. "You nearly gave poor Bella a heart attack."

"Hey, guppies are supposed to be sturdier fish than that," he joked, grinning down at Bella as he watched the color return to her face.

"We'll explore that theory more later," Esme said as she pulled her plate closer to her. "Right now, it's time to eat."

With that, they busied themselves with sharing food and filling their stomachs. They were about half-way through the meal before anyone started talking again. "Edward, is it safe to assume you saw the pod?" Esme asked.

He nodded his head, busy with a huge piece of steak he'd scored from Lee's plate.

"There was a pod? How did I not know this?" Lee asked.

"Well when you spend all day holed up in bed with Gopher there," Whit offered up as an answer.

She poked him in the side with her elbow. "We were with my parents, you ass. Did you know about the pod?"

"Not until it had already come and gone. I was busy stacking shelves with my dad while my mom talked the ears off the customers."

"Please tell me you got pictures," Lee pleaded, looking over at Masen.

"Yeah, I got a few."

"Ha," Bella scoffed before clamping both hands over her mouth. Her brown eyes were wide and her face was beet red; her reaction had everyone at the table laughing.

"Don't be afraid to speak your mind," Esme told her as she gave her a hug. "We appreciate honesty around here. Especially when it's directed at Edward over there."

"Mom, stop picking on me. You're going to make me cry," he dead-panned.

Bella put her hands down and let out a breath. "It's just … He took a _ton_ of pictures. It was like watching a flipbook when he went through them."

"A phone call would have been nice, you know," Lee said, once again directing her gaze to Masen.

"I was on the boat. You know I don't take my phone with me on the boat."

"Lee, you know Mase and phones don't mix well," Whit joked.

"Shut up," Masen replied, pointing his fork at his friend. He was not in the mood to discuss how he'd forgotten his phone was in his pocket when he'd jumped into the water a couple of weeks ago. Or how that hadn't been the first time.

"What? We're all getting acquainted here and I think it's important for Bella to know that cellphones have a tendency to meet an untimely death around you," he continued.

"Oh, well then that gives us something in common," Bella said, her brown eyes darting between Whit and Masen. "Phones don't live long around me either."

Masen snorted. "You probably kill them on purpose to get a break from your _bubbly_ sister."

Bella was too busy gasping over his comment to notice that Whit had kicked Masen under the table. He almost cursed him but then realized it was meant to make him look at Whit's hand on his beer bottle and the three fingers it was showing him. Three fingers meant to signify three inside jokes.

"Remember our conversation about annoying?" Bella asked, digging her elbow into Masen's arm. As much as he wanted to see the look on her face at that moment, he couldn't help watching as Whit curled a fourth finger around his beer bottle.

"When we get back to the house, I want to see the pictures." Lee's comment was a good excuse to look away from Whit and Masen gladly took it.

"Yeah, I'll plug the camera into the laptop and we'll throw it up on the projector," he told her.

"Start with the one with the tail out of the water and the splash all up in the air, like a fountain in the middle of the ocean," Bella suggested.

"Sounds as though watching the pod was a beautiful sight," Esme ventured, her gray eyes locked on Masen's face.

He turned away from her probing gaze but that just left him looking at Whit's shitty grin and his fingers around his beer bottle. Masen rolled his eyes, not sure if it was at himself or his friend, and took a long drink from his own beer.

"Well I for one can't wait to hear _all_ about your day, Mase," Lee said, giving him a grin that mirrored the one on Whit's face.

For the first time since the food had arrived Gopher spoke up and Masen couldn't ever remember wishing so hard that the man had kept his mouth shut. "So how come you two were late getting here? Did the pod stay in the area that long?"

Whit was of course all too happy to join in and pretend he didn't already know the reason. "Yeah, Mase. Why so late?"

It was Esme who answered their questions and she looked just a little too pleased to be doing it for Masen's taste. "Edward was busy losing to Bella at Frisbee in the park."

"I was not losing," he argued, glaring first at Bella and then at his mom. "We weren't even playing for points."

"That doesn't mean I didn't notice how many times you didn't catch the thing," Bella told him.

"I was at a disadvantage with the sun in my face."

"You had sunglasses on," she argued.

"You had a hat on, blocking way more sunlight."

Bella shifted her body and turned her head toward Esme. "Was he always such a sore loser?"

Esme started the laughter off and the entire table followed right after—all but Masen who was shaking his head and hiding his smile behind his beer bottle. If tomorrow afternoon at the aquarium with Bella turned out to be half as good as today had been, then … Well, he really wasn't sure what that would mean and he didn't care to figure it out. He focused instead on finishing his dinner and listening to the laughter and jokes floating around the table.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** We are trying to get onto a more regular posting schedule but Real Life has not been cooperating with that goal. Seriously, not even when bribed with Godiva Chocolates! We hope to have another chapter for you in two weeks but it might be three. Thanks for reading!


	6. 6 Hot & Cold

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 6 – Hot and Cold**

**Friday, May 30th**

"I'm being serious here, Mase," Whit promised while passing a box to him. "Haven't you ever had a dream that was so real you woke up and felt like shit because it was just a dream?"

"I have," Masen answered with a nod. "But I knew the person I was dreaming about."

"Trust me, I know this woman."

"I _trust_ that you're losing your mind, man. You just said you haven't seen her entire face, but you think you know her."

Whit acted like he hadn't heard him. "She's got a great laugh and a smile that makes me wanna fall at her feet and worship her for a lifetime. And to top it off, I know she has a bright soul and a kind heart."

Masen put down the box he'd been stacking and then sat down on it. He peeled his drenched t-shirt off and used it wipe his face and neck off, and then he focused his blue eyes on his friend. "We're losing something in translation here so start over."

Whit was all too happy to oblige, sliding over a box to sit on in front of him. His own shirt had been thrown aside pretty much the moment he'd set foot on the boat this morning so he used a hand towel he'd shoved into his back pocket earlier to wipe up his sweat. Masen did his best to patiently wait for him to finish but it was pretty damn hard when there were answers to be given. Whit had been talking almost non-stop the whole morning about this woman in his dreams and very little of it had made sense so far.

"Okay, so the first night, it was just a quick dream," Whit began. "Just a flash of a smile and long, dark eyelashes against soft cheeks with the most perfect sun-kissed color. I didn't even really register it, but I also didn't forget it either. The next night, it was a hand wrapped around the edge of a surfboard."

Masen couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Talk about your perfect wet dream. A sexy woman feeling up your surfboard."

"That's what I thought it was at first too, but now … Every night has been more detailed and lasted longer, revealing more about her. I'm telling you, Mase, this is different. I've had her so close I could almost touch her. That perfect complexion with a gorgeous smile, those long, dark lashes, and what looks to be the softest head of dark hair ever gifted to a woman. And the curves! I swear to Christ my hands are going to fit perfectly against every single one of them. But it's not even about that. It's about what she says and does in these dreams that really have me hooked."

Whit must have seen Masen still doubted him because he quickly added to his explanation. "It's more than a series of dreams. I _know_ it is. Just like when we're on the water and you know deep inside when it's safe to get in and when we need to stay on the boat. No matter how crazy we think your call might be initially, in the end we're always glad we listened because your gut instincts have never been wrong. And I'm not wrong about this girl, Mase. She's real and she's going to be mine. I've seen her soul and it's a match to mine."

Masen wasn't sure what to say to that and he was saved from having to figure it out by the ringing of his cellphone. He jumped up and rushed to grab it from the shelf he'd put it on earlier. His mom's name flashed across the screen and he smiled as he answered her call. "Hi, Mom."

"Hey, Kid. How are things going over there?"

"We're almost done. We've got a couple more boxes to load and then we need to lock up both boats."

"I know you boys are usually tired after finishing up but do you think you would both be up for dinner and a movie with Bella and me this afternoon? Lee and Gopher have previous plans with her parents."

He didn't even realize his finger was scratching at his nose as he answered her question. "I was sort of thinking I would take her to the aquarium. You know, to get a reading on her fear level with sharks."

"Right." The way she'd drawn out the word didn't leave him feeling like she trusted his answer. He could picture her leaning against the kitchen counter with a big grin on her face just the way she had a thousand times before when he gave an answer she didn't believe was the complete truth.

"Well since you have plans already," she continued, "I guess I'll go visit Tanya and her sisters."

Masen let out a groan, knowing exactly how that would end. "Try to take it easy on the wine because I'm not going to feel sorry for you if you have a hangover in the morning."

"Yes, you will," she countered, sounding completely sure of herself. "Besides, we aren't going to drink wine tonight."

"Mom, those three always get you to try their wine."

"They've branched out. They've got their first attempt at sangria for me to try."

He snorted laughter. "Try to stay out of jail and call me if you need a ride."

"Can't promise anything on the first but I definitely promise on the second."

"Mom, I'm serious. Please don't add to the scrapbook of mug shots of the four of you."

"You know Dale just takes those for the fun of it. He never _really_ arrests us."

"Only because he wants Kate so damn bad."

"Well with sangria on the menu, he might just get lucky for once."

He sighed and dropped his chin to his chest. "I love you, be as good as you can, call me if you need me."

"Love you too, Kid. Have fun with Bella."

He almost replied with a "definitely" but caught himself and just grunted into the phone instead before closing it and putting it down on the shelf.

"Esme's hanging out with the sisters, huh?" Whit asked from somewhere behind him.

"Yep."

"And you're hanging out with Guppy."

Masen didn't need to turn around to hear the smile in his voice but he did it anyway. "It's work, Whit."

"Yep. Working on your game. 'Bout time too."

Not wanting to dignify that answer with a response, he chose instead to roll his eyes and then get back to work. At the rate they'd been going, they could be done in another hour and he would have the rest of the day at the aquarium since it had just turned eleven.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Are you sure I can't go with you instead?" Bella asked as she followed Esme from the kitchen to the living room. "Your day sounds much more exciting."

Esme laughed as she curled up in the corner of the sofa. "Have you ever been arrested?"

"Well, no but—"

"Your first time is not going to be with me and my goofy gal pals. If you are ever arrested, it should be because you were doing something wild and crazy that you really wanted to do with your own friends."

Bella nodded but it was really just because she didn't know what else to do. _Was that advice or approval?_ She settled on asking a slightly different question. "Has Edward ever been arrested?"

From the way Esme was laughing, Bella felt pretty sure he had and that it was a fun story. "Only once," she finally said, snorting just a little at the end. "He was with Whit in San Francisco. Lee and I were there too, but we weren't with them that particular night. We'd chosen to go to dinner with some of the people we'd met earlier in the day at the Farallon Islands."

Bella found herself leaning in closer to Esme at the mention of the marine sanctuary and research center. She knew from their bios that Edward, Whit, and Lee had gotten their first shark training there.

"Edward and Whit had started the night with us but after a trip to the bar and being approached by two lovely young ladies, they decided to separate from the group. They said they were going to tour the area but let's be honest, they wanted to tour those girls' bodies."

Bella gasped at Esme's matter-of-fact way of speaking about her son and his intentions, which set Esme off on another laughing fit.

"So they never got their tour," Esme continued through her giggles. "The girls turned out to be fickle creatures and left them at a bar for some guys in suits, probably figuring the suits had more money to spend on them. Now the way I've been told the story, it was Edward's idea to head to the strip club for shots, but knowing the boys as well as I do I'm pretty certain it was Whit's idea and Edward couldn't refuse him."

"Why take the blame then?"

Esme looked closely at Bella, as if her question was unnecessary because the answer was self-evident. "Because he's the protector. That's what he does. If he can keep Whit and Lee out of trouble, Edward will do whatever it takes."

"What about Gopher?"

"It's different with Gopher. They're not as close. And in all honesty, Edward feels Gopher looks for trouble most days. But I'm sure at some point he'll come around and the two of them will become close friends."

Once again, Bella found herself nodding simply because she didn't know what else to do.

"What about you?" Esme asked. "Do you have any friends back home that are more like family?"

"A few. Mostly I spend time with my sister Alice. But I have Jacob and Leah and Sam and Emily, too."

"Are they coupled off the way you presented their names?"

Bella smiled at how Esme had picked up on that and then she smiled wider as she thought of how much Jacob and Alice would love Esme. "Yeah. But it wasn't always Leah with Jacob. It was me for just about a year."

"He must have treated you very well if you're still friends."

She shrugged. "Sometimes I think we might have worked. And then I remember how we wanted such different things out of life and how Leah is so much more like him."

"Sometimes our paths only twist together for a short distance before going in opposite directions."

Bella found herself smiling once again. "That sounds like something my uncle would say."

"Have you had the chance to call home much since you arrived?"

"I spoke to my uncle and sister yesterday for a bit and again this morning." Her smile fell and her eyes dropped to her feet resting on the cushion and the pink nail polish Alice had insisted on putting on her toenails. "It's kind of like I forget they're so far away until I'm talking to them. I haven't really been away from them in a long time."

For a moment, all of Bella's worries came back to her about what she was doing and why she was doing it. How could she really want to work around these creatures after the way they'd ruined her childhood? What would her parents think if they knew what she was doing? What would they think of the job she was planning on taking when she got home?

Esme reached across the couch cushion and took Bella hand into hers, giving it a firm squeeze. "Whatever your reason is for being here and for fearing sharks, you can share that with us, Bella."

Bella had a new worry now—what was it about her that was giving away there was something to tell? She'd finally felt accepted last night at dinner and the last thing she wanted was to lose that. It was entirely too soon; they didn't know her enough and they didn't know how much it would devastate her to be treated differently because of her past.

"Thank you for the offer, Esme," she said as she forced a smile onto her face. "But I don't have anything to share right now."

Esme's smile seemed much more real than her own felt and the reassuring pat to her hand eased some of the tension that had crept in with her worries. "Whenever you're ready to tell us, we'll be ready to listen." With her next words, she completely turned the conversation in a new direction. "Let's go raid my closet and figure out what I'm going to wear to my sangria tasting."

Bella laughed as they got up from the couch and headed toward the stairs. "With the chance for trouble in your future, I suggest layers."

"Oh, good point. It _is_ much harder to get naked while drunk when layers are involved."

A loud snort flew out before Bella could stop it. "I was just joking, you know?"

"Me too. Mostly."

Once more, she was laughing and this time it was mixed in with a huge amount of wonder over how a woman who seemed so sweet and carefree could have a son so intense with the ability to constantly make her head-spin. Yeah, sangria and jail sounded a lot safer than another afternoon alone with Edward.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Mom?" Masen called up the stairs.

It took a moment before he heard a door open and then his mother's voice. "Getting dressed, Kid. Did you need something?"

"I'm going jump in the shower. Could you stick around until I get out?"

"I guess I can since it's for you."

He snorted and mumbled "thanks" under his breath.

"Oh, Edward, would you open the backdoor and yell out to Bella that I need her? She took Lizzy out a while ago and hasn't come back in yet."

"Yeah, okay." He quickly padded down the hall and wrenched open the backdoor with every intention of relaying his mother's request. But the words were lodged in his throat, stuck behind a groan that wanted to come out at the sight in front of him.

There for his eyes to feast on in a bright red one-piece swimsuit was Bella running and playing with his dog. She wore a matching cap that hid her face and she had her dark hair pulled out the back and swishing with her every move. The day was clear and bright and it was easy to see the definition in her arms and legs that matched the natural curves of her body perfectly. As he continued to watch her, Masen tried to remember the last time he'd seen a one-piece look sexier than a bikini and couldn't come up with any.

Instead of telling her anything, he quietly closed the door and took a seat on the top step. He knew it was a stupid thing to do since he was already at war with himself where she was concerned and yet he just couldn't help himself. There was something about this girl that drew him.

Lizzy let out a bark and made a leap for Bella who laughed and spun around before starting to run in the opposite direction. Round and round they went while he watched it all from his shady spot on the steps, grinning and shaking his head at how silly the two of them were. Everyone loved Lizzy but no one really gave her attention like he did—like Bella was doing right now.

She suddenly fell over in the sand, laughing and pretending Lizzy's leap had knocked her over. "Good girl. You win. You are such a good girl," she cooed as she hugged the dog to her chest and ruffled the fur behind her ear.

He could tell Bella was sweaty from the way the sand on her skin sparkled in the sunlight and figured Lizzy was going to be just as covered. That led to thoughts of a bath and it wasn't his dog he was imagining soaping up either. Fragile bubbles mixed with thick lines of suds slipping over bare curves with hands all over gently rubbing and smoothing soft skin.

Masen's groan must have been a lot more external than internal because Bella was suddenly looking right at him. "Lizzy, look! It's your Edward. Go get him," she said, extending one shapely arm and pointing at him.

He tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that gripped him at her words and focus instead on the puppy charging up the incline and headed straight for him. She dove for his lap and he just barely managed to catch her, it was a really good thing considering how much it would have hurt if he'd missed in his current state.

"I hope you don't mind," Bella said, suddenly standing right beside him. He took in her timid smile first and then the small patch of sand on her neck. His fingers twitched with need, wanting so badly to touch her and brush the sand away for her skin.

"I was just going to take her out for her to do her business …" Bella continued, "… but it was such a nice day that I thought it would be fun to let her play around. I'll bathe her if you want."

_And there are those imagines of soap and water again_, he thought as he scrambled for a quick way to get Bella away from him that didn't involve him revealing the state of utter turmoil he was in at that moment. "Thanks, but she doesn't really let anyone other than me bathe her. Besides, my mom was looking for you." _There_, he thought. _Perfect reason for her to go inside and it's the truth_.

"Do you think you could get me a towel? I'd like to brush off really quick so I don't track sand all through the house." She said this as she swept the side of her hand against her skin, traveling across her chest and going from one shoulder to the other.

Masen kept his expression neutral and his voice even, never giving away that there was a voice inside of him screaming to be that hand on her skin. "Uh, it would probably be easiest if you just duck into my bathroom. It's the first door on the right. I've gotta ruffle Lizzy's fur up and sweep some of the sand out of it before I can take her in."

"Okay, thanks, Edward. I promise not to leave a mess in your bathroom." She climbed the stairs and went inside, closing the backdoor behind her with a soft click.

He let out a sigh of relief at having her gone but just as quickly spit out a curse for having sent her into his bathroom. Now he was going to be stuck sitting here until she got out of there; he seriously doubted there was any mental image he could conjure up to combat the soapy one that had caused the problem with his board shorts that prevented him from going inside.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for Bella to signal she was done by knocking on the glass pane of the backdoor. Unfortunately, she seemed to be dressed in only one of his towels because he couldn't see the straps of her bathing suit. He forced a smile and gave a polite wave and then pretended to see a few more spots of sand to brush away. Once he was sure Bella was far away from him and the backdoor, he darted inside and into his bathroom, all the while cursing his behavior and the voice in his head sharing what Whit's thoughts would be about all this.

Masen had a lot of time to think while he bathed Lizzy and got her mostly dried off before it became impossible to hold on to her wiggling body. What he came up with in all that time was that pretending he wasn't attracted to Bella wasn't working at all and it was time to try something new. He obviously couldn't do anything about the attraction but maybe if he stopped pretending it didn't exist at all then it would be easier to ignore it. Despite Whit's assertion that it wouldn't be a bad thing to pursue Bella, he couldn't get past the fact that it would be a risk to MMR—a risk he couldn't bring himself to take. So he would just ignore any non-professional feelings; just as soon as he had his shower and enjoyed those soapy images before getting rid of them.

No sooner than he'd finished his shower and dashed across the hall into his room, someone was knocking on his bedroom door. "Edward?" Esme called out.

"Just a sec." He grabbed the first pair of shorts he could find and yanked them up his legs and over his hips.

"Thanks for sticking around," he said as he opened his door and let her in.

"Sure, Kid. What do you need?"

"I just wanted your opinion on this trip to the aquarium. I was thinking of having Noelle let us in behind the scenes."

"Hmmnn," she said as she sat down on his bed. "I can see both the pros and cons of that but I really don't think we know enough yet about what exactly Bella's fear of sharks is all about to make that decision. My suggestion to you would be to tour the aquarium like any other visitor until and unless you find out what the issue is for Bella."

"I could just ask her."

"You could but I don't think she's comfortable enough yet to just come right out and say it. Why not try asking leading questions as you two walk the grounds?"

He sighed and pulled on the ends of the towel resting against his neck.

"Edward, you knew this wasn't going to be easy. It was part of the reason we selected Bella. We could have easily gotten someone who appreciates sharks the way we do but there would have been no challenge in that, no chance to grow and learn as individuals and as a company."

"Yeah, I know. I just want this whole intern experience to go well and be good on both sides."

She came to stand in front of him, taking his face between her hands. "Take your time, think before you speak, and proceed with caution. You do those three things and I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, Kid. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some sangria to imbibe."

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Have fun and be safe."

"Same goes to you." She gave his cheek a soft pat and then left him to dress.

He ended up settling on a pair of dark green cargo pants with a black v-neck shirt and his favorite pair of black Sketchers with white trim. He set his sunglasses on his head for now, filled his pockets with his wallet, phone, and keys, and left his room to search for Bella and Lizzy.

He found his dog stretched out on the kitchen floor, napping in a stream of sunlight coming in through the window. He left her to it while filling her bowls with food and water since he wasn't sure what time he'd be back tonight.

He came out of the kitchen at the same time Bella was coming down the stairs and shoving a short black leather book into her bag. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"If you are," she said, giving a half-hearted shrug.

"It'll be fun. The Maui Ocean Center is a great aquarium with lots of marine life to see."

"I thought you were only interested in one type."

"Not at all. We try to learn as much about all types of marine life as we can. We just happen to be focusing on sharks right now because they need it the most." He got the sense that he hadn't really put her at ease so he added, "We'll keep the main shark exhibit as the last on the list to see."

That seemed to help some because she gave him a small smile and finally came down off the last step. He felt pretty pleased with himself for easing her worries as he led her out of the house and over to the car, so pleased in fact that he didn't even notice what she was wearing until they got out of the car at the ocean center. His initial thought wasn't a thought at all really, just a litany of curses. It was followed by the idea that she was doing it on purpose to see if she could make him literally swallow his tongue. But then he realized how oblivious she was to his blatant staring and knew she had no clue she was killing him with her outfit.

The first thing his eyes were drawn to was the sliver of golden skin visible between the bottom of her shirt and the top of her shorts. He tried to lift his eyes higher but they refused to go anywhere other than toward the pair of jean shorts with the paint splatter pattern too perfect to be natural. They fit her perfectly, starting right at the widest parts of her hips and then hugging her toned upper thighs. They created the illusion that her legs were longer than they really were and he followed those legs all the way down to the gray Nike shoes with the pink check that covered her feet.

He was finally able to force his eyes up but all that did was put him staring at her bare neck since she'd pulled her hair up into a ponytail. The cropped white shirt she was wearing had a scoop neck, letting his eyes go from her neck to her collarbones, all places his fingers and lips had become intimately acquainted with two nights ago when this crazy attraction to her had first started.

"What are you staring at?" Bella asked.

Masen tried to squash down the guilt he felt over being caught while also trying to read her expression. He found it damn difficult to do when her eyes were hidden behind her sunglasses. "I was just looking at your shirt," was the response he eventually settled on.

She tugged at a corner of it, pulling it away from her body and revealing even more skin to his hungry eyes—eyes now hidden behind his own pair of sunglasses. He knew there was no way in hell they were blue right now.

"I found it at one of the chain mall stores back home," she explained. "I like the way the word 'Love' is repeated along the gray stripes. And I like how the word makes me think of different things each time I see it. Like when I saw it today, I thought of how much I love being on the beach with the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing."

She lifted her head and though her expression was still unreadable, he felt certain she didn't completely believe the shirt was the only thing he'd been looking at. Her question to him only confirmed that suspicion. "What did you think of when you saw it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just that it was a nice shirt. Reminds me of one Lee has with hearts or stars or something on it." He also made sure to change the subject. "So one of the things I like about the ocean center is that in addition to giving the basic information on the hundreds of marine life living here, they also give you the Hawaiian name of each. Like my favorite invertebrate is the anemone hermit crab, which is also called unauna."

"Why is that one your favorite?" Bella asked as they entered the ocean center.

"Hermit crabs are always fighting for empty shells to live in. They use tug-of-war and audio warfare to win the shells."

"Audio warfare?" she interrupted with a loud snort.

Masen grinned, excited to finally share some of his marine knowledge with her. "It's like this … If a hermit crab sees a shell he likes better than the one he has, he'll go up to it and knock on it with his shell until the owner of the shell he wants can't stand the sound any longer and moves out. Then he sets up residence in his new shell and leaves the old one for whoever wants it.

"Now the anemone hermit crab tries to prevent the possibility of audio warfare. He carries an anemone wrapped around his mobile home. They provide additional camouflage and they're venomous to most predators so they're a great line of defense against hostile takeovers from other crabs and snack-time from predators. For providing protection, the anemone gets free travel and food scraps from the crab. It's a perfect symbiotic relationship."

"That is probably the most imaginative description I've ever heard for a hermit crab. That's really good, Edward."

He chuckled, wondering if she'd really expected anything less from him. "What about you? Do you have a favorite invertebrate?"

There was no hesitation on her part. "Tiger cowry."

"Leho-kiko. One of the most beautiful types of mollusk in the world."

"Did you know that they're like snowflakes? They're all white shells with dark, leopard-like spots, but no two shell patterns are alike."

"I did know that," he said with a nod. "Did you know they were once used as currency?"

Bella gave out a happy laugh. "Of course I know. They're my favorite. Actually, they were a favorite to a lot of people. They've been found in prehistoric England, ancient China, pre-dynastic Egypt, Saxon Germany, and parts of Africa."

"Alright then," he said, grinning at her. "You know your favorite marine life pretty well, Guppy. Let's go find out what you know about the ones that aren't your favorite."

They started with the Living Reef Exhibit where they saw both of their favorite invertebrates, along with the Flame Angelfish that had been mentioned during breakfast yesterday when they'd been discussing nicknames for Bella. She was impressed by the little fish but also joked that it looked nothing like her. Her favorite new discovery was the orange frog fish or humaumau. She even admitted that she'd thought the fish with the pole on its head was just a made-up creature from _Finding Nemo_.

From there, they went on to the Turtle Lagoon where she was able to touch the shell of a green sea turtle that had surfaced right next to her. "What's the name for the turtle?" Bella asked as she dried her hand on her shorts.

"Honu."

"Do you actually speak Hawaiian? Or do you just know certain words?"

"I can understand some of it if the person is speaking slowly and I can speak the basics to get what I need, but I never was very good at taking it on as a second language. One of the few things I was never able to master."

"So you gave up on it?"

"No, not completely. I just know it's not something I will ever be fluent in. That doesn't mean I gave up on it and don't still try to pick up new words. I just don't throw a lot of focus into it. In order for you to do anything well in life, you have to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. My strengths don't include languages and that's fine. That's an area that Lee is strong in. Just like she's not so great at editing photographs while that's something I'm good at and enjoy."

Bella only nodded in response but Masen had a feeling that had more to do with her noticing the sign for the new exhibit they'd arrived at. "What do you know about hammerheads, Bella?" he asked as they walked up to the viewing window.

She shrugged. "Their eyes are set really far apart."

"The mano kihikihi have a lot of secrets still, just like the great whites. It's assumed the odd shape of their head allows for increased sensory abilities and easier navigation but nobody knows for sure yet. Another thing that really has marine biologists baffled is the fact that they're the only large shark to gather in schools."

"I thought schooling was for smaller fish to protect themselves. You know, safety in numbers. What are they afraid of?" she asked, jerking a thumb toward the glass window.

"Nobody knows yet. They think it serves some kind of social purpose, like maybe it's a part of their mating. But since so little is known about shark mating habits at this point, it's all just speculation."

"How dangerous are they to people?"

"They're not considered an aggressive shark but any creature that large should be considered potentially dangerous."

She looked up at him with widened eyes. "Dangerous? You really used that word?"

He chuckled at how much he'd shocked her. "We're passionate about sharks but that doesn't mean we don't see the danger in them. If anything, it makes us more aware of it. We know when to be in the water and when not to."

She didn't say anything but she did face the window head-on for the first time. He also noticed the way she was twisting her watch around her wrist while she studied the three types of hammerheads swimming around the exhibit. He wondered once again what had caused her fear. There were more than enough cheesy horror movies to have done it, starting with any of the _Jaws_ movies. There were also plenty of books, especially since he pegged her for more of a reader than a movie watcher.

Before taking her to the enclosure housing the sharks they'd most likely encounter on their journey, he let her wander around the interactive displays that educated visitors on the humpback whales. It seemed that Bella didn't need any educating since this was another of her favorite marine animals and she practically recited their entire history, only leaving their Hawaiian name for him to add to the conversation. It was not only impressive to see how knowledgeable she was, but to hear how eloquently she shared that knowledge. She didn't come off as someone reciting a science book but she also didn't make a joke of it either. She balanced interesting information with scientific facts in a way that kept him from being bored; he was definitely going to have her teach him how to do that.

But first, he was going to take her through the Open Ocean exhibit, a clear fifty-four foot acrylic tunnel that offered stunning views of spotted eagle rays, tiger sharks, grey reef sharks, and many other species of large marine life. The first thing he noticed when they entered the exhibit was how much closer she got to him, her arm touching his with every step they took. The second thing he noticed was that while she had removed her glasses just like he had, she was only looking out of the side of her eyes at the fish swimming around them. The last thing to catch his eye was her hand twisting her watch once again.

He walked with her until they were about a third of the way in before stopping her and trying again to ease her worries. Taking her by the shoulders, he pulled her in front of him and faced her toward the acrylic wall. "Look, there's a spotted eagle ray," he pointed out, picking what he figured would be the least threatening fish in the exhibit. "The Hawaiians call it hihimanu."

The only sign that she was listening was the way her eyes tracked the ray up and over the small coral wall in front of them.

"What do you know about eagle rays?" he asked, trying to distract her from her fear.

"They're not a stingray."

"Good. What else?" he encouraged. He was still holding onto her shoulders and his thumbs had started to rub the soft skin at the base of her neck. He told himself it was for her comfort but deep down he didn't really believe that was the only reason.

"They're not a stingray because they don't have a venomous spine at the tail base. They have a long whip-like tail instead. They like eating crabs, shrimp, snails, and squid like other rays. They also have a long wingspan and are covered with white spots on the top and dark spots at the edges on the underside of their wings."

"Very good," he said sincerely. He lifted one hand from her shoulder and used it to point out a white-tip reef shark to her. "That little shark right there with the white tip on its dorsal fin, that's one of the only sharks that doesn't have to be constantly moving to breathe. They can stay almost completely still until they're ready to move. They like to eat reef fish, octopus, crabs, and lobsters and like to live in caves and along ledges."

"What's their other name?" She had asked the question so quietly that he almost didn't hear it over the laughing children and chattering adults surrounding them.

"Mano lalakea. People see them a lot when they go scuba diving near the caves around Maui. They're not aggressive at all but it's still best to be cautious. A lot of marine life will bite when scared, especially fish whose biggest weapon against predators is their teeth."

His comment about teeth sent a shiver through her but it was the large cruising tiger shark suddenly appearing in front of them that had her stepping away from the window and into his chest. "Relax, Guppy. We're just checking out the local marine life under safe, controlled circumstances. There's nothing for you to be worried about or afraid of here."

They moved a little further into the exhibit with him pointing out the fish he knew and asking questions about the ones he figured she would know about it. It even seemed like she was starting to finally relax since she was asking a few questions of her own.

And then it quickly all went south, starting with her stepping all over his feet in her attempt to back away from the window. It also included a scream he had seen coming and had just barely stopped. He smiled at the people around them while keeping Bella tucked into his side with a firm hand over her mouth.

He decided to walk her back toward the entrance since it was the quickest way out of the tunnel, all the while trying to calm her with his words. "Whatever freaked you out is outside of this tunnel. You need to calm down before you scare the kids in here and their parents and start a panic."

She struggled and managed to pull his fingers down enough to speak. "But that diver's in trouble, Edward. That _thing_ is going to bite him."

"Stop," he hissed while recovering her mouth. "You can't just say things like that in here, Bella. You'll panic people, especially the kids. And over nothing. They do those dives all day long every day and the sharks never hurt the divers."

He kept her mouth covered until they were out of the tunnel and had gone all the way past the exit to the lawn area where a few benches were scattered. He didn't head for the benches, though, taking her to stand behind one of the trees instead in case she wasn't done with her freak out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed once he'd let her go. Not even the wetness of her eyes or the way her body shook with each breath she took calmed his anger down. She had nearly incited a panic in there and didn't seem to grasp that at all.

"That monster was going to bite that diver. Didn't you see it open its mouth right next to his leg?" Her lower lip quivered as she softly added, "What if it already has?"

"If it had, you'd have heard about it by now. The only one attempting to do any screaming was _you_. How can you have spent all that time working with the public at Sea World and not know that screaming in a crowded place like that will set off a hysterical chain-reaction? Not to mention that it would freak out kids who otherwise wouldn't have been scared of sharks."

"They're unpredictable, especially around humans. Everyone says that. So you don't know for sure that it won't bite that diver."

"You're right. I don't know for sure. But what I do know for sure is that every precaution known to man is taken to ensure the safety of the divers. I know there has not been an accident yet. And I know sharks don't attack just to attack the way you seem to think they do."

"You don't know anything about what I think."

"I know I did everything I could to ease whatever stupid fear you have about sharks and it didn't do a damn bit of good with you. I'm warning you right now, you pull shit like that on my boat, and you are gone. No excuses and no second chances. Is that clear?"

The color drained from Bella's face, leaving her skin a sickly gray. She tried to lift her hands to her face but her knees seemed to give out because she stumbled and had to hold her arms out to catch herself. Masen reached out to steady her but she was already turning away and stumbling toward the restrooms.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella's fingers shook so badly it took three tries before she was able to slide the bolt on the stall door. She couldn't catch her breathe or stop the shivers wracking her body as she leaned against the wall with clenched shut eyes and trembling lips. The word "control" was a litany in her head as she tried to focus on slowing her breathing to stop the hyperventilating. But having her eyes closed only made things worse since she kept seeing the gaping mouth full of razor sharp teeth right next to that diver's leg.

Her eyes shot open and a huge sobbing gasp ripped through her chest, leaving her lungs burning and her eyes stinging with unshed tears. He'd called her fear "stupid". She knew if she went out there right now and told him the source of her "stupid" fear, he'd apologize and realize he was being a complete jackass. But that was exactly why she hadn't told anyone yet. They would hear the story, they would pity her, and then they would treat her differently. They wouldn't push her the way she needed to be pushed—not the "shove it down her throat until she breaks" approach Edward had decided to take with her, but an encouraging, honest push toward creating a new relationship with sharks.

She shook her head, trying to shake loose the images of shark teeth and the sound-loop of Edward calling her fear "stupid". It didn't work. In fact, it seemed to make her feel even more panicked. She needed someone who knew, someone who understood every fear, every pain, and every haunting memory. She fumbled her phone from her pocket and was thankful she only had to hit one button to make the call—just as soon as she could get any one of her fingers to stop trembling long enough to hit the right one button.

"Carlisle Cullen," her uncle answered. She knew he only answered that way when he was busy and not paying attention to his screen but she couldn't help interrupting him. She needed him; he was the only one who would understand.

"Uncle Carl," came out of her as a choked sob.

His words weren't directed at her but that was alright. "I'm going to need a few minutes here. I'll let you know when I'm done."

She could hear murmuring and shuffling on the other end and then a door closing. It was followed by her uncle's voice, sounding both strong and concerned. "What's wrong, Sweetheart?"

The speed of the words spewing forth from her quivering mouth was nearly in time with the frantic beating of her heart. "All I could see were teeth and they were right next to this man's leg and it was that day all over again and I couldn't help it. He's so mad at me and I don't even blame him. This was all my fault. They're monsters to me and they probably always will be and me being here is just a complication. I've ruined his program and I don't care for him because he called my fear _stupid_. I care for Esme and Whit and Gopher and even Lee."

"Bella, I need you to slow down and start at the beginning. I'm going to help you, but I first need to know what happened."

"I can't."

"You can." His voice was so firm and sure that she didn't argue with him. "Do you have a place where you can sit?" he questioned.

She looked at the toilet seat in front of her but there was no lid and no tank on back. "No."

"That's okay. We'll just do it standing instead. I want you to close your eyes and picture the gazebo in our backyard."

"I can't close them," she wailed. "I'll just see teeth again."

"Bella, trust me. Close your eyes and listen to the sound of my voice in your ear. The only thing you see is the gazebo out back. Its bright white frame and the cushion covered seats going all around. You can see the potato vine flowers encircling the beams. Do you remember why you and Alice chose those flowers?"

"They look like stars," she whispered, absently wiping away a few escaped tears.

"That's right, Bug. Perfect white stars with yellow centers. I want you to think of yourself sitting in the gazebo with a book in your hands and Alice doing pirouettes to that techno music she loves."

Bella snorted a little, always having found it insanely funny that her sister would perform classical ballet moves to such modern music.

"There you go. I can tell you have it pictured, Bug. Now I want you to add me into the image. I'm right there with you girls, watching over you both and making sure you're on the right path. And, Bella, you are on the right path. I know it's a scary one and that you won't always succeed while walking it, but I also know of your strength and resilience. You _can_ do this, Bella. More importantly, I know you _want_ to do it."

The shivers had finally stopped and although her breathing was still a little shaky, Bella finally felt in control of herself again and it allowed her to explain everything that had happened, starting from the hammerhead exhibit and ending with Edward's angry words to her.

Her uncle took a minute to think over all she had shared before speaking. "I do feel his reaction was a bit over-the-top, but at the same time, he also doesn't know your history with these creatures. I know when we initially discussed things it seemed best to keep that quiet until you'd proven yourself a valuable addition to the team, but maybe we were wrong about that. Perhaps it would be best for everyone, especially for you, if you told them."

"If I tell him now, I'll get a pity apology and ridiculously easy assignments. Or worse, he'll decide I have no business being here and he'll send me home."

"Do you think you should be there?"

"I honestly don't know," she said, using her free hand to pull the holder out of her hair to let it fall over her shoulders. She curled a finger around the end of one lock as she thought about her options. "On one hand, I freaked out today and that's something that absolutely can't happen on the boat. Lives would be at risk and I already like these people so much. On the other, I freaked out because I wasn't expecting divers. I wasn't expecting a person to be anywhere near a shark. I'm always better when I know what to expect and I know they will be in the water with sharks all the time. And plus, I really wanna do it now just to rub it in his stupid face that I can handle this."

Bella let out a breath and reigned in her mix of fear and anger. "Sorry. I don't really mean that last part."

"I know you don't, Bug. You're just feeling overwhelmed at the moment. You need a cool head and a quiet place to sit and reflect so you can make a choice out of what you feel is truly best for you, not out of fear or anger."

"But I'm still at the ocean center and I really don't think I can deal with facing Edward right now."

"Have you made friends with any of the other team members? Someone you could call to pick you up?"

"Whit would do it."

"Then that's what you should do. Let Edward know you will find your own way home. Do your best to be polite about it, Isabella. You both had strong reactions to what happened and need to tread lightly with each other, especially until you make a decision about if you want to proceed with the internship."

She nodded, completely forgetting he couldn't see it. "I'm sorry I interrupted you. It's just I knew you would understand. I can tell you I feel terrified and embarrassed and more than a little ashamed and you'll understand all of that. And you'll help me put it into perspective too."

"You have a right to your fears, Bella. You went through a horrific ordeal and you have struggled every day since to put it behind you. I know sometimes it may feel like you've used up all of your strength and courage, but I promise you that you haven't."

"I just don't want to disappoint anyone, myself included."

"I have complete confidence that you won't disappoint at all. In fact, I think you're going to surprise yourself with how well you do this summer. Just know that if you decide not to stay, I won't be disappointed in you. For you, yes. But never in you."

"I love you, Uncle Carlisle. So much."

"I love you too, Bug. Now I want you to hang up with me and call this Whit friend of yours for a ride. Okay?"

"Okay. And thank you."

"Anything for you, Sweetheart. Call me once you've made your choice."

"I will. And … Could you please give Alice a really big hug from me and have her do the same for you?"

"Absolutely."

After one more exchange of "I love you", Bella ended the call with her uncle. She scrolled through her contacts until she found the number Whit had programmed into her phone and after a few minutes of talking to him, it was agreed he would pick her up and bring her back to the house.

Since she didn't have Edward's number, she had to go outside to face him. She put away her phone and turned to face the bolt, then just stared at it while taking deep even breaths. She knew what she had to do and could even hear Alice in her head saying the words … _Pull up your big girl panties and face it head on_.

She finally pulled the bolt back and came out of the stall, determined to say what she needed to say and leave without causing any more friction. She didn't even realize she was twisting her watch around her wrist the entire time she walked from the restroom to the large tree he was leaning against. His legs and arms were crossed, his chin was tipped toward his chest, and an angry scowl covered his face, making him look like he was angry at his shoes.

She had embarrassed him; she knew that and knew she needed to apologize for it. But right now didn't seem like the best time. And honestly, she really wanted the chance to explain herself before giving that apology and she felt certain he wasn't ready to hear it.

"I've called Whit to pick me up. I think it would be best if you and I went our separate ways," she told him.

"Is that permanent or just for today?"

She felt awkward standing there with a mix of guilt and fear in her stomach while he was positioned so tensely. This could have been a great afternoon of learning for both of them but that _thing_ had messed it all up. "I don't know."

He nodded his head slowly. "You know you only have until five tomorrow morning to figure it out?"

"I didn't expect this to happen. I really wish it had gone differently."

"Well that makes two of us." He pushed up from the tree and walked right past her without another word or even a glance behind him.

She could see the top of his head as he wove his way through the crowd and then he turned a corner and was gone. It felt so permanent for some reason and it made that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach intensify. She realized in that moment his opinion of her really mattered and that it would be a large factor in whether she stayed or not. How was that possible? How could someone she'd only known for a day and a half already matter so much to her? Especially someone who had been so hot and cold from the first moment they'd laid eyes on each other.

The feeling of her phone vibrating in her pocket jerked her out of her thoughts and she found a text message from Whit telling her he was there and waiting. She hurried toward the exit and when she finally made it outside, she found him standing next to an expensive looking motorcycle and offering her a helmet. It had yellow and black swirls that matched the color of the bike and the second helmet sitting on it.

She thought he would ask about why he was here to get her but he didn't. "Ever ride before?"

"A lot with my friend Jacob but it's been a few months."

"You just hold tight to me and it'll be fine," he said as he helped her get the helmet on. He gave her a smile while closing the visor for her and then put on his own helmet before straddling the bike. Bella got on behind him and wrapped her arms around him as far as they would go, then clenched his vest tightly in her hands.

He didn't take her straight home but he also didn't take her anywhere to try to talk to her. He just rode her around and let her take in the scenery as if he knew she needed that quiet distraction. He didn't drop her off in front of the house until the sun had started to set on the water.

"Thanks, Whit," she said as she handed the extra helmet to him.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. Probably won't sleep much tonight, but I'll be okay."

"Whatever happened today, if you want to tell me about it I'm not going to take sides."

She smiled as she leaned in and gave him a grateful kiss on his cheek. "Thanks but I think you would in this case. Besides, I don't think talking about what happened is going to help anything. I'm just going to take a walk on the beach and figure things out."

"Alright. But if you change your mind, I'm only a phone call away."

"Thanks, Whit. I hope that no matter what I decide, you'll still be my friend."

He gave her a grin that she was unable to resist giving right back. "Guppy, you ain't never getting rid of me."

"Thanks, Whit," she said, giving him the tightest hug she could manage.

She was almost to the path that led around the house and down to the beach before he called out to her. "Yeah?" she questioned, turning around to see him.

"Being brave doesn't mean you're not afraid. It just means you won't let it stop you."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Better," he said, grinning once again. "I live it every day." His face disappeared beneath his helmet and then he started up his bike and was gone, leaving her with a head full of thoughts and one very big decision to make.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella had walked up and down the stretch of beach so many times that she knew exactly how many steps it took to get from the small group of rocks she considered her starting point to the little dune where she stopped and turned back around. The sun was long gone and there was only a crescent of a moon to light her way but the night was so clear that she had no trouble seeing in the dark. Her only trouble was in coming to a decision.

She'd weighed all of the pros against all of the cons at least two dozen times and she felt no closer to a solution than when she'd first kicked off her shoes and buried her toes in the warm sand. The sand was cool now and so was the air but she barely noticed through the swirl of thoughts and emotions that kept her pacing along the beach.

She reached the rocks again and with a frustrated sigh sank down into the sand to give her tired feet a rest. With her legs stretched out in front of her, she leaned back on her hands and tilted her face up to the sky, focusing on the brightness of the stars above her and the evenness of her breathing to center herself.

She felt him before she ever saw him; she also felt glad he was there despite her worry that he'd only come to yell at her more. Edward sat down next to her and passed her a sweater. "It's Esme's so it should fit."

"Thank you." She started to put it on and was surprised when he reached over to help her. She thanked him again and then silence descended over them.

Bella was surprised that the silence wasn't crushing. It was by no means comfortable with all the said and unsaid things sitting between them, but she also didn't feel an urge to talk and disrupt it. It felt like they were both taking time to think before speaking.

Edward was the first to move, sending his hands into his hair to ruffle it while letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you the way I did, especially since I was angrier with myself than with you. I thought your fear was just from a movie or a book and that it would be easy to help you past it. I realize now that it's something deeper, something a lot more personal.

"I'm not asking to know what it is. At least not right now. But I do need to know where the line is with you so I can gauge when you need space and when you need a push. I still believe I can show you a side of sharks you don't think exists. And I believe there are things I can learn from you. But it's not going to be easy on either side. All I need to know right now is if you want to put forth the effort. If not, I get it and I'll be sorry to see you go. But if you do, then stick around and tell me where the line is with you."

She wasn't sure what shocked her more, the apology or the calm way he was speaking to her. This was not the Edward that had been under the tree with her, yelling and saying the one thing that had made it impossible to hold herself together. This man was calm and professional and cared about whether or not she stayed.

"I'm sorry too," she said, turning her face toward his. "I wish I could give you a list to go by to know what I'm okay with and what's too much but I can't. It was too much today but that doesn't mean it will be that way if I go back tomorrow."

"What was it about today that set you off?"

She lowered her eyes to her feet, focusing on digging her heels deeper into the sand. "The teeth. It had its mouth open so wide and those teeth …" She visibly shivered and he shocked her again, this time by putting his arm around her. "Edward, I'm not some kid afraid of the boogeyman. I don't have a sticker on me that says 'fragile-handle with care'. I'm just someone who fails to control my fear sometimes. If I'd known ahead of time to expect a person next to it, then I really believe I would have been able to keep control."

"If I thought you were a kid or fragile, I wouldn't want you to stick around. It would be a danger to you and my team. I honestly think we can deal with your fear but you have to give me an idea of how big and deep it is if you want us to work together."

"I know I can't get in the water at all right now. I get extremely anxious whenever I know I'll be around them but I can usually control that. I don't know how I'll react to seeing one of you in the water at the same time as one of them. But I can promise I'll try my absolute hardest to control my reaction."

"So we'll start you off watching videos of us in the water. Once you're comfortable with that, we'll have you come up on deck with us. We'll just take it slow and take precautions for you and us."

She shook her head while pulling away and sitting up straight. "The last thing I want to do is jeopardize your research so if this is going to put me in the way—"

He cut her off by bumping his shoulder against hers. "Shut up while you're ahead, Guppy," he said with a grin that made her feel warm all the way through. He meant what he was saying and wanted her to stay even though she wasn't completely sure she should. How could he be the same man who had been so furious with her earlier today? It just didn't make any sense—not that much had with him so far.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen could tell from the way Bella's brown eyes kept shifting as she stared at him that she was uncertain of what to make of his apology and his offer for her to stay. In all honesty, he wasn't so sure himself. It just felt important to him that she stay and not give up before they'd even really gotten started. He'd misjudged her today but now that he knew it, he could take steps to keep it from happening again.

She turned her head away and then she set it against his shoulder, just sitting there without saying anything. He wasn't sure if that was acceptance of his offer to stay or not and didn't really want to find out just yet. He'd already discovered enough things today and wouldn't mind at all if she wanted to sleep on it before making her choice known.

Whether he liked it or not, or wanted it or not, he cared about her. He cared enough to have stuck around at the ocean center until he'd seen Whit arrive with his own eyes, wanting to make sure she would be alright even when he'd been angry.

Seeing Whit touch her hair and move it off her shoulders to put the helmet on … That had twisted something inside of Masen, something that had never twisted before. Watching her put her arms around his best friend and ride away with him had been just as bad, leaving him with a bad taste in his mouth as if he'd sucked on a copper penny. The whole thing had felt wrong to him.

It had also made him realize something … She could be Whit's dream girl. So many of the things he'd said about the girl applied to Bella but he didn't seem to realize that. He never would have suggested for Masen to go after her if he had. But just because he didn't see it yet didn't mean it would take him long. And then what? Given the choice between the two of them, there was no reason in the world for her to choose him over his friend. The only thing that gave him any hope at all of her caring about him was the fact that she was with him right now. After the way he'd treated her today, she had every reason to want to be as far away from him as she could get.

Bella adjusted her head against his arm and he gave in to his overwhelming need to have his arm around her. He'd spent the afternoon analyzing every second of their time at the aquarium to pinpoint exactly where things had gone so wrong for them. While he'd found that moment, he'd also found plenty where things had felt so effortless with her. He hadn't had to force himself to pay attention to her like he had when he'd been with other women, even Lee. Even if they weren't boring or they had things in common, his mind had still focused on the next project or research mission. With Bella, he didn't have to do a thing to stay in the moment; she held his attention all on her own.

He cared for her and that was both amazingly simple and extraordinarily complicated. Not only did he have to worry for MMR but he was also going to need to look out for Whit. If she was his dream girl … Masen didn't want to think about that right now. There would be plenty of time for it tomorrow when he pulled his friend aside to talk about it—hopefully after he talked Bella into staying.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait! Real Life is being more intrusive than usual lately. Big thanks to EternallyAddicted - She created a wonderful polyvore of the outfits Masen and Guppy wear to the ocean center in this chapter & you can see it on the Masen Marine Blog! Also thanks to Noelle for her help with location - we always try to keep things as realistic as possible but this time we took a liberty to further the story. We made it possible for Masen & Whit to drive to the OC when that's not possible in reality. And an even bigger thanks to anonymouslysufferingfromOCD for helping us tweak a few bits and get this chapter in tip-top shape, just like Masen's beloved boat! We hope you all enjoy!


	7. 7 To Be Or Not

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 7 – To Be or Not To Be**

**Saturday, May 31st**

Masen snorted at the sight of his mom leading Irina around the couch in some kind of twirling dance. What made it even funnier to him was he knew she wasn't drunk. He could see in the brightness of her eyes and hear in the quality of her laugh that she was high on life and nothing more. That would make their impending conversation both easier and harder. Easier because she would be able to understand what he was saying and harder for that exact same reason.

"Masen, you look more scrumptious every single time I see you," Tanya greeted as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Tanya. You look great as always."

"If Esme wasn't your mother," she warned, just like she did every time they saw each other.

He only nodded, just like he always did. Some things were better left without comment.

"Don't be nice to him." Kate was pouting from her prone position on the couch; a half filled glass of what he guessed was sangria rested on her chest. "He's taking our Esme away for the summer."

"Hey, she was mine before she was ever yours," he said as he winked at her, knowing it would make her laugh. This too was a tradition, though this one was annual and not every single time he saw Kate.

Esme twirled her way over to him and wrapped both of her arms around one of his. "Do I have the best kid or what? He could be doing anything right now and he comes here to hang out with his mom."

"As much as he adores you, Esme, I'm pretty sure he came for the sangria first and you second," Irina replied with a laugh.

Esme's lips were curled into a smirk when she looked up at him. "That true, Kid? You come for the sangria?"

"I came because you called and asked me for a ride home since your cohorts are too _tired_ to drive."

"Oh, fine. Just spoil the mystery and surprise for everyone," Kate called out from behind her now nearly empty glass.

"Mom, we should go before Kate gets surly and starts throwing things at me like last year," he warned.

Kate suddenly picked up a remote control and he stepped back, wanting room to duck if she threw it. "You better bring her back safe and sound," she demanded.

"Ladies, thank you for another lovely evening but I need to get my kid out of here before he gets pelted with objects," Esme said as she hugged Tanya and then Irina goodbye. "I'll give you girls a call as soon as we get back at the end of August."

"For it was in your smile I knew happiness and in your absence I knew sorrow!" Kate bellowed, swinging the remote around.

"Make sure you give her a couple aspirin and a lot of water before she calls it a night," Esme said once she was standing on the porch with only Tanya and Masen.

"We'll take good care of her and her hangover," Tanya promised.

After another hug and some whispered words he didn't catch, his mom was finally ready to leave her friends. Of course, the first thing she did was ask him how the aquarium visit had gone with Bella.

"It didn't go the way I'd expected. And before you start in, I've already fixed things."

"I know that tone, Edward. And I know it means this is going to be a long ride home so get started," she said, shifting in her seat to face him.

"When we first got to the aquarium, everything was fine. We started off at the reef exhibit and talked about our favorite invertebrates. Bella is really amazing at sharing what she knows in a way that keeps you interested. You were right about that and I'll be able to learn a lot from her."

"But?"

"The but is coming, just not yet." He took a deep breath before continuing, telling himself he needed the oxygen when all he was really doing was prolonging the inevitable—his mother was going to be disappointed in him. Though this time, he wondered if hers would come close to matching his own.

"So then we went to the hammerhead exhibit and I could see she was nervous," he continued. "She wouldn't look through the window and she kept twisting that too-big watch she wears everywhere. So I started telling her some of the interesting things marine biologists have discovered about them and she started to loosen up. She even started asking questions and was watching the sharks move around.

"We went to the interactive display next and I got to listen to everything she knows about humpback whales. Which is a lot by the way. She seemed perfectly fine. So I took her to the tunnel. I could see right away she wasn't really comfortable but I thought it would pass the way it had with the hammerheads. And for a while, it seemed like I was right.

"But then one of the tiger sharks got too close to a diver and she completely flipped out." He ran a hand through his hair and stole a quick glance at his mother. She had the perfect poker face on right now, waiting to hear the rest of the story because she always knew when there was more.

"And then I flipped out," he admitted. "I was mad at me and mad at her and my adrenaline was pumping because she nearly screamed and started a panic. I just … I handled it all wrong. And I told her that and I apologized for it."

"Pull over." It wasn't said loudly or with any malice but it still made Masen flinch.

He turned into the first parking lot he came across and turned the car off but kept his hands on the steering wheel, using the grip to ready himself for what was coming. The tongue-lashing was going to be bad enough but seeing how much he'd disappointed her was going to be even worse.

"I want you to look at me, Edward. I want to know I have your full attention."

He shifted around the best he could in the small car and lifted his eyes to meet hers. The poker face was all gone and the disappointment was already showing.

"What were the three things I told you to do at the aquarium?" Esme asked.

"Take my time, think before I speak, and proceed with caution."

"Did you do any of those things?"

"At the time I thought I was."

"And now?"

"I only managed the first and not for the whole time. I should have stopped after the hammerhead exhibit. I thought it was just a general fear she'd developed from movies and books. I pushed her without knowing where the line was for her and it ended up hurting her."

Esme's lips moved but no sound came out and he knew she was counting to ten to calm herself. He rarely ever upset her so much but man when he did, he went all the way.

She finished her counting and asked, "Where is she? _How_ is she?"

"We talked and like I said, I apologized to her. I think she'll stay. I told her I want her to stay. I'll find out in the morning what she decides."

"Where is she?"

"When I left the house, she was asleep in her bed with Lizzy curled up next to her. We were in there talking—well, I was talking—and she drifted off."

Esme reached out and cupped his stubble covered cheek. "You know I love you. You know I only ever want the best for you. And you know that I won't always like your behavior, just like you won't always like mine.

"With that said, I am extremely disappointed in your behavior with Bella. But I am also immensely proud that you saw your error and attempted to fix it. Just don't be so foolish as to think everything between you two is fixed because you apologized. She trusted you to take her to that aquarium and make it a good experience. You broke that trust, Edward."

"I know that. She said she doesn't know where her line is because she's never pushed herself before but she really wants to now. I promised we'd go slow, start with her just watching videos of us in the water. And then if she feels comfortable at some point, move her up to being on deck with us.

"Mom, I know I screwed up today but I also know I can help her. I can show her that sharks aren't monsters waiting to bite unsuspecting humans. I can show her they can be beautiful and that they're a necessary species."

She smiled and then pulled him into a hug, holding him tightly for a while before saying anything. "I have faith in you, Edward. If you say you can do this, then I believe you."

"I'm sorry. I never want to disappoint you."

"I know that, Kid." She kissed his cheek and then let him go. "We all lose our way sometimes and need help getting back on track. You seem like you've figured out how to do that on your own but if you're wrong, come to me. Don't hesitate or think you have to do it all on your own."

He chanced a smile, hoping it would get that pensive look off her face. "You know you're my go-to gal for advice, Mom."

Esme did smile, but it was short-lived. She grabbed his hand and locked her eyes on his gray ones. "Edward, she means something to you. Don't ruin that."

He only nodded since he couldn't deny what she was saying or attempt to explain it. There was something about Bella that held his attention each time he was near her. He had no idea what it was, only that he wasn't ready for it to go away yet. He was fully prepared to make any promise she needed to hear to get her to stay. But that was for tomorrow. For tonight, he needed to get his mom home and get his dog out of Bella's room.

His mom was right behind him as he climbed the stairs, as if she was making sure he didn't screw up anymore tonight. "I'm just going to grab Lizzy and go to my room."

Esme snorted. "From the looks of it, I think Lizzy is happy right where she is."

The puppy was curled up in Bella's arms with her head tucked up under Bella's chin. Masen couldn't help letting out a snort of his own at the sight.

As loudly as he dared, he called for his dog. "Lizzy. Come on, girl. Time for bed."

Bella was the only one who stirred and it caused Esme to push Masen out of the doorway. It was so unexpected that he tripped over his own bare feet and would have landed on his ass if he hadn't slapped a hand against the wall to help regain his balance.

Esme shushed him and waved a hand at him.

He scowled at her. "_You_ pushed _me_."

"I don't want you waking Bella."

"So I won't," he said, wondering why that wasn't already self-evident to his mother. "I'll just grab Lizzy and go."

"You saw the way they're sleeping. There's no way you're getting Lizzy out of Bella's arms without waking her. Just leave her where she is and go downstairs."

"Fine," he relented, breathing heavily out of his nose.

Esme laughed softly while patting his cheek. "It's cute how much you care."

He grinned while scratching the bridge of his nose. "She's my puppy. I'm supposed to care."

Esme's smiled widened. "I wasn't talking about Lizzy." She patted his cheek once more before leaving him standing all alone in the hall with his mouth gaping open and his mind whirling.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Guppy!" Whit greeted with a huge smile as he held her hand and helped her aboard Galeos. "Great to see you on this fine Saturday morning."

Bella laughed more at the wink that followed his words than at what he'd said. "You sound surprised to see me."

"Nah. I knew you'd stay." He leaned in close and whispered the next part into her ear, "Masen wants it as much as you do."

"Whit, some help would be amazing right about now," Esme called out.

Whit flashed Bella an apologetic smile and then rushed over to help Esme get her bags and herself aboard. Bella glanced around nervously, knowing Edward was already here and that she would have to talk to him this morning. She wasn't sure how to tell him where that imaginary line was without telling him everything, just like she knew she wasn't ready to tell her story.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Esme's voice as she picked up on her conversation with Whit. "… best sangria I've ever tasted. And so smooth I didn't even realize I was drunk until Kate pulled out the camera and started taking pictures of my striptease with Tanya."

He groaned and Bella wasn't sure he was completely pretending. "Esme, you know you're killing me here, right?"

She laughed and patted his cheek. "I can always count on you for an ego boost, Whit. One of the many reasons I love you."

They headed inside and when Bella finished laughing she went to follow after them. She was stopped just outside of the doorway by the sound of her name and quickly realized she was being talked about and not to.

"Why are you asking?" Masen asked in response to Lee's question.

"You said you two talked about the aquarium thing so I figured she would have been here bright and early with you, not coming hours later with Esme."

"We did talk about it. We sorted most of it out last night and we'll get the rest settled this morning after the team meeting."

"Masen, are you sure you want her here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I asked. Are you sure you want her here? Because it seems like you're trying to scare her off. If you are, I don't mind helping at all. Just let me know which way to go with this."

"While I appreciate the offer, it's not necessary. I've got things with Bella under control and they're going to stay that way. _She's_ staying."

"If you're sure."

"Positive."

"Totally sure?"

"Lee." His tone sounded like a warning one but Bella wasn't completely sure.

"What are you two bitching about now?" Whit asked.

As soon as she heard his voice, she stepped into the room as if she hadn't heard a thing. She even greeted them all with a big smile and a chipper "morning". Lee might not want her here but Edward did; she was positive he'd meant everything he'd said last night.

"Lee, come help me with something," Whit said, pulling her out of the room and toward the front of the boat.

Masen stood up and took the bag Bella was holding. "I'm glad you decided to stay."

"Me too."

"We need to talk this morning. I was thinking after the team meeting but we can do it before if you'd prefer."

"No, after will be fine."

His face completely transformed, going from professionally serious to impish with just the lifting of his lips into a smile. "Let's get your bag put away and then you can sit in on your first MMR team meeting."

She followed him below deck to the sleeping quarters but while he went on to put her bag away, she was stopped in the hall by a Gopher and a dog. One was crushing her in a hug and the other was licking her ankle.

"Gopher, let Bella breathe," Esme ordered from somewhere behind him.

"But she's just so cute! I'm gonna love her and pet her and call her 'Guppy'."

"Gopher. _Now_." Edward's command had him not only letting go, but also stepping away and lifting his hands up in surrender. Bella had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at Edward acting so protective. It was really kind of sweet and it made her wonder if he was worried she might still leave. He seemed to honestly care about her staying and that made her feel hopeful they wouldn't have any more trouble getting along.

"I'm just standing here," Gopher said, grinning and shifting his gaze between Edward and Esme.

It was eerily quiet for a moment and then Esme giggled. "Yep. Going to be another interesting summer on the boat. Come on, Gopher. I'll help you set up for our first meeting." She scooped up Lizzy with one arm and then looped the other around Gopher's, leading him toward the stairs.

"I made mini breakfast quiche and they should be ready to come out of the oven any second now."

"You wouldn't happen to be in the market for a taste-tester, would you?" she asked him just as they disappeared out of Bella's sight.

She had been laughing at their banter but then Edward curled his fingers around hers, shocking her into silence. Standing so close to him, she could see that the blue of his eyes matched the shirt he was wearing today.

"Did he crush you?" he asked.

She smiled and shrugged. "I'll live."

"Good. Lee would get pissed at me if I turned him into chum."

"But MMR doesn't chum the water," she pointed out, just barely keeping herself from laughing.

"I'd make an exception with him."

She laughed at how seriously he'd said that, not believing for a second that he really felt that way about Gopher. "You wouldn't."

Edward stepped closer to her, forcing her to crane her head back to see him properly. His eyes were hidden behind his lashes since his focus was centered on her lips; the thought of him kissing her made her heart jump up into her throat and attempt to run away from her. While her heart might want to run and hide, the rest of her had no plans on moving anytime soon. In fact, her body warmed at just the thought of having his lips moving over hers while his stubble lightly scratched her skin. She saw a quick flash of blue and then his head was lowering toward hers in what felt like slow-motion.

But then he abruptly jerked away at the yelling of his name. "Get your ass up here and start this meeting," Lee demanded. "Gopher is holding the quiche hostage until then and I'm starving."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before turning his gaze and a smile on Bella. "Ready, Guppy?"

She gave a playful groan. "Am I really going to be called that all summer?"

Instead of answering, he just smirked and tugged on her hand to get her to follow him up the stairs.

Lee and Esme were sitting together on one side of the long table while Whit was lounging on the other and Gopher was standing nearby with a tray held up over his head.

"Finally!" Lee called out as soon as she saw Edward.

"Guppy, I saved you a seat," Whit said as he slid down the bench to make room for her.

For a second, it felt like Edward wasn't going to let go of her hand and she tried not to smile at how good that made her feel. But then he did let go and she sat down next to Whit who immediately winked at her, leaving her wondering once again if he was some kind of mind-reader. It almost felt like he knew more about what was going on between her and Edward than she did. Actually, that was _exactly_ what it felt like.

Gopher sat down, boxing Lee and Esme in on their side of the table. The poor guy barely had time to get his hands out of the way before Esme, Lee, and Whit were diving into the tray of quiche and filling up the plates in front of them. Bella waited for the flurry of hands to disperse before reaching out and taking a few for herself.

"Don't touch this one," Gopher ordered, setting a plate aside at the edge of the table. "Not unless you want Mase up your ass for stealing his breakfast."

"Thanks, Gopher," Edward said, chuckling under his breath. "Now to start our first meeting … Since Bella is new, I'm going to go over the rules of the boat."

"Good idea," Whit replied. "Start with the one about clothing being optional."

"What?" Bella squeaked, her head jerking left to right as she tried to look at both Edward and Whit at the same time.

"Whit, stop man," Edward commanded. Of course, the demand lost a lot of its power from the smile on his face.

He turned away to grab a clipboard from the arm of the nearby chair and when he turned back she could see that he had slipped completely into his role as head of MMR. His playful smile was gone and his entire being gave off a vibe of commanding power. His voice was smooth while his tone was authoritative, leaving no room for any doubt that he meant his words completely.

"The first rule is the biggest rule. No horseplay on deck. Doesn't matter what time of day or what we're doing, there is no playing around on deck. The potential of falling into the water and being harmed is too great.

"No alcohol will be consumed while we are on the water. If we are docked and not going out the next day, then go right ahead. Otherwise, stay dry.

"Bathroom time is limited to ten minutes each in the morning. If you need more time, then get up before everyone else and make sure you're out before the first allotted time rolls around. We'll assign times later and as always, Esme gets to pick her own."

"My bonus for being his loving mother," Esme called out.

"My way of not having to hear you complain," Edward replied.

"Watch it, Kid. You're never too big for me to put over my knee," she warned with a huge smile.

"Me first," Whit joked, winking at her and making everyone laugh.

"Focus, please," Edward said, tapping the edge of his clipboard against the edge of the table. "I know you guys know all this stuff but Guppy doesn't."

"Sorry, Kid. I promise to behave," Esme said. She waited until Edward dropped his eyes to his clipboard and then she showed her crossed fingers to them, getting a round of snorts in response.

"Assignments," Edward announced. "You must be on time, you must know your assignment, and you must perform it quickly, efficiently, and safely. If you have any questions or issues with it, let me know immediately. Everything we do is a team effort and if one part of the team is falling behind, then it could cause the entire task to fail. It's better to admit you're struggling so we can fix one area than to keep it to yourself and cause the entire day to be a failure.

"Below deck assignments first. We are all going to be responsible for writing blog entries. At the start of each week, I'll pick one of you to write for MMR. I'll be doing this first week myself. Lee, it's on the desk for you to proof and post. Please try to get it up sometime today."

She gave him a little salute and then he continued on. "Now for individual assignments … Whit, you're on navigation and steering. Lee, you're in charge of updating the website and helping me with paperwork. Gopher, kitchen and cleaning.

"Guppy, since you're the fresh meat aboard, you'll be working with Gopher this week. You'll shadow him in all of his below deck assignments and give him whatever help he needs. Gopher, don't take advantage."

Lee snorted. "Are you sure that won't be too scary for her?"

Bella forced herself to smile and respond. "I've been spit on by a killer whale. I'm sure there's nothing inside this boat that's grosser than that."

No one said anything at first. Edward stood nearby scratching the bridge of his nose, Gopher stared down at his hands, Esme looked out the window beside her, and Whit and Lee both stared at Bella. She looked ready to spit nails and he looked like he wanted to worship Bella.

Lee's apprehension toward Bella was something she could understand; she remembered all too well how long it had taken her to warm up to Leah and trust that she wasn't playing games with Jacob. The difference however was that Bella had dated Jacob and wasn't just his close friend. Or maybe there wasn't a difference after all. Maybe before Gopher there had been Edward. It was obvious from the slide show the other night that the two shared a love for photography and most definitely an interest in marine life. Still, the two just didn't seem compatible to Bella at all. Maybe after she got to know them better, she'd ask one of them about it.

"So," Edward practically yelled, clearly trying to force the attention back to him. "We'll see how things go this week and base next week's assignments off that.

"Now on to the above deck duties. We're going to be doing a lot of scouting this first week to help us develop our plans for obtaining our research data. Lee, you'll be switching between video duty and spotter with Whit. Gopher, you're on decoy duty and on-deck support. I've got the still camera. Any questions?"

Edward waited for a moment and when no one spoke up, he asked, "Does anyone have anything they think should be added right now?"

Bella wasn't surprised at all for Lee to be the one to speak up or for her words to have a double-meaning. "Watch your step. It can be slippery aboard our boat."

"Very well done, Edward. Now sit down and eat and then we can embark on our summer journey," Esme directed. It impressed Bella how she so subtly injected her authority, letting the others lead until and unless she felt the need to step in.

As the quiche disappeared, so did the group. Whit was the first to go, standing up on the seat and then jumping over the back of it. No one seemed to notice his departure and she figured that meant they expected it. She followed him with her eyes as he made his way down the hall toward the front of the boat.

Edward's voice startled her since she hadn't thought anyone was paying attention to her either. "He's going to check the weather report one more time before we go."

"He just knows to do that without you asking?"

"Yep. Does it every time we leave. A lot of what we do is second nature to us so we aren't always going to remember to clue you in. You'll have to speak up and ask."

Gopher and Lee made their exit just then so Bella took Edward's advice. "Where are they going?"

"To clean up the kitchen. She always helps him the first day."

"And where will you and Esme go when you're done? Where will I go?"

"Esme will probably go to her room and go back to bed since the sun's just starting to come up. You are coming with me to the front of the boat so we can talk about your line while I steer Galeos out to sea."

"I thought Whit did that."

"I like to start and end our journeys myself."

"You really like being the boss, huh?"

"I don't see it as being the boss. I'm being responsible by being in charge. I'm watching out for them in everything I do. MMR is important to me and so is the research we do but nothing comes before their health and safety."

While Bella thought about how Esme had called Edward the protector, Whit walked up and relayed the weather report to Edward. They were both smiling over the fact that they would be leaving under clear skies and low winds.

Edward shoved his last quiche into his mouth and jumped up from the table. "You wanna pull up anchor or double-check the ropes Gopher was supposed to pull up?" he asked Whit.

Whit had a huge smile on his face as he rubbed his hands together. "Anchor."

"Get to it, man," Edward replied, grinning and smacking his friend's upper arm once before scooting past him and heading out the door.

Whit practically ran off in the opposite direction, leaving Esme and Bella alone at the table. Esme set her chin in her palm and with her gray eyes sparkling she let out a slow "so".

"So," Bella repeated, mirroring the woman's smile.

"I am so happy you stayed, Bella."

"He told you?" She couldn't believe Edward would willingly admit he'd been wrong—_ever_—not even to his mom.

"There is very little he doesn't tell me." Esme scooted over until she was lined up with Bella and then leaned across the table toward her. "This next part is just between you and me. It's rare that he feels he has failed at something and it's even rarer that he really lets it affect him. Last night, it was affecting him in a major way. And this was after he'd already apologized to you."

Bella didn't know how to respond to that at all. She had been so sure Esme was going to say Edward had talked to her before he'd come looking to apologize. Knowing it was after and that he had still been upset about the incident … It made her feel even happier that she'd decided to trust him and stay.

"I'm glad sharing that with you has you smiling. He would hate to know I told you but I felt it was important for you to know he does own up to his mistakes and works to correct them. I wish I could promise you there won't be any further friction between the two of you but I think we all know we're embarking into new territory in a number of ways."

The door opened and Edward came inside clapping his hands and yelling "let's go, let's go", waking Lizzy from her slumber on the sofa and sending her running across the cushions to stand on the arm and bark at him. He scooped her up and managed to cradle her against his chest and fall onto the sofa with her at the same time. He brought his hands up and scratched behind both her ears while talking to her as if she were a baby. "Is my girl ready to go? You ready to take a trip on the boat? I know what you're ready for. You want to surf those waves in Africa. You're gonna help me beat Lee and make her crown me king of surfing. Yes you are."

Bella and Esme looked at each other and then fell across the table together, laughing so hard at his behavior that both of them had tears leaking from the corners of their eyes. Bella thought maybe it was wrong to be laughing so hard but the more she looked at Esme, the harder she laughed.

"Best evah," Bella managed to gasp between laughs, quoting one of Alice's favorite sayings.

"Can you believe that softie actually swims with sharks?" Esme asked, jerking her thumb toward the area of the couch. Her question sent both of them off into fresh peals of laughter and had fresh, fat tears rolling down their bright red cheeks.

The sound of Edward clearing his throat had both of them looking up at him and struggling to calm down. With all their snorts and giggles, it was very clear how miserably they were failing.

"Can I help you with something, Kid?" Esme asked, smiling up at him.

"For starters, how about you remember I'm a product of your upbringing?"

She laughed and reached up, which had him leaning down so she could pat his cheek softly. "And I did a damn good job, if I do say so myself. And I do."

"Mom, seriously. A little bit of professionalism in front of the intern would go a long way."

Esme's smile widened as she crooked her finger and got Edward to lean down further, putting his face right in front of hers. "So would some _with_ the intern."

Bella was no longer grinning and enjoying Edward being teased; in fact, she felt incredibly awkward watching this personal moment pass between a mother and her son.

The only sign that Edward had heard his mother was the quick nod of his head before he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Take Lizzy down below with you?" he asked, offering the puppy to her.

"Come on, Lizzy," Esme said as she stood and took the dog into her arms. "Let's go down and get out of the way so Edward can steer us to adventure and Africa."

As soon as she was gone, Edward sighed and started scratching at the bridge of his nose. Seeing him looking uncomfortable and vulnerable and nervous—all the things he constantly made Bella feel—had her giggling despite her head telling her mouth it was a bad idea.

Edward dropped his hand to his side and seemed to slump in defeat. "She's a mom first and a coworker second so she doesn't always have a filter."

"I'm not laughing because of what she said to you." One look at his lifted eyebrows had her amending her statement. "Okay, I am. But that's not the only reason. It's just nice, you know. Seeing a mom and a son and the bond you two have. There's no mistaking how much you love each other."

He seemed to like what she'd said because his lips curled in a smile—then again, he was only smiling on one side so maybe it was a freaky sort of grimace.

No sooner than she'd thought of him grimacing, Bella found herself doing it for absolute sure from the question he asked. "What about you? What's your relationship with your parents like?"

Bella immediately attempted to deflect and get him to forget his question. "So I'm going to talk to you about my line?"

His blue eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her but then he relaxed them and offered his hand to her. "You talk while I drive."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

The gentle motion of the boat cutting through the water had Masen feeling so relaxed that his mind was almost quiet enough for him to fall asleep. With his feet propped up next to the steering wheel and his chair leaned back, he even started to nod off. He probably would have enjoyed a nice refreshing nap if Whit hadn't come into the room at that moment.

"How'd things go with Bella this morning?" Whit asked, setting a glass of tea next to Masen's feet.

He sat up and stretched his arms over his head before answering. "Pretty good. I think I learned more from watching her expressions than from listening to her words."

Whit settled into the chair beside him and after taking a sip from his own glass, he asked, "What do you think you learned?"

"She was either involved in an attack or someone close to her was."

Whit's head shot up. "Shit, Mase."

"I know." His gray eyes moved from the liquid in his glass to the faint surgical scars on Whit's calf where it had been almost completely rebuilt except for one small indented area about the size of a child's fist.

"Her reaction to talking about them is just so damn visceral that I can't think of any other reason for it," he continued. "We looked through the MMR scrapbook and she was fine with pictures of sharks just swimming but every single time she saw a picture where the mouth was open and the teeth were showing, she shivered and started playing with her watch."

"She's gonna rub her wrist raw doing that."

"Probably," Masen agreed, turning his right hand over and looking down at the small scar across his wrist and the reason he'd stopped wearing watches outside of diving.

"I hated when you did that shit in front of me. So goddamn annoying."

He laughed and rolled his eyes at Whit. "Yeah, well I hated seeing you get bit and having to rescue your ass."

"Like hell you did," Whit said as he pushed against him. "I saved myself. You were too busy pissing your pants while I used the string from my board shorts to tie off my leg."

"All these years later and your memory is still faulty from all the blood loss."

They both smiled at the other and then snorted. It was easy to joke about it now, a little over five years later. The day had started out like so many others for them, up with the sun with surfboards in their hands, adrenaline pumping through them, and an easy camaraderie between them. Riding the waves to start their day had always seemed to help them find college and jobs easier to deal with so they surfed as much as they could, usually with Lee right there beside them. On that particular morning she'd been up late the night before working on a paper and had bowed out in favor of sleeping in.

The waves had been perfect that morning and they'd sat on their boards with their legs dangling in the warm water, waiting for their turn and talking about how they were happy to have graduated and not have to deal with papers and tests again. Whit had been suggesting ways to celebrate their freedom when his board had suddenly flipped over and he'd disappeared beneath the surface. Masen laughed at first, figuring Whit had just adjusted himself the wrong way and flipped himself off. But then Whit's head had broken the surface, filling the air with a scream Masen would never forget. He had never heard so much pain in one voice before and he had immediately jumped in after Whit. The water had been murky and it had taken a second for him to see the cause of Whit's pain—a large shark had Whit's leg in its mouth and was shaking him.

Masen couldn't claim to have been consciously thinking at that point; he certainly didn't remember having any clear thoughts or plans on how to save his best friend. He's just acted. He'd seen the shark open its mouth, probably to get a better grip on Whit, and he'd surged forward and knocked his friend out of the way of the shark. It must have been spooked by him doing that because it had twisted its body around and swam off. Masen hadn't trusted for a second that it would stay gone so he'd kicked as hard and as fast as he could and pulled Whit up to the surface. They had both been coughing out water and choking on the fresh air while Masen had tugged his board over and then he'd pretty much thrown Whit on top of it. The rope connecting Whit to his own board was still attached to his ankle and Masen worked to unbuckle it, push the board toward the beach, not drown, and not get bit all at once.

By the time Masen had made it to the beach, Whit had somehow managed to pull the cord out of his shorts and he talked Masen through tying it in the right spot to stop the bleeding. Some of the surfers had noticed what had happened and they'd rushed over to help, wrapping beach towels around Whit's mutilated leg to help staunch the bleeding while sirens blared in the distance.

The randomness of the day and which of them had been bit had gnawed at Masen at all hours of the day and night. He'd wanted so badly to understand, to put the day into context. He'd wanted to know what had made the shark come around that particular morning and to know what Whit had been doing differently from him to be the one who was attacked.

Nearly a week after the attack, Masen had woken up feeling like he knew what he was supposed to do with his life—use his engineering aptitude and his photography prowess to figure sharks out so that people could be as safe as possible in the water. He'd brought the idea up to Whit that same day while visiting him in the hospital. Whit had been all for it and had even been the one to come up with the name Masen Marine Research. Together they'd convinced Lee to join them and then Esme had volunteered. The absolute minute Whit had been okayed to be in the water again, they'd booked a trip to San Francisco and within a week they were receiving their first training at the Farallon Islands. Five months and one boat later, they had set sail as MMR and made their first research expedition to Australia.

Whit's voice brought Masen's focus back to the present. "You know if that's the case, she's pretty damn brave to be here with us right now. You and me, we were both lucky that we just rolled with it and accepted it and focused on how damn lucky I was to be alive. And we had something to focus on together because you came up with the idea for MMR. Without it, we could both have ended up with that deeply rooted and intense fear. There are a lot of survivors of attacks, and friends of survivors, who share her fear."

"Do you think maybe that's what she's doing now? Trying to focus on work to distract herself from her fear and eventually move past it?"

"Could be. To want to work with marine life at all after a trauma like that and the fear level it's built up inside of her … Mase, she's a hell of a woman."

He nodded in agreement. "She deserves to succeed at this internship and to get past her fears. I want to help her with that. I _know_ I can help her with that."

"I'm not disagreeing with you, but I do have to ask … Why? Why are you sticking your neck and MMR's neck out like this? If this goes bad, it's going to go seriously fucking awful."

Masen set his glass of tea down and swiveled his chair to face Whit. "The gain we're going to get when I help her outweighs the potential for disaster. Taking someone with her level of fear and turning her into an advocate for sharks will be a huge benefit to all of us. She'll have her career, I'll have solid proof this internship works, and MMR will get great publicity. We'll probably even get some kind of cross-promotion deal with the Atlanta Aquarium through her working there. That's going to put MMR's name in the right mouths and give us actual clout in the scientific community. Can you imagine what that's going to do for our efforts to get conservation laws passed?"

"I can imagine it," Whit replied with a nod. He lifted his head completely and looked directly at Masen. "But I'm more interested in what I'm seeing right now."

"Which is?"

"This is personal for you."

Masen sighed and shoved his hands into his hair. "Everything with MMR is personal on some level, Whit. You know that."

"I also know the concern you have for Bella is personal. And I'm pretty damn sure it scares the shit out of you. Probably almost as much as sharks scare her."

His only response was to let out another heavy sigh.

"You know that word you used earlier … visceral … that's your reaction to her whether you want it to be or not."

He slightly conceded to what Whit was saying. "Even if that was true, now is really not the time to deal with it. She needs a focused professional to help her. And she needs her own head clear too. She's got to trust that everything I'm saying to her and asking of her has the purest intent to help her."

"You know you can't just come right out and ask her to tell you about it. That would be like some stranger asking about my leg. I'd tell them to go fuck themselves, that it was none of their damn business. And sure, I'd feel bad later for being rude about it, but I'd still feel right that it wasn't their business. That kind of life experience, it's extremely personal."

"That's why I only asked her to give me an idea of where the line is between what she can handle and what she can't. I was thinking once we hit the South Pacific we drop anchor for a few days and do some tagging. You and Lee can video me tagging a couple sharks and then I can sit with Bella while she watches the footage. I can gauge her reaction to the video and then show her all of the data we collect and how it can help both people and sharks."

"Sounds like a solid plan, Mase." While he was busy nodding in agreement with Whit's response, Whit was already giving him something else to think about. "Probably wouldn't be a bad idea for me to sit her down and tell her my own story."

"I don't think so. At least not yet. If you tell her right now, she's just going to dig her heels in deeper on the idea that sharks are monsters." While his answer sounded great and very professional, it wasn't his only reason; he didn't want to chance Whit and Bella bonding anymore than they already had before he had a chance to make absolute sure she had forgiven him for the aquarium debacle.

"Guess it's best to let her get past your extreme fuck-up at the ocean center first."

Masen rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks, Whit."

"To quote Esme … Just callin' it like I see it, Kid."

"Don't call me 'Kid', you douche."

"Don't call me a douche, you fuck-up."

"You're both a couple of dicks," Lee announced, popping up between them and resting her arms on their shoulders. "There. Argument all settled. Now I can have your attention for an important matter that requires immediate action."

"What would that be? Helping you toss Gopher overboard?" Masen asked, giving her what she referred to as his cocky smile.

She flicked him in the forehead for his comment. "We need to get the bathroom lottery done."

"How does that need immediate action?" Whit asked. "Timeslots don't start until five tomorrow morning and it's barely ten on _this_ morning."

She shrugged her slender shoulders. "Because I said so."

"Masen, handle up on your girl," Whit joked, pushing Lee against him.

He laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from stumbling and falling. "She's gonna kick your ass if you keep saying shit like that, Whit."

"Nah. She loves me too much. Just watch," he said as he jumped to his feet. He stood in front of her and turned his head, tapping his cheek with one finger. "Give us kisses."

Lee grinned as she leaned in toward him and then she quickly grabbed his arms and turned her body to press her knee against an area no man wants a knee anywhere near. "Next time, I won't just pretend," she whispered in his ear. And then she planted a loud kiss on his cheek and pulled her knee away.

"I'm going get the hat and paper slips ready for the lottery," she called out as she left the room.

"If Lee was a shark, she'd be a damn bull shark. Queen of shock and awe, that one right there," Whit said, keeping his eyes on the hall in case she came back.

"You don't exactly help yourself out with the constant teasing."

"It doesn't have a damn thing to do with teasing because you do it more than me. It's because I'm not her favorite."

Masen suddenly found himself thinking about his theory on Whit's mystery girl. "Hey, did you see your dream girl last night?"

"Yep. Still haven't seen her entire face yet, just the eyes."

"What was last night's dream about?"

Whit sighed and then plopped down into his seat. "I kind of wish I wouldn't have dreamed about her last night because it sucked. She was crying this time and as much as I wanted to comfort her, I couldn't get to her."

"That does suck," Masen agreed while his stomach twisted in that weird way again. He'd hoped Whit would say something to convince him it wasn't Bella starring in his dreams but the exact opposite had occurred. After everything that had happened yesterday it wouldn't surprise him at all to find out Bella had cried.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen yawned while scrubbing a hand through his freshly showered hair and padding down the short hall to the room he was sharing with Whit. The light coming from under Bella's door caught his eye and he decided it would be a good idea to check in with her and see how she'd enjoyed her first day on the boat.

He did knock but he didn't exactly wait for an answer before opening the door. He had been ready to ask how she felt her first day had gone but he found himself snorting instead.

The light was on but Bella was definitely out. She was tucked so far under her covers that all he could see was a sliver of forehead and then a mess of brown hair. He crossed the room planning to turn the lamp out, but thought better of it once he was standing there looking down at her. This was the third time he'd found her sleeping with a light on, leading him to think it was being done on purpose.

His hand seemed to be working completely on its own as it settled on her arm hidden under the blanket. He had learned a lot about her today, including her desire to be treated like everyone else. She would hate to hear him say this directly to her but since she was sleeping he didn't see the harm in it. "I'm sorry for whatever happened to you. I promise I'll make it better."

He left her room, careful to shut the door quietly behind him. He debated on whether he wanted to go up and check on Gopher, having allowed him to take the night shift at the wheel for the first time. The boat was on autopilot and there really shouldn't be any issues but then again it was Gopher at the helm.

With a shrug, he decided to trust Lee's confidence in the man. He opened the door to the room he was sharing with Whit and climbed into his bed.

Whit was wide awake with his laptop in front of him. "Gopher all settled in at the helm?"

"Yeah."

"How bad do you wanna go up there and take over?"

Masen snorted. "I promised Lee I'd give him more responsibility this trip."

Whit finally looked up from his computer, giving him a knowing grin. "That bad, huh?"

"No, not really," he answered, folding his pillow and slipping it under his neck and head. "I know Lee is up there with him. She'll kick his ass if he screws with this boat in any way."

"He won't screw up, Mase. He's as invested in MMR as the rest of us." Whit closed his laptop and set it on the floor beside his bed. He reached up for the lamp above him but paused. "On or off? I'll leave it on if you're not going to sleep."

"Off. I actually feel tired."

A loud click later the room went dark and Masen relaxed into the bed and closed his eyes while pulling in a deep breath he let out slowly. He did that a few more times and was almost asleep when Whit's voice cut through the quiet.

"Mase, I'm curious about something. You said earlier that Bella needs you to be professional. I was just curious why you can't do both. Why can't you care _and_ be professional? Don't you think knowing you care would make her trust you quicker and easier?"

"Why would that make anything easier?" he blurted out.

The sound of Whit moving around in his bed caused Masen to turn his head and open his eyes. He could just make out his friend's profile in the light coming through the small window above his bed. "Think about how well we all work as a team," Whit started. "We all have emotional ties to each other, we all consider each other family, and yet that has never interfered with our work. We trust what you say because we know you would never put us in danger. Don't you think Bella deserves to know that too?"

"Yes, but it's different with her. She needs to know it from a professional stand point."

"How is that going to convince her that your choices are for her best interest and not MMR's?"

Masen tried altering the conversation instead of answering his friend's question. "I think Bella might sleep with the lights on. Like she's afraid of the dark."

"Why would you think that?"

"Her light was on and I was going to ask her how her first day was but she was asleep."

"One time doesn't make it a _thing_, Mase."

"Third time, actually."

"Dude!" Whit sat up and clicked the light back on, making Masen wince and clench his eyes shut. "Mase, this is only the fourth night she's been around."

He sighed as he opened his eyes and forced himself up into a sitting position. "So?"

"So you've walked in on her sleeping three times in four nights."

"It's not like I planned it. The first time was to apologize for the bar thing, the second was to grab Lizzy out of her room, and then just now."

"See this is what I'm talking about. You care and that makes you notice things the rest of us might miss. You need to tell her."

"I need her to trust me."

Whit didn't say anything for what felt like a long time to Masen; they just sat there looking at each other. Finally, he sat up straighter and nodded his head. "Alright, Mase. I get it. You want her to know you mean it and aren't just saying it to smooth over your past fuck-ups with her."

His extremely accurate guess had Masen's jaw dropping and Whit's laughter spilling into the air. "What? You think I've spent the last thirteen years as your best friend and haven't learned how to read you?"

Masen growled as he slammed his back into the mattress and shoved his pillow over his face. "Shut the fuck up, bro."

"You know I'm right, Mase. And you know you need to tell her."

Masen grumbled into his pillow about annoying friends and meddling and also threw in a few grunts for the hell of it.

He heard the light click off again and then he heard a few last words from his best friend. "Why don't you sleep on it tonight? I'm sure it'll give you some sweet dreams."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ** Don't forget to check out Masen's blog entry over at . EA did an excellent job channeling our shark expert!


	8. 8 Do You See

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 8 – Do You See What I See**

**Sunday, June 1st**

"Lee, I like the way you set up the site for our blog posts. It looks really good," Masen complimented as he passed the butter to her.

She rolled her eyes in response. "I thought you went to bed for a change. I didn't post that thing until like two-thirty this morning."

He glared across the table at Whit while answering her. "I had planned on it but ended up trying to work out a problem instead."

Her sigh was loud enough to be heard over Gopher describing his technique for scrambled eggs to Bella.

"Don't blame your lack of slumber on me, Mase," Whit warned, pointing at him with a triangle of toast. "He who smelt it, dealt it."

"What are you two going on about?" Esme asked, her gray eyes searching Masen's face first and then Whit's.

They both answered with a soft "nothing" and then dropped their gazes to their breakfast plates.

"Is this that same kind of nothing like when you were fourteen and I asked what you two were doing in my garage?" She didn't seem to want a response from them because she immediately addressed Bella next. "Bella, put your juice down. I don't want you to spit any out and this story may do that."

Bella smiled as she set the glass down and then she adjusted her body so that she was facing Esme. Of course, that also left her facing Whit since he was sitting between the two of them. "Okay, Esme. Share away."

"So these two clowns are in my garage doing _nothing_ and not ten minutes after I leave them alone in there, this huge boom sounds off and shakes the house. I go running out to find out what's going on and there's a section of my garage door bulging out from the rest. I'm standing there trying to figure out exactly what it is I'm seeing and these two clowns come running out the side door of the garage. They take one look at the door and then point at each other and shout 'he did it' in tandem."

Bella let out a gasp. "What did they do? And what did you do?"

"Apparently, the mastermind here," Esme said as she ruffled Whit's hair, "convinced the brainiac over there to mess with the engine on Edward's remote control plane. He made some change to the throttle on it and the damn thing took off as soon as he started the engine and flew straight into my closed garage door."

Masen was pleased to see that Bella looked impressed. "You should have seen what I did to that thing's engine when I finally got it back," he told her.

Her lips twitched as she regarded him and he wondered what she found so funny and why she wasn't just letting out her laughter. It's not like she had a bad laugh. It wasn't high-pitched or odd sounding or anything. It was actually kind of a great laugh now that he thought about it.

"When you got it back, huh?" she asked. "How long were you grounded from it?"

He mumbled the number of months to make sure she didn't hear it but he really should have known better. After all, his mother was sitting right there at the table with them.

"I didn't give it back until his fifteenth birthday, nearly eight months later, and even then only on the condition that he never brought into my house or garage. By then we'd moved to the house we're in now and I had a small shed put on the property just for him to work on his _improvements_. Thankfully, that was the only one that ever caused damage to anything and no one was hurt."

Masen was so busy watching Bella's reaction to his mother's words that he nearly missed what Gopher was saying. "The term brainiac comes from a Superman comic. Issue number 242 from July 1958. The bad guy was able to shrink and steal the capital city of Superman's home planet. This really cool place called Kandor."

"Comics he remembers," Whit said while trying his best not to crack up laughing. "Putting the toilet seat down always escapes his mind."

"Shut the hell up, Whit," Lee yelled, throwing a piece of bacon at him and making him lose the battle to not laugh. She really shouldn't have been surprised since the ratio of her being teased was always equal to the number of times she fell in.

Masen didn't even attempt to hide his laughter as he put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Lee. It's just a little water."

Her eyes narrowed into slits and her teeth clicked together as she hissed at him. "Remember you said that next time you fall asleep dry and wake up wet."

His smile widened. "Guess it's a good thing I'm an insomniac then."

"Cocky bastard," she grumbled, half-heartedly elbowing him in the side.

"Say you love me," he goaded, squeezing her against him.

"Let go of me," she ordered as she struggled to get out of his hold.

"Say you love me and this will all be over."

Masen was focused on keeping her captive; that should have made him deaf to everything going on around him but he zeroed in on Bella's voice the moment she spoke. "Gopher, I think this is the part where the boyfriend usually steps in and saves his girlfriend."

Gopher threw his head back and filled the room with his booming laughter. "This isn't the tale of Superman saving Louis Lane from Lex Luthor, Guppy. This is Batman sitting on the sidelines, waiting for Catwoman to finish whipping Joker's ass so we can go back to the batcave and make some leather squeak."

"That's …" Bella paused and her face took on what had to be the most adorable confused expression Masen felt he'd ever seen on a woman's face. "I can't really say I know what that is."

While the others laughed, Masen gave an already flustered Bella a wink that made her bite her lower lip and dip her head, in turn causing him to laugh under his breath at her behavior. He hadn't yet figured out if she had some level of shyness to her or if she was still nervous around everyone. He only knew he got a kick out of making her blush.

"Don't worry, Guppy. I'll explain it to you later while we're getting our work done," Gopher told her.

"Gopher, I'm sure her reaction is from knowing exactly what you mean. Just let it go, sweetheart," Esme told him.

"Yeah, bro. Don't make it worse," Whit added.

"One thing is for sure," Bella said as she shook her head. "I'll never think of comic book heroes the same way again."

Whit laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders. "By the time this summer is over, we'll have changed your view on tons of things."

"Why does that sound so scary?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

The grin he gave her was enough to make Masen want to kick him under the table but it was the sideways glance toward him that sealed Whit's fate before he ever spoke. "Sometimes people just find change to be a scary thing. It even keeps them up all night thinking about it."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"So what's first?" Bella asked as she stood in the small kitchen with Gopher.

He set a bunch of empty containers and lids onto the counter beside her. "We put the leftovers away on one particular shelf that only holds items the crew is allowed to snack on. When I first joined up, they'd just go in there and grab anything and it was usually something I'd put aside for the next meal. So now there's a dedicated shelf."

"That's a great idea, Gopher. You get them fed and your kitchen organized all at once."

"Yeah, even Mase was pretty impressed with it the first time he saw it."

"He seems difficult to impress."

"I wouldn't say that. He just … He has this sixth sense about him. He just knows when you're giving your all and when you're slacking off and it pisses him off when he knows someone has half-assed something. It's pretty rare for me to say I absolutely didn't do anything to earn his wrath."

"A wrath?" she joked. "He has a wrath?"

"Oh, yeah," Gopher said, stepping back and giving her an appraising look. "I heard about the ocean center fiasco. And the apology that followed. That's some nice work, Guppy."

"But I didn't do anything. Well, I did freak out."

"Yeah, but that wasn't on purpose or your fault. We all have something that makes us feel out of control. Sharks are your thing. You know, you being here right now impresses him."

"What? How?"

"You're battling your fear _and_ trying to make the marine world a better place. What's _not_ impressive about that?"

Her eyes narrowed as she looked him over, positive that this man couldn't possibly have a fear. She was so positive in fact that she challenged him. "What's your thing?"

He looked up from the container he was closing and stared at her as if she'd grown an extra head. "You don't believe me."

"Well … Okay, no, not really. You're so light, like there's nothing that could ever bother you for long. I don't think I've seen you go more than a few minutes without finding something to smile about."

"That's 'cause I live in the moment. In the right here and now. In the place where Lee loves me and I get to be a part of this crew that's really a family. But I'm so much her opposite. She's studious and serious and she always knows exactly what she wants. I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of guy and I enjoy making people laugh and relaxing with good friends and good food. Right now, she likes that stuff about me. But tomorrow or the next day, I might not be enough. She might want someone more like her, someone serious. That's my fear."

"If I was serious all the time, I'd want someone who wasn't to balance things out," she said, hoping that Lee felt the same.

"Are you trying to ease my fear, Guppy?" he asked, grinning wide at her.

"Maybe," she replied as she mirrored his grin.

"Thanks. I appreciate that." He shifted his head to the side as he looked her over and then added, "I know it's hard to be the newbie and you probably don't feel much like you fit in just yet, but trust me when I say that you'll do just fine.

"Now quit talking my ear off and do some work," he ordered with a teasing smile as he handed her a stack of containers. "Put these away on the middle shelf. Keeps the food right in their line of sight so they don't get curious about the other shelves."

Bella managed to wrestle the door open without dropping any of the containers and then she let out a low whistle. The inside of the refrigerator was immaculate and so well-organized that she could tell the purpose of every shelf and bin without him explaining. It meant he took pride in his role as the chef and put a lot of effort into doing the job well.

Bella put away the last container and closed the door—and noticed the alphabet magnets that spelled out "Team MMR". Just below the letters were a group of pictures, each holding an explanation and a year written in a half-messy, half-cursive handwriting.

The first picture she took a closer look at was one of Whit smiling with a giant palm tree looming up behind him. He was looking away from the camera and seemed really happy with whatever he was reacting to. The writing noted that the photo was taken in California in 2004. It also said "Our First Expedition"—Bella immediately thought of the Farallon Islands.

The next picture had Bella laughing under her breath. It also told her the handwriting on the pictures belonged to Lee. The photo was of Lee and Edward and she had written "This is Masen ruining my perfect Cali pic". This one was dated 2004 just like the one of Whit.

The picture at the right corner was of Gopher and simply said "Home" and had been taken in 2008. He was on the beach with the waves pounding against a large rock formation behind him. He was looking directly at the camera and Bella just knew he was smiling so big because Lee was the one taking his picture.

A photo of Esme sitting near some surfboards started off the next row of pictures. It had been taken in Australia just last year. She had this expression on her face like she couldn't decide if she was having a good time or was about to ground someone. Bella felt pretty sure Edward had taken that picture.

The next photo had Bella letting out a soft "aw" and grinning wide—a very tiny puppy looking not quite steady on her little legs. It was also dated for last year and even though it didn't say so, Bella knew this photo had also been taken in Australia because of the story Edward had told her about Lizzy.

The last picture was entirely too typical and it made her laugh out loud. It had been taken just last month and it was of Edward. He didn't seem too pleased with the photographer, though it was hard to be completely sure since he had on his dark sunglasses. There was a beautiful blue sky behind him and the water rolling in toward the beach, scenery that should have had him happy and smiling instead of looking like a grouch.

"Whatcha laughing at?" Gopher asked from behind, making her jump a little.

"Lizzy's just so cute," she said, quickly pointing at the puppy's picture.

"Yeah, she's a big fan of Mase for sure. She'll even growl at Lee sometimes."

"Really?"

"Yep. She doesn't play when it comes to guarding him."

"But she's so little," Bella replied with a laugh. "What does she think she can do?"

"Hey, size ain't everything, Guppy. It's all about what you do with what you've got."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, okay."

"Oh, hell. Almost forgot," he said as he reached into his apron pocket. He gently pushed Bella aside and grabbed the roll of scotch tape from the top of the refrigerator. After tearing a strip off and attaching it to whatever he was holding, he slapped it onto the door just below Lizzy's picture.

As soon as he moved aside, Bella leaned in to see what it was. She let out a gasp and reached for the photo, running her finger along the words "Bella's First Day Onboard 2009".

"Who took this? When? Is that really me?" she asked.

"You'd have to ask Lee. All I know is she told me to add it to the others."

Bella remembered being out on deck enjoying the sunshine but she didn't remember seeing a camera. She certainly hadn't posed for a picture. And this picture really looked like it belonged on some magazine. The sun was hitting her just the right way and it made her skin and eyes seem pale in comparison to her very pink lips.

"It was either her or Mase," Gopher continued. "They're the photogs on board. They get some of the craziest pictures too, man. I swear they're like photo ninjas." He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. "You okay?"

"Me? Yeah. Fine. So what's next?"

Gopher smiled at her response but didn't comment on it. "Let's get the dishes clean. Then I'll introduce you to the supply closet down below and the duties checklist."

He moved toward the sink and she took a step to follow but then she noticed the ripped corner of a photo sticking out from under a recipe card. She lifted the card and found herself unable to breathe. Staring out at her were the deep green eyes that had turned her world upside down on her first night in Hawaii.

"Come on, Guppy," Gopher called out.

She let the card fall and then walked over to him on shaky legs, trying to reconcile what she'd just seen with what she knew to be true. _Maybe he really does wear contacts_, she thought. Just as quickly, she answered herself, _No. I would have seen the edges with as close to him as I've been_.

She licked her dry lips and then plunged ahead with her question. "Gopher, what color eyes does Edward have? I was just wondering if they're gray like Esme's. It's just such a rare eye color and I wonder if she passed it on to him."

"Mase has hazel eyes. Supposedly the colors change with his mood but I don't pay attention to stuff like that. Whit and Lee know all about it. You should ask one of them."

There was no way in the world Bella would ask Lee—not until the woman had warmed up to her. But maybe there was a way to ask Whit without being obvious.

After the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Gopher took Bella to a level of the boat she hadn't seen during her tour with Edward and showed her a small closet with floor to ceiling shelves of supplies for cleaning. Once again, it was all organized and separated to make it easy to find whatever was needed. Gopher pulled a clipboard down from the back of the door and handed it to her.

"I use this to not only make sure I don't forget anything, but to show Mase what's complete and what's on my agenda for the next day. He uses it for backup for the paycheck he writes me."

She smiled up at him. "Does being a Gopher pay well?"

"Not really but I'm not here for the money. I'm here for the perks. The adventure. The travel. Being part of something helpful for the world. And especially for the girl." He wore a huge, dopey grin as he said that last part.

"How did you two meet?" she asked as she watched him fill a carry-all with supplies.

"I was down in Hawaii for a family vacation and I went into Whit's parents' store to get some gear. Lee was in there sitting on the counter with her feet bouncing and her lips moving to the music playing overhead. It took a little while for her to notice me standing there and when she did she asked me if I saw something I liked."

Bella grinned. "I'm guessing you had an equally cheesy reply?"

"Actually, I told her 'no' and walked right past her."

Bella was so shocked her question came out as more of a squeak. "You did?"

"I'm a pretty good judge of character and I could tell right away that Lee likes a challenge. So I gave her one. I didn't commit to seeing her again but I did tell her where I would be if she felt like dropping by. By the third time we hung out, I knew she was hooked so I took her on a real date. Just the two of us to a swanky restaurant the lobby girl at my hotel recommended. I gave Lee the full-on experience—dinner, dancing, looking up at the moon from the beach. We've been together ever since."

"That's really awesome, Gopher. You seem like you love her a lot."

He grinned and it made his eyes crinkle at the corners. "She's easy to love."

His expression and his words were so heartfelt and honest; it made Bella think of her dad and how he'd always spoken of her mom. "I'm glad you guys have each other," she said to Gopher.

"Me too." He grabbed a couple of rags, picked up the carry-all, and then kicked the door shut with his foot. "Let's go, Guppy. We've got to make this boat sparkle and I want to get the sleeping deck done before we stop to make lunch."

They headed up one deck and Gopher led her past the bathroom. "We'll save that for the very end," he told her as he pushed open the door to Whit's room. "The rooms are pretty simple. Empty the trash cans and bring the laundry down below every day. Then on Thursdays change out the bed sheets."

"What do you do with the laundry?"

"Wash it, dry it, fold it, put it on their beds."

"But … How?"

Gopher let out a throaty laugh. "With a washer and dryer."

"On a boat?"

"Yep. It's a small combo unit but it gets the job done."

"Wow. This boat really has it all."

"And then some," Gopher agreed with a nod. "You want the trash can or the hamper?"

Neither sounded particularly appealing. "How about I make the beds instead?"

He snorted. "Yeah, that's on them to do. I'm the boat's caretaker, not their momma. So pick your poison, Guppy. Trash or funky smelling clothing?"

She ended up picking the trash, figuring it couldn't be too big of a deal since they'd only been on the boat for a day so far. While she was in the room, she took note of the large surfboard propped in the corner and wondered why Whit would have it here in the small room instead of stored somewhere else on the boat. She also looked at the pictures he had taped to the wall beside his bed—pictures of his parents and his friends with everyone smiling in every photo, even Edward.

"That bear's not mine," Gopher called out to her from across the room. "Don't listen to anything Whit says about it."

"You're smiling pretty big for it not being yours," she teased, looking over her shoulder at him.

He grinned and rubbed his chin with his free hand. "Yeah, well, Lee asked me to pose with the thing so …"

Bella decided not to tease him any further but that was mostly because they headed up the hall to the room he shared with Lee. From the colors in the bedspread to the pictures on the dresser, it was clear that Lee was in charge of the decorating. She had one picture of Gopher stretched out on the beach in a cute seashell covered frame sitting right next to a framed photo of her and Gopher with Edward. The thing that struck Bella the most about the photo was how Edward seemed to be the focal point and how he was standing between Lee and Gopher instead of beside them. It made her wonder once again if at some point in their past Lee and Edward had been more than friends.

"I took that one," Gopher said as he pointed to the third and final picture on the dresser. "Even got a compliment from Mase on how good Lee looks in it," he added with his pride clear in his tone.

"She's very lovely when she smiles."

"Yeah, she is. Pisses her off how rarely we can get Mase to smile in pictures. Like in this one," he said, handing her a loose photo from the small shelf above the dresser. It was a picture of Edward and he seemed to have been interrupted and was turning his head to find out why when the photo was taken. The sun was shining down on his face and highlighting his eyes—his _blue_ eyes. Bella was shocked by how badly she wanted to know what the colors meant, hoping that the knowledge would give her some clue about how he really felt about her. She needed them to be friends for the internship to work but she also wanted that passion they'd shared so briefly in the corner of that bar, no matter how much she shouldn't want that.

The sound of Gopher's voice drew her out of her head and her swirling thoughts, "…but she always seems to manage at least one of him smiling. It usually takes Esme or Whit or both of them helping though. You know, distracting him from realizing Lee has the camera out."

He took the picture from Bella and set it back up on the shelf. "That's just Mase, though. He's usually in the middle of something when she wants a picture and neither of them wants to give in and wait on the other. I swear sometimes it's like they really are sister and brother and just can't help fighting with each other."

"Two dominant personalities," Bella mused as she watched Gopher dump the laundry from the hamper into the mesh sack.

Gopher only grunted at her words. There wasn't any trash in this room so once he had the bag slung over his shoulder, they headed to the next room. Esme's room. Which was really Edward's room.

The room was surprisingly rumpled to Bella; she'd been expecting it to be spotless like her uncle's room always seemed to be. Instead, the covers were bunched up near the foot of the bed and the pillows were stacked haphazardly against the headboard. Adding to the messy feel was the corner of the room clearly devoted to Lizzy; it housed her doggie bed and a slew of scattered toys.

The dresser in here was low and wide compared to the short and tall dressers in the other rooms. There were some pictures on it but first Bella wanted to see the ones sitting on the short bookcase next to the bed. She felt drawn to them for some reason, maybe just because they seemed so out of place. The first was grainy and appeared to be pretty old. It was of the back of a woman's head and shoulders. She was looking out at a body of water and there was a baby in her arms looking with her and wearing the ugliest little striped hat Bella had ever seen. The next frame held two pictures but they didn't seem to have a thing to do with each other. The one on the left side was an old sepia print of a teenage girl holding a little baby. The one on the right side was Edward and Esme sitting together on the ground with pieces of dry grass sticking to their pants legs. It looked like Gopher was standing behind them with a football in his hands—probably a family picnic of some sort.

"Gopher, is this your stomach next to the football?" she questioned, pointing at the photo.

"Yeah. We did teams that day and my team kicked ass."

"Who's in this other photo in the frame? And who's the woman with the baby in this other one?"

"Those photos belong to Masen. You'd have to ask him." She couldn't see his face to know for sure, but Bella felt certain Gopher was uncomfortable and that's why his answer had been so stiff.

"Hey, Esme put her pictures up over here on the dresser and there's one of me in my car and Lee in hers." If he was attempting to hide the fact that he wanted Bella away from those pictures on the bookcase, he was doing a really bad job.

But Bella took pity on him and walked over to where he stood near the dresser. "What kind of car?"

"Mine's a '62 Impala. Topless with a red leather interior. Beautiful car, Guppy. When you sit in it and turn the engine and feel it rumbling …" He brought his fingers to his lips and kissed them. "Bellissimo."

Bella laughed at his expression and tone because of how much it reminded her of Jake's love of his motorcycle. "Your other baby, huh?" she teased.

"Oh hell yeah," he agreed with a nod. "And this is Lee sitting in her car. It's an '06 Honda Accord and she's got the engine and exhaust all tricked out. She can get that little car to do some amazing things."

The picture to the right of Lee and Gopher's was of Whit standing on a street somewhere. His hat was the same as the one in the picture on the refrigerator so Bella assumed it had been taken in California. She would have asked but her eye caught sight of the skin near his hip and the letters imprinted on it.

"Is that a tattoo or just ink from a marker?" she asked.

Gopher snorted. "Marker. He and Mase got smashed one night while they were out in Cali so Lee decided to screw with them and make them think they'd gotten tattoos together. She made Whit's say 'I'm lost' and then Masen's said 'I'll find you'. With Whit's on his right hip and Masen's on his left, it really looked like they'd taken their best friends status to a whole new level.

"Man, they were so pissed at her," he added, barking out a laugh. "For days after too. They normally forgive her within a couple hours."

"They seem really close." It was all she could come up with since her mind was busy reeling over the picture of Edward sitting on the left hand side of the dresser. It had most likely been taken here on the boat since there was nothing but ocean behind him. The sun was making the reddish streaks in his hair shimmer. Of course, it wasn't the ocean or the hair that had her mind spinning. It was once again the color of his eyes—gray. They were a lighter gray than Esme's, but gray all the same.

"Come on, Guppy. We've got your room, the bathroom, and the office left on this floor and just enough time to get them all done before we have to start preparing lunch."

After arguing over whether or not it was right for Gopher to have to deal with her laundry—and losing the argument—Bella found herself having to explain the two small pictures she'd brought along with her.

"Who's the hottie and who's the old dude?" Gopher asked, picking up the two small rainbow-colored picture frames.

"That's my little sister and my uncle. And he's not old."

"Your sister looks a lot like you, Guppy. Does she have the same quiet personality as you?"

"Quiet?"

"Yeah. You don't just blurt shit out unless you're really shocked. You mull it over in your head first. For like, a while."

Bella couldn't argue with that so she didn't try. "No, Ali's more like my uncle. She'll join any conversation at any time as long as it seems like it'll be interesting. She's a people person and a charmer."

"Life of the party, huh?"

"Pretty much. But it's good that she's so different. I don't think we would be able to stand each other half as much if we were exactly the same."

"How's she doing without her big sis around?"

"She's always been quick to adapt to situations. I mean, of course she misses me, but she's in college and a sorority so she's got plenty to keep her busy."

"And your uncle?"

Bella smiled as she thought of him. "He knows this is where I need to be right now and supports me all the way. In fact, if it weren't for him, I probably would have chickened out on sending my application in."

"Just think of everything you would have already missed out on if you hadn't sent it. And you wouldn't have the awesome name of Guppy to go by either."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's so awesome."

He stared at her for a moment and then gave her this grin that made her nervous.

"What?" she blurted out.

"Nothing," he said, nearly laughing the word. "Nothing at all."

"No, it's definitely something. What is it?"

His smile widened. "It's just that I noticed you weren't complaining when Mase was calling you Guppy."

Bella struggled to respond while turning a couple shades of red and pink. "Well, he's the boss … You don't … You're not supposed to argue with your boss?" The last bit came out as more of a question and it had Gopher laughing.

"Whatever you say, Guppy."

She didn't dare speak and chance saying something else stupid. She grabbed the carry-all from where he'd set it down on the corner of her dresser and headed for the bathroom with it, all the while being followed by Gopher and his laughter.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Mase, get your girl, man," Whit yelled before grunting loudly. "Dude, seriously! She won't stop licking my face."

Masen laughed as he scooped Lizzy up with one hand. "You were the idiot who stretched out on the deck," he said as he sank down into one of the plastic chairs with Lizzy resting against his bare chest.

"The sun feels too good for anything else."

"It really does feel good," he agreed, closing his gray eyes and tilting his face to soak up more of the warmth. He enjoyed the sun and the silence for a while before his mind turned toward tagging. "Are we still on schedule to hit the South Pacific tomorrow?"

"Yep. Long as the weather stays like this. Then we can anchor and recon, and the day after that we tag us some sharks."

"Probably going to be tigers."

"I was thinking about that."

The sound of shuffling caused Masen to sit up straight and open his eyes. Whit was turned on his side and staring at him. "What?"

"Maybe we shouldn't go with tigers."

"Why not?"

"For one, we've tagged tigers a fair amount in the last year. For another, there's a certain someone who's going to be watching us tag and tigers aren't exactly the friendliest species."

Masen nodded his head in agreement with that last part. "Tigers are definitely not the friendliest. But that's what makes them perfect in this case. Their unpredictability and temperament will be a great contradiction to what we show Guppy with the great whites. Not that whites are predictable, but they do tend to follow a pattern where tigers just go wherever the hell whenever."

"Alright, I see the wisdom in that. So tigers it is. We'll have to be extra prepared and extra precise with every bit of it. We have a screw up with our tagging and we'll probably send her running home."

"We've got tagging down. We won't screw it up. If anything happens, it'll be something we couldn't have prepared for. Pretty sure she can understand that."

Whit's expression quickly changed from serious to joking. "Pretty sure you're saying that 'cause you're not ready for her to leave."

Masen's sigh was loud enough that Lizzy lifted her head from his chest to look up at him. He smiled at her and blew softly into her face, making her close her eyes for just a second and then bark at him.

"I think someone is using his dog as a way to deflect."

He did his best to ignore his friend and his annoying laughter while continuing to blow small puffs of air at Lizzy. She gave off her little growl and then lifted up and nipped the underside of his chin, making both him and Whit laugh.

"No biting or no treat for you later," he warned while pointing his long finger at her nose. She playfully bit the tip of his finger and then gave him that doggie grin that usually earned her a treat.

Whit snorted and shook his head. "In doggie world, she just kicked your ass and made you say 'thank you'."

"She wouldn't do that," Masen replied, cooing the words to his puppy as he scratched behind both her ears. "You love me, don't ya, Lizzy? That's why you're my special girl."

"Well don't you three look hard at work," Esme said as she sat down in the chair beside him.

Masen eyed her warily. "Didn't hear you come out, Mom. How long have you been out here?"

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know. Didn't time myself."

"I know that look," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. "What do you want?"

"Since when do I have to want something to spend time with you, Kid?"

He snorted at her response. "Since you started smiling at me that way."

"What way?" Her words sounded innocent enough but he knew better; he knew _her_.

"Whit, wanna take Lizzy inside for me?" he asked, never taking his eyes from Esme's. "Seems like my mom needs my undivided attention for something."

Whit laughed. "Maybe I should leave her to protect you. Esme looks like she means business."

She laughed and ruffled Masen's hair. "He doesn't need any protection from me."

Something about the way she spoke left him with the impression that she felt he needed protection from somebody else. But who? He was way past the age of needing his mom to stand up for him. Not to mention that Esme had always encouraged him to stand up for himself first and only go to her if it failed; she had helped him develop independence and courage.

"So," Esme said once Whit had gone inside with Lizzy.

"So," Masen repeated.

Her smile widened. "I know you took it."

At first, he was honestly confused about her meaning but as the silence continued to spin out between them, he started to suspect what this conversation was going to be about.

"It's a picture. For the fridge. No big deal." He shrugged to add to the disaffected tone he'd used, hoping it would be enough to end the conversation.

"Do you know what I love about you, Edward?"

Now it was his turn to smile. "My sparkling personality? My rugged good looks? My brilliance in all things mechanical and marine?"

"No, Kid, those are all things I tolerate about you," she joked, winking to make sure he knew she was teasing. "What I love about you is that you always put your heart and soul into what you do, whether it's taking a picture or building something in your project room down below. I can always see a bit of you in what you do."

The way she watched him said more to him than her words. _I know you. I know what I see._

He couldn't lie to her—technically he could but in his heart he knew he never would. Not to her. Not even about the things he didn't want to share with her. "She confuses me."

Esme seemed to be waiting for him to continue so he did. "She should be easy to figure out but she's not. Nobody confuses me but she does. Maybe that's all it is. Maybe I just want to know how the hell she can do that."

Silence was the only response he received.

"But I don't really believe that's all it is. There's just … It doesn't matter, though. I don't think now is the time to find out." He didn't like the way his words had come out unsure so he rephrased them and said them in a stronger tone. "It's not the right time."

She lifted her eyebrows upward but said nothing.

"MMR is about all of us but this … this _thing_ is just about me and it can wait."

More silence from Esme.

"It's not like there's any reason I have to figure it out right now. So waiting is better."

She gave him the half grin he was always giving to Lee and for once he finally knew why his friend found it so annoying—it was so damn self-satisfied.

"I really you wish you wouldn't get involved in this. I don't want to talk about it. And I really don't get what's so fascinating that you and Whit have to keep bringing it up."

Esme continued to sit there and smile without saying anything.

He gave an exasperated sigh and then gave her his best pleading look. "Please let it go."

She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I didn't say a word, Kid. It was all you."

His jaw fell open and he choked on his own breath; to add to insult to his injury, she started laughing at him.

She stood and ruffled his hair, all the while smiling at him until he huffed and pushed her hand away. She laughed and then took hold of his chin, tilting his face to hers and looking straight into his blue eyes.

"Edward, I won't bring it up again until you do. But first, I need to say this to you … You won't be able to wait. It's better to get it out of the way before it gets to the point where you're jumping out of your skin. But that's just a mother's suggestion to her favorite son. You do with it what you will, as you always do. I'll just sit back and watch to see if you end up being brilliant, stubborn, or brilliantly stubborn."

She kissed his forehead and then left him alone to process what she'd said and what she'd goaded him into saying.

As hard as he tried and as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't understand how both his mom and his best friend could think there was no problem while he saw a huge one. This wasn't just some woman he'd met and if things went sour they just went that way. This thing had the potential to ruin a lot of things for a lot of people—and quite a few sharks too.

The problem was that he only felt it was an issue when he wasn't around her. When she got anywhere near him, every reason he had for waiting was forgotten and all he could think about was getting closer to her. She screwed up his thoughts and his rhythm and his priorities. And if he were ready to be perfectly honest with himself, that was the real reason he wanted to avoid whatever this thing between them was—he didn't want his priorities to change.

"Edward."

Masen was so sure the voice was in his head that he didn't react until Bella put her hand on his arm, touching his warm skin with her cool hand. He jerked so hard at her touch that he nearly fell right over, chair and all.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Her face was red and he was pretty sure it was from keeping her laughter locked away.

"Something funny, _Guppy_?" he asked, emphasizing the nickname to annoy her. If he was annoyed then she should be too because it was all her fault.

"Honestly …" She bit on her lower lip as if she had changed her mind about speaking but then she smiled and met his gaze. "You know, it was pretty funny to see you almost topple right out of that chair. Had you actually fallen, I would have been required to laugh and attempt to take a picture of it."

"Would have been a wasted attempt. I would have gotten up before you could."

"Oh, I know. It takes me forever to figure out what button to press on my phone."

"I meant I'm quicker than you."

Her smile widened so much that he rolled his eyes even before she spoke. "I know what you meant, Edward."

"So you've got jokes now?" He was supposed to be annoyed with her for saying something like that but he was having the hardest time not grinning at her little display of cockiness.

"Sometimes," she said as she sat down beside him. "You were kind of an easy target just now. I thought about taking pity on you but then I remembered you were a jerk to me a couple times already so …" She smiled and leaned in, bumping his forearm with hers. "I'm teasing by the way. Well, not about you being a jerk, but you're forgiven for that so …"

He didn't even realize he was smiling as wide as she was when he replied, "One minute you can barely string together a sentence and the next you're like a faucet that can't be turned off. I'm not sure which I like better."

She turned her head more toward him and as brown met blue she softly said, "Maybe both."

"Maybe."

Bella blushed and quickly looked away. "I finished helping Gopher with everything for today. He said he didn't need my help for dinner tonight."

"What did you think of his role in our crew?"

"I think he's really great at it. He takes pride in all of his duties, no matter how small."

"You sound impressed."

"I am. He's a great guy. And a great teacher too. Very patient."

"Was that last part a dig at me?" He could just make out the corner of her mouth twitching from his question.

"Maybe."

"See, I was gonna let you sit here and enjoy the rest of your afternoon off," he said as he got to his feet. "But now you've talked yourself right into more work." He took hold of her hand and pulled her up from the chair; it caused her to blush but he had no idea why and was too focused on the idea he'd come up with to focus on it.

He led her to the side of the boat where a ladder was bolted in and led to the upper decks. "You first," he said as he pulled her in front of him and put the hand he'd been holding onto the ladder's rung.

She pulled her hand away as if she'd touched something hot. "I can't climb that."

"Why not?"

Her nose crinkled and her eyes drifted to her bare feet. "I'm in a dress."

"A dress? Or a cover over your bathing suit?"

"Um … dress."

He tried not to laugh for about a second but the absurdity of her wearing a dress while on a boat was too much. "You were _that_ sure you weren't going to be getting wet today, huh?"

She tugged on her ponytail while continuing to stare at her feet.

"What if I promise not to look up?" he offered.

Her head jerked up and the look she gave him made it very clear she didn't trust him to behave. She was probably right not to trust him but he wasn't going to tell her that.

But he was going to let her in on what she was so clearly missing. "First or last up the ladder, there's gonna be something to see."

"Jerk." She was calling him a name but she was also smiling and that made his own smile turn cocky.

"I'm just an innocent bystander in this wardrobe malfunction you're having."

"Then I'll just go change."

He rolled his eyes at her. "I was kidding. I'm not going to look under your dress." He counted to three in his head and then added, "Unless you want me to."

Her entire face flamed red and her brown eyes were so wide he could see little gold flecks around her irises, a perfect reaction in his opinion—and definitely deserving of the loud laughter he let out as he grabbed hold of a rung and started climbing. He knew she would follow, even if it was only to try to get back at him for making her blush.

He was almost to the viewing deck when he heard her voice call out to him. "The viewing deck or the one above?"

"All the way to the top, Guppy. We're going to do some recon and find out what we can spot in the water. Should be pretty easy since it's such a clear day."

He reached what he called the "crow's nest" of his boat, named after the lookout point in old pirate ships. Growing up he'd read anything he could get his hands on that had to do with pirates and ships and ocean travel. His favorites had been _Treasure Island_ and _20,000 Leagues Under The Sea_.

Masen smiled as he remembered going through a phase where he'd told his mother he was going to be like Captain Nemo and live underwater. She'd smiled and said she would miss him if he stayed in the sea all the time so he'd promised she could go along if she wanted and if she didn't then he'd visit her on land once every month, like the way Davey Jones could only come on land once every ten years.

Bella's voice tugged him from his memories. "I probably shouldn't admit this since this is supposed to be a form of punishment …"

He turned toward her voice as he waited to hear the rest of what she was going to say and found himself mesmerized by the view. She was right at the top of the ladder and leaning forward to set her foot onto the deck. A wide gap existed between her skin and the top of her dress, exposing just enough cleavage to make his body twitch and beg for her to lean over more.

"But I was really hoping to get up here at some point and take in the view," she finished as she righted herself and pushed a few loose strands of hair out of her face.

He noticed she'd missed one and instead of just telling her so he found himself reaching out and moving it for her, tucking it gently behind her ear. "It's a great view," he said, not entirely meaning the ocean they would be overlooking.

He would have been annoyed with himself if he'd realized he'd already forgotten all about his priorities and his conviction that it wasn't the right time to wade into confusing waters with Bella. But he wasn't aware and that left him open to her and the feelings she stirred inside of him.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Freshly showered and relaxed in her t-shirt and shorts, Bella situated her laptop over her legs and powered it on. It had been a long day and she was more than ready to get some sleep but she'd promised her little sister an email.

Once she had her email account up, she found the email Edward had promised her right away. The pictures he'd chosen to send her from the whale sighting were all perfect and gorgeous and definite magazine material. It took a long time for her to narrow it down to just two from the dozen he'd sent. She wanted to save the rest for later, for when she was home and showing Ali and Uncle Carl all of her summer photos.

Bella opened up a new email window, already knowing exactly what she wanted to say to her sister.

_Alice,_

_I sent your first stamped letter yesterday while we were still in Hawaii. I'll send the next once we reach Africa. I don't know when that will be exactly so you'll have to be happy with emails until then._

_Things are going okay so far. Today was my first day of actual work. I was partnered with Gopher, handling the care and maintenance of the boat's interior. It's just a really fancy way of saying I helped with the cooking and cleaning. ;) Gopher made sure it wasn't too horrible for me. He's really great at what he does and I'm enjoying working with him._

_I've attached two of the orca pictures I promised I would send. It was hard to pick just two but I want to save the others for when I'm home and can explain everything about that day to you and Uncle Carl. Edward did such a great job with the photos that it was hard to pick just a couple._

_It's been a smooth journey on the boat so far. Warm sun in a nearly cloudless blue sky and miles of beautiful ocean on all sides. It's so peaceful, Ali. I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to be on the water this way, to not be surrounded by city sounds and globs of people. And it's not just the day that's so beautiful. It's the night too and being able to see so many stars above and the nearly full moon reflected on the water below. I wish I could blend the two worlds together. Have my mornings and nights on the water and the middle of my day on land. Someone should really invent a luxury boat that's super fast and transforms into a car once you're on land. LOL Then I could have the best of both worlds._

_It's been a long day and I really need to get to bed. Good luck on your very first day of adult employment tomorrow! I know you'll be the best file clerk that law firm has ever seen._

_Give hugs and kisses to Uncle Carl for me. Talk to you soon._

_Luv & hugs,_

_Bella_

After making sure the email left her outbox, Bella closed the lid on her laptop and set it aside. She didn't curl up under the covers, though. She had one more thing she needed to do today.

Her hand slid under the extra pillow on her bed and she pulled her journal out. The thin dark blue ribbon made it easy to open the book to a fresh page. She wrote carefully in an easy to read print, just the way her father had taught her from an early age.

_Sighted: Wahoo_

_Where: North Pacific_

_Conditions: Sunny day, calm winds, early afternoon._

_Description: Spotted small group of three swimming just below the surface. Long, scaly, with a mouth that's somewhat pointed. Thought it was mackerel but Edward was positive it was Wahoo, only he called them Ono (Hawaiian word). He says they're prized for sport fishing in Hawaii and Bermuda._

_Side Note: Interesting to have someone who knows so much about marine life with me for this sighting. No need to research what I saw when I have what appears to be a walking marine encyclopedia next to me. While not looking forward to seeing the toothy beasts, I am curious about what my encyclopedia will share with me about them :)_

She put her journal away and then scooted around in the bed until she felt comfortable. It had been a long, full day and she worried at first she would be overtired and unable to fall asleep. But the gentle rocking of the boat helped lull her into a daze that eventually turned into sleep—and dreams of Edward Masen. Blue eyed, gray eyed, and heaven help her, green eyed Edward Masen.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hope you all enjoyed reading the chapter as much as EternallyAddicted and I did writing it! My favorite line from this chapter was ... "Don't blame your lack of slumber on me, Mase," Whit warned, pointing at him with a triangle of toast. "He who smelt it, dealt it." And my favorite scene was Masen spewing his guts while Esme sat there smiling, cool as a cucumber! Let us know your favorite line and/or scene in your review!

EA has updated the blog with the pictures from the refrigerator and each of the bedrooms. Head on over and check them out www (dot) masenmarineresearch (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Also, for those that enjoy EA's stories, she has new one coming out tonight! It's called **Somewhere I Belong** and is well worth the read! I'll give you the summary here and if you want to check out the teaser, head on over to her blog at www (dot) eternallyaddicted (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Summary: Born to parents living a rich and glamorous lifestyle, Bella had never felt as if she belonged in their world where life often felt fake and pretentious. Wanting more out of life and wanting to make a worthwhile difference, Bella assumes a fake identity and heads off to spend her last summer before college doing something real and meaningful. Her journey starts with meeting a handsome stranger, raised to help those in need—and to detest the rich. What happens when he finds out her secret?


	9. 9 Tempest In Me

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 9 – Tempest In Me**

**Monday, June 2nd**

Masen's heavy sigh sounded loud even to his own ears in the quiet room. He'd fallen asleep not long after Whit had but unlike his slumbering friend, he was now wide awake and in need of something to occupy his mind. Actually he was in need of something else to occupy his mind because the dream that had woken him was still in his head. _Bella_ was still in his head.

Only it hadn't been just a dream. A fantasy he could have probably shrugged off, but the dream had been about his time with her earlier in the night. _"I like you. Um, I mean, I like how smart you are about marine life."_ She had started blushing with her self-correction and it had continued for some time after. He'd watched her pink skin slowly fade back to its usual golden tone while he'd turned her words over in his head and wondered which part of what she'd said had been the truth—her initial words or her correction.

In his dream, he had been in the crow's nest with her again and he'd come right out and asked her which was true this time instead of just brushing past it. She had seemed as if she was going to answer but he'd woken up before he could find out.

His hands dug into his hair and tugged while he clenched his eyes shut and let out another heavy sigh.

"Get the fuck out of my room, Mase," Whit groaned from his bed. "Some of us actually need sleep, you restless bastard."

He wasn't the least bit offended by his friend's words; in fact he started laughing. "Why so grouchy?"

"'Cause it's whatever the fuck time when normal people are sleeping and your ass is over there making all kinds of noise."

"Not my fault you're such a light sleeper." His words were met with sounds of rustling followed by a loud smack and Masen's surprised cry. "What the fuck, Whit? You just hit me in the face with a magazine."

Whit's initial reply was only a low, sleepy laugh. "Take your sorry ass across the hall and wake up the one who's keeping you up, you pansy."

"Nobody's keeping me up. I'm just restless."

"Liar."

Masen decided the best way to get Whit off his back was to screw with him. "Know what I think? I think you woke up because you were frustrated you weren't getting anywhere with your dream girl."

"Trust me, Mase, the last thing my dream girl left me was frustrated."

"Dude, what the fuck? Please tell me you aren't getting off in your sleep a few feet away from me."

"You don't have to have sex with a woman to be satisfied by her." Whit quickly corrected himself. "Well _you_ do, but not all men are like that. Some of us don't mind taking things slow and letting them build up. You always want it done and over so you can move on."

"Tell me, oh wise Buddha of the Boat, what were you doing that was so satisfying?"

He couldn't see Whit's face but he could definitely hear the smile in his friend's voice. "Kissing her."

"So you've finally seen her whole face?"

"Nope. But I don't need to see anything beyond her eyes and lips to kiss her."

"Let me make sure I've got this straight … You dreamed you kissed this girl and it left you feeling like that was enough?"

"Yeah."

"How?" he asked really wanting to know. He hoped the answer could solve his confusion problem with a certain brunette across the hall.

"Because I know it's not the last kiss. There's more coming my way so I don't feel impatient or needy about it. When it's time for more, there will be more. It's one of the perks of not denying how I feel about her."

Masen wasn't sure if that was meant to be a dig against him or not.

Luckily, Whit helpfully clarified things for him. "You should try it with Bella."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes, refusing to fall for what was so clearly Whit's attempt to annoy him. "I'm getting out of here so you can go back to sleep. You're obviously delirious from your tiredness," he said as he got up from the bed.

It seemed as if Whit was done talking for the night but just as Masen started to close the door, his friend decided he had one final thing to say. "If you decide not be a pansy, say 'hi' to Bella for me."

Masen grunted and closed the door but not before getting in the last word. "Dick."

He headed downstairs and into his project room, figuring he would get some work in since he didn't feel like sleeping anymore. He pulled out the sketch he'd drawn in his room before leaving Hawaii and headed upstairs to the kitchen with it. He grabbed a magnet from the side of the fridge and used it to tack his sketch onto the front of the refrigerator; it would allow him to see his design and keep it protected from the liquids he was about to work with.

There was one cabinet that was just for the kitchen equipment he used for his plastics work and it was from there that he pulled out two pots, a metal spoon, a roll of wax paper, and a small strainer with very fine mesh work. He took out a carton of milk and a bottle of vinegar and then opened a brand new roll of paper towels, knowing from past experience that the more he had, the easier it would be to control the mess.

The first step in his process was to spread the wax paper over a small section of the counter. Then he measured out the right amount of milk and poured it into one of his pots which he set over a low heat on the stove. While he waited for the milk to warm, he measured out the vinegar, using one tablespoon for every cup of milk he'd put into his pot. Once his milk was warm enough to form a foam on top and send rivulets of steam into the air, he turned the heat off, poured the vinegar in and stirred the mixture.

He pulled the second pot over, grabbed his strainer and then slowly poured the mixture through the strainer and into the previously empty pot. The strainer now held a thick, moldable, goo-like substance known as casein and it was this substance that he wanted. He dumped the glop onto the wax paper spread over the counter. Then he quickly grabbed the roll of paper towels and after wrapping a few layers around his hand, he gently pressed the towels to the goop to soak up just enough of the excess liquid to keep the casein from being too wet to work with.

With that done, he chose the widest mold in the cabinet and opened it up so that it was in two halves. Working carefully but quickly, he used his fingers to press the casein into the two halves and then locked the mold closed. As the casein dried inside of the mold, the edges of the halves would merge and create a solid shape. It would be dry enough for its first test in a couple of days though he'd still have to be careful with it. He always made his initial prototypes thin to save on time and material so while it ensured they would cure quickly, it also left them susceptible to breakage. He'd dropped one once and it had shattered into pieces at his feet.

He set the mold aside and then cleaned up the kitchen, making it look as though he hadn't been in it at all. He tucked his drawing under his arm, then used both hands to carefully carry his mold down to his project room. He put it on the small shelf above his plan table that he reserved for drying molds.

He filed his drawing away with his others and then looked around his room for what he could do next. Nothing really came to mind so he ended up pulling out the underwater topography charts for the area they planned to anchor the boat so he could study the lay of the land. He grabbed a clear film with blue and red lines and placed it on top of the map and now he could see the travel patterns of local tigers in relation to the topography of the area.

Masen studied and wrote notes and plotted scenarios until his forehead touched the map and his eyes closed one last time.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"What's he doing?" Bella asked Gopher as she watched Edward crunch yet another sheet of paper in his hands and add the ball to the stack he'd accumulated.

Gopher's chuckle made her grin because she felt it was the perfect mix of mischievous and happy. "Could be something. Could be nothing."

She laughed as she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "You really enjoy teasing me, don't you?"

"Don't go thinking you're special, Guppy. I deal my teasing out to everyone on this boat."

"Even Edward?" she challenged.

He grinned wide. "Especially Masen."

"So what _is_ he doing?" she asked as she turned her gaze back to Edward. He was scowling at the drawing pad in front of him, tapping the worn eraser of his pencil against the edge with his left hand and using his right to rub the back of his neck.

"He's sketching his game plan for the tagging we're going to do. From the growing pile beside him, he's either not liking something about the location or his planned method."

"He looks so … so _intense_." It was impossible for her to not think of the last time she'd seen him so focused—or of how it had felt to be the object of his attention.

"Mase does all he can to plan for every possibility. If anyone ever got hurt in a way that he could have prevented, he would never forgive himself."

"Why are we going to stop for that? I mean, I thought the purpose of the trip was to do research in Africa?"

"Why didn't you ask him this morning when he brought it up during the morning meeting?"

Bella blushed and dropped her eyes to the bowl she was stirring. "I thought I would get a chance to ask him after."

"So go ask," Gopher said as he swiped the bowl and spoon from her.

"But I'm helping you with dinner," she argued, reaching for the spoon and getting brushed aside.

"You're mostly staying out of my way since this is my secret recipe that not even Lee knows. Go ask him."

She felt her face flush again as her eyes darted between the two men. She didn't want to give away just how eager she was to talk with Edward, especially after how easy it had been to spend time with him yesterday afternoon. _And last night_, she thought. They had talked well past sunset, starting with marine life and ending with constellations. It had been fun and effortless and one of the nicest nights she'd had since before she'd broken up with Jacob. She'd gone on the occasional date here and there but none of the guys had held her interest the way Edward seemed to do so easily.

_But what if yesterday was some kind of fluke?_ That worry was the reason she hadn't jumped all over Gopher's suggestion to go to talk to Edward.

"Guppy, how old are you?"

She laughed as she looked up at him. "Don't you know you're not supposed to ask a woman that?"

He shrugged. "I'm tired of not being able to figure it out on my own. Besides, I'll tell if you'll tell. I'm twenty-five until September."

"Oh, I'm September too! Mine's the thirteenth."

"The fourth. And you still haven't told me your age, Guppy."

Her nose scrunched and formed wrinkles between her eyes. "Twenty-two."

"Why are you embarrassed by your age?"

"I'm not. I just … I feel really young saying it out loud. I know I'm the youngest here. I'd have to be with the year Edward, Lee, and Whit graduated."

"The three musketeers are older," Emmett agreed, "But not by that much. Mase and Whit are twenty-six and Lee turned twenty-seven in February."

"She's older than them?" Bella asked with a laugh. "No wonder she bosses them around so much."

Gopher laughed right along with her. "Nah, that's just her way. Now back to you … Don't think I forgot our original topic of conversation. You might be younger than us but I've already seen you hold your own against the toughest critic here. So how come you're not just marching right over there to ask him what he's doing?"

She couldn't bring herself to tell the full truth so she told a half-one instead. "Things are finally smoothing out between us and I don't want to wreck that by interrupting something important and setting his temper off."

Gopher didn't seem convinced or even a little swayed by her response. "_Go_." His demand was as insistent as the hand on her elbow, pushing her away from the counter.

With a nervous sigh and one last glance as Gopher, Bella slowly made her way over to the table where Edward was hard at work. Just before she reached him, she heard him mutter a curse and watched his arms flex as he ripped up a page and crunched it into a ball. He was just about to drop it onto his pile when he suddenly looked up at her.

She worried at first that she had interrupted just like she'd told Gopher she was afraid of doing but then he smiled—not the cocky one but the really nice one that made her want to spend time around him. "Hi."

He laughed and the full smile became the crooked one that made his eyes brighten. "Hi."

She went from feeling ready to jump out of her skin with anxiety to being infused with a streak of confidence and boldness. "Why are you wasting all this perfectly good paper?" she asked as she sat down across from him. "I mean, you're using a pencil so why not just erase your mistakes and keep using the same page?"

He continued smiling at her while blindly reaching out and grabbing one of the paper balls from the pile. He unrolled it and finally dropped his eyes from hers, watching his fists move across the sheet as he did his best to smooth it out. She saw just a flash of his cocky smile and then it was hidden behind the wrinkled page he was holding up in front of his face.

She gasped and covered her mouth with both hands, trying to stifle her laughter. She could see bits of his face and neck through the page from where he'd worn it through.

"You can only erase a spot so many times before the page withers," he said as he handed the sheet to her.

She ran her fingertips over the thin areas and then smiled up at him. "What are you trying to do? And what's giving you so much trouble about it?"

Edward moved his pad to the side, revealing a map of some kind that he turned around for Bella to see. "This is a topography map of the area we're going to drop anchor in tonight. We haven't personally traveled these waters before but a group we know and sometimes share maps with did and they gave us this." He touched the map and she realized there was something on top of it. "This is the known travel patterns of the tiger sharks in the area," he explained as he moved it to fit right over one particular section of the map."

Her heart picked up speed as she took in all of the red and blue lines. "Is every line an individual … um … one of them?"

"No." He lifted her hand from the table and curled her fingers under, leaving only her pointer finger on the map. "The blue lines are ocean currents," he said as he drew her finger up one of the curvier blue lines. "It's important to know which way the water will drag beneath the surface. It'll help us get Galeos and the skiff into the right positions. If we don't line them up correctly, they could drift at an inopportune moment and throw everything off.

"The red lines are sharks." The way he had his blue eyes trained so intently on her face made her feel like he was waiting for her to freak out, which she didn't blame him for at all after the fiasco at the ocean center.

"Go on," she encouraged.

"This was taken at a different time of year, the most active for this region. We'll probably only see half of this," he said, covering some of the lines with his large hand.

"That's still a lot of … of sharks."

He smiled so wide at her using that nasty little word that it actually made her want to use it again—but only so long as she got that same reaction. If she had to get outside of her comfort level, she should get rewarded.

Edward moved her finger toward an area where the lines were fewer and the blue colors of the underlying map were lighter. "This is where we're going to be," he explained. "Calmer waters and clearer too. Not as many rocky outcroppings to maneuver or plan around."

"Why are we stopping to tag?"

"I promised you we'd take things slow. I don't want your first experience with our tagging to come in Africa where things will be fast and frenzied. I want you to see it under calmer circumstances. It's an open area so the sharks won't be in groups and we'll have a high level of visibility to see them coming."

She wanted to believe what he was saying, that her first view of them in the water with sharks wouldn't be too big of a deal. But the little mountain of paper balls next to her made it impossible. "If it's going to be so much easier, why are you having such a hard time planning for it?"

"This isn't my plan," he said as he pointed at his discarded pages. "This is me making sure my plan is the best one possible."

"Prove it," she challenged.

He laughed as he finally let go of her hand. "You think it's that easy? You challenge me and I give you whatever you want?"

"If you want me to believe you, then yeah."

"Are you used to getting what you want?"

"Only when it matters."

"And this matters?"

"Yes."

He only stared so she stared back, taking in the blue of his eyes and searching for the reason the easy and light tone to their conversation had fled. She was sure he had to know something had shifted. In fact, she was pretty positive that he knew that she knew that he knew and was only pretending not to know. _My words are spinning as much as my head_, she thought as she resisted the urge to grab said spinning head to see if it would help. He made her feel clumsy and uncoordinated, like he was throwing off her equilibrium with just his stares and his words.

"Hey." Whit's voice made her jump and his laugh that followed made her blush. "Should I come back later?"

"What's up?" Masen asked, still looking only at Bella.

"We're nearing our drop point and you said to let you park Galeos. But if you're busy—"

Edward cut him off with his glare.

"Don't worry about Bella," Whit said as Edward stood. "I'll keep her company."

Edward grabbed his shoulder and shoved him forward while laughing. "You're helping me drop anchor. You can torture the intern later."

"I don't torture Bella. I make her feel welcome. Have you tried that yet?"

"Didn't we look like we were having a nice conversation when you walked up?" Edward asked, looking really annoyed with his friend.

"I don't know." Whit shifted his head and looked right at Bella, giving her that look that said he knew everything she was thinking even if she didn't. "Is that the adjective you would use, Guppy?"

"Oh, what's that, Gopher?" Bella called out while practically sprinting toward the safety of the kitchen. She wasn't completely sure since the sound of her heart beating in her ears had been so loud, but she thought she heard Whit and Edward laughing under their breath as she made her escape.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"You should have invited Bella to watch you park Galeos," Whit commented as he sat beside Masen at the wheel.

Masen snorted. "While I'm sure I could impress her with my nautical skills and perfect parking ability, I think she'd prefer to be in the kitchen right now."

"What'd you do now?"

Masen's lopsided grin reeked of smugness. "I got her to say 'shark'."

Whit narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips for a second, and then his mouth pulled up into a smile. "Well I'll be damned. You're serious."

"She looked like she'd swallowed some kind of bug, but she said it."

"You've got a foot in the door, Mase. Don't do anything to make her slam it on you."

"I know. Slow and steady. Just like with my boat," he said as he nudged the wheel to the left.

"Not too much more or you'll overshoot," Whit warned.

"I just want to get her straight."

"She's straight as an arrow, Mase. Kill the engines and drop anchor."

He trusted Whit's judgment and powered down the engines before releasing the anchor into the depths of the southern end of the Pacific Ocean. "Tomorrow we recon and the next day we tag. We pull anchor Thursday and should reach Africa by this time on Tuesday, as long as the weather holds out."

"Guess that means I'm driving Thursday while you review videos with Bella."

"You can ask Lee to drive if you want a break."

Whit let out a loud snort.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just noticing how you didn't offer for me to review the videos with Bella."

"Why would I do that? She's my responsibility." It took everything in him to control his ridiculous tell and not scratch the bridge of his nose. "I mean, the internship thing is my responsibility."

Whit's smirk made it clear he wasn't fooled. "No, I think you were right the first time."

Masen rolled his eyes at his friend while stepping past him. "I don't have time to play right now, Whit. I've got work to finish before Gopher serves up dinner."

"Oh, yeah. That's _totally_ why you're avoiding what I said."

He didn't take the bait Whit was casting; he kept walking down the hall and toward his pad and papers. That was until he saw Lee heading for the table and then he sprinted the rest of the distance, snatching up his materials before she could touch them.

"I wasn't going to mess with them," she protested.

He laughed and playfully jabbed her side with his elbow. "Why do you even try to lie to me?"

"Okay, so I was going to take a little peek," she admitted while pushing against his shoulder.

"I have yet to meet a nosier brat than you."

"Yeah, well I've never met a bigger control freak."

"Oh, Lee. You hurt me so. I'm gonna think you don't love me anymore."

"Damn you reek when you're full of it," she replied, giving him a big toothy smile.

He snorted and then headed downstairs with his materials clutched in his arms, wanting to put them away in his project room before she got nosy again. He usually didn't mind her snooping through his plans before he finalized them but then again he usually didn't have something to hide.

After closing the door to his project room and flipping the lock on it, he set his pad down on the plan table and opened it to the page he wanted to remove. The lines and curves from his pencil came together to form a set of soft yet vivid eyes and a sweet smile.

He always sketched to release tension when he got stuck with his plan development, usually just going for whatever inanimate object was closest to him at the time. He'd planned on using the Pepé Le Pew and Penelope salt shaker set Esme had bought and insisted on bringing aboard. The girl skunk held a sign that read "I'm Salt" while the boy's said "I'm Pepé". They were cheesy and silly but Esme loved them so Masen tolerated them.

Before he'd drawn the first curve of Penelope's shape, he'd been distracted by Bella's laugh. She had been at the counter in the kitchen, standing at the ready with a wooden spoon while listening closely to whatever Gopher had been saying. Masen hadn't made a conscious choice to sketch her—he'd just looked down and found the outline of her eyes. He'd figured since he'd done that much, he might as well go all in and add the rest. He'd managed to get her eyes, the outline of her nose, and her smile but he hadn't had time to add in the way her eyebrows naturally arched to give her a constant look of being up to no good. Or the way the bridge of her nose wrinkled when she laughed freely.

Masen carefully ripped the drawing from his pad and then locked it up in the one file cabinet that only he had a key to open. It was nearly full with MMR items but there were a few things from his mother hidden in there as well, including a music box that no longer worked. Now it also contained a drawing of a woman he had no business watching, much less sketching. He knew that in his head, knew it logically. And yet he couldn't force himself to feel guilty over it or to get rid of the drawing.

In fact, he couldn't even get himself to stop smiling over it as he palmed the key and headed back upstairs to find out if dinner was ready.

Lee pounced before he even reached the top of the landing for the sleeping quarters. "We're anchored," she said as if this should be news to him.

"And?" he questioned, lifting his eyebrows at her.

Her grin widened as she gripped his shoulders tightly and gave them a small shake. "Dinner on deck!"

"No."

She used her thumbs to force his frown into a smile. "Come on, Mase. You know you're going to let me have my way. Skip all the arguing and pouting and just agree now."

"What do I get in exchange?"

"Seeing me smile."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head but she ignored both of those reactions in favor of the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks, Mase," she said as she planted a loud kiss on his cheek. She immediately turned and ran off, leaving him on the stairs shaking his head at her behavior and his willingness to give in to her silly demands. He enjoyed seeing his family smile so much that it made him a pushover.

He climbed the last few stairs but didn't move from the stairwell; he leaned against the short wall that blocked it off from the rest of the floor and took in all of the activity. Esme and Bella were at the edge of the kitchen island filling glasses with ice and drinks. Lee was busy pulling plates and utensils out while Gopher loaded a tray up with the food he'd cooked for tonight. Masen could also see out the open door to the deck where Whit was setting up tables. They were all moving together so effortlessly, as if there hadn't been a change to the crew at all. He wasn't sure if he liked that or not—he also didn't want to think about it right now so he headed over to take the drink tray outside.

Whit had pushed two tables together with three seats on each side so after setting the tray down in the middle, Masen took the seat directly across from his friend. As the others trickled outside with dishes in their hands, the seats began to fill. Esme took the seat next to Masen while Lee settled in beside Whit. Bella rounded out Masen's side of the table after setting down a bowl of biscuits and then Gopher unveiled a tray of fried chicken and took his spot next to Lee.

Dinner was their usual fare of food, teasing, pretend annoyance, and silly laugher. Only now they had Bella's comments and laughter added to the mix. Masen noticed she wasn't as vocal as the rest of them but she also didn't seem afraid to join in when the conversation went in a direction she liked. It was impossible for him not to notice that most of her comments followed something Whit said and he wondered once again if she might be his friend's dream girl.

As the eating wound down, Lee's need to be a spectacle took over and she soon had Gopher on his feet, dancing to oldies like The Supremes and The Temptations. Esme always said Lee had an old soul when it came to music and the two of them could often be found listening to this type of music together.

Lee's laughter floated on the night breeze as Gopher twirled her close to the dinner table and then away again to the sound of "I Can't Help Myself" by the Four Tops. It never failed to amaze Masen that a man who took up so much space could be so light on his feet. This right here—Lee's easy smile and lighthearted behavior—this was why he let Gopher stay around. The man gave her the love and attention she needed, things Masen hadn't been able to do for her. It just wasn't in him to be that way and while he was fine with that, he knew she hadn't been. She had needed more and Gopher was her more, even if he tended to be a bumbling baboon from time to time.

"Okay, that's it," Esme announced as she stood and threw her napkin onto the table. "I'm tired of watching Lee have all the fun. Who wants to give me a whirl?"

Whit jumped to his feet and held his hand out to her. "Let's show 'em how it's done."

Bella's giggle caught Masen's ear and he glanced over at her, finding her sitting with her elbows on the table, her chin in her palms, and a huge smile on her face. Her eyes were trained on the two dancing couples moving around to The Temptations "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" as if they were in some kind of dance contest. He rolled his eyes, wondering why he put up with this insanity from his family. Although, he did have to admit watching Whit kneel into a split and slide himself back up was always fun to watch, especially with how it made the women whistle and turned Gopher green with jealousy.

"Come on, Mase," Whit called out while twirling Esme under his arm. "Grab Guppy and join us."

"You know I don't dance to this stuff," Masen replied, giving Whit a warning look. He knew the songs and the bands but just wasn't in to dancing to any of it—a fact his best friend knew well.

"It's easy," Bella assured Masen. While he'd been busy glaring at his best friend, she'd gotten out of her chair and was now standing at his side, offering her small hand. "My uncle taught me so that means anyone can learn."

"Why's that?" He had asked the question more as a reason not to get up than to really get an answer.

She blushed but didn't look away. "Because when it comes to dancing, I tend to have two left feet."

"Go on, Kid. Take her up on her offer," Esme encouraged.

"Come on," Bella said, shaking her hand at Masen. "At the very least you can use the excuse that your mother made you do it."

Her teasing was unexpected and it pulled a laugh out of him. It also got him out of his chair, albeit reluctantly. He slipped his hand into hers, letting her little fingers close over his palm and attempt to drag him over to the others. Had he chosen not to follow, she wouldn't have been able to move him an inch much less the four feet he ended up going with her, all the while rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"Don't look so much like I'm making you walk the plank," Bella complained while grabbing hold of his other hand. "It's just a dance."

Masen didn't think anything with Bella was ever going to be "just" anything. It certainly wasn't "just" out of kindness that he had let her drag him over here to dance. It was because as much as he hadn't wanted to take hold of her hand earlier, he didn't want to let go of it now.

"See, it's easy," Bella said as she held tight to his hands, pulling and pushing his arms and leaving them doing some kind of crazy dance that couldn't possibly have had a name.

He laughed and he wasn't sure if it was at the goofy smile on her face or the fact that she had zero ability to dance. "I thought you said your uncle had taught you."

"He gave it his best shot," she said as her face colored with her blush. "Sorry I'm not very good. You're probably really regretting giving in to Esme now."

The song changed and Masen could feel her fingers relaxing, readying to let go of him. Instead of letting it happen, he laced his fingers through hers and used the new grip to pull her right up against him. Before she could react to the change, he had let one hand drop to wrap his arm around her waist, spinning them in a tight circle and getting a startled laugh out of her.

"You said you couldn't dance," she accused, laughing again as Masen twirled her away and then back into his arms.

He looked down into her flushed face, mirroring the silly grin she was wearing without realizing it. "I said I _don't_ dance to this, not that I couldn't. Oldies aren't my thing."

One of those cute giggles of hers slipped out as she set her free hand onto his broad shoulder, burning him through his shirt without the slightest clue she was doing it. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me, Edward."

He knew she'd meant the dancing but he couldn't shake the feeling that her words could apply to other things if he let them. What was it about her that made him have such crazy thoughts? It wasn't like he had a secret he wanted to share anyway; he just felt he could if he did.

"My feet don't feel like lefties." The soft way she'd said the words mixed with the way she was currently blushing made him feel like she hadn't meant to let her cryptic words out of her head.

"What do you mean?"

She lowered her head, looking between their bodies at their mingled feet moving together without the slightest falter. "I've usually stepped on my uncle or tripped him by now."

"I'm obviously a better leader then."

Her eyes met his once again, full of a light and humor that matched her laugh. "You think so?"

He grinned while his fingers pinched the end of her ponytail between them and then gave a light pull. "I _know_."

She tugged his hair right back but instead of it being a playful tease, it ended up reminding them both of a dark corner, a pulsing beat, and a heated kiss that had seemed endless at the time.

He could feel it building, that desperate need to consume her lips and taste her tongue. If he stayed here, lost in the deep brown of her eyes and the scorching heat of her body pressed to his, he would kiss her and everything he was trying to accomplish and protect would go to shit in the time it took for his mouth to descend on hers. If he left, he knew he would take that desperation with him, that it wasn't just going to disappear just because she was no longer touching him. But he would also leave with her trust still intact.

Masen forced a smile as he reluctantly stepped away from her. "Thanks for the dance, Guppy. I've gotta head below and finish getting supplies ready for tomorrow's recon. Before you know it, we'll have some tagging video for you to review to get you comfortable with our aquatic friends."

She smiled but it looked as forced as his felt. "Okay, then. Goodnight, Edward."

He wanted to say something to make it better, to let her know this was for her own good. Instead he just headed inside and down to his project room, throwing himself into charging camera batteries, checking lenses and waterproof casings, and making a list of tools for Gopher to have ready on deck in the morning.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella stared at the bright little screen on her phone, wishing she had a signal on the device. She missed Alice's voice and wanted to hear her lilting speech and tinkling laughter. She wanted to get lost in her sister's long, winding stories that never failed to turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary adventure.

She closed the phone and set it on her chest, letting out a slow breath while her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. She was lying on the small sofa of the observation deck, having originally planned to watch the stars come out and search for constellations. White points of light against a dark night sky should have been easy to focus on; all Bella could see were two green eyes and a set of pale lips, the bottom one full and the top arched just a little to create the most mouthwatering smirk she'd ever seen.

_Never should have touched him beyond what was needed for dancing_, she chastised herself. He obviously didn't want any reminders of their first meeting—he'd told her he wanted to act as though it had never happened. And in her defense, she hadn't actually meant to remind him, only to tease him the same way he had done to her. Her mistake had been in keeping her hand in his hair where he'd let go of hers immediately. But she hadn't been able to help herself, not once the silk of his hair was sliding between her fingers and the heated skin of his neck was pressed to her palm. Until that moment, she hadn't realized just how closely they were dancing. With that one touch, she had become highly aware of every place his body touched hers and how long it would take to get rid of the distance between the others.

And that look he'd given her! He'd felt it too. She was sure of it. Only he had wanted to get as far from it as possible while she'd wanted to figure it out and understand why she felt so drawn to him.

With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart, Bella pulled herself into a sitting position. It was getting late and tomorrow was going to be a huge day. She wanted to go on deck with everyone, at least until they started getting into the water. She needed to be awake and paying attention, keeping a close eye on her reactions to make sure she didn't freak out the way she had at the ocean center.

Bella glanced up at the sky one last time, hoping for a falling star to wish on to ensure tomorrow was a successful day for both her and the team.

There were none.

"Right. On me then," she said as she headed inside to get some sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hello, Passengers! We hope you enjoyed your tour with the Team Masen Crew. LOL Join us again in 3 weeks when the crew gets into the water to Tag some Sharks! For those interested in seeing that sketch Masen made of Guppy, EternallyAddicted has put it up on the blog! www (dot) masenmarineresearch (dot) blogspot (dot) com

Thanks for reading!


	10. 10 Wanna Skiff With Me?

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 10 – Wanna Skiff With Me?**

**Wednesday, June 4th**

Sitting in a chair near the cabin door with her knees drawn up to her chest and her chin resting on top, Bella took in all of the activity in front of her. They were going in the water today—Whit and Edward. They had spent all of yesterday waiting for the right time to get in but the opportunity had never come.

_The randomness of the cloud cover is making for poor light reflection and low visibility beneath the surface_. It was such a technical way for Edward to say he didn't like the look of the water. Bella had found it fascinating to see him in his role as head of MMR, and to see the way he put the safety of his crew before his wants. With the way he'd been too jazzed to sit still and eat breakfast yesterday morning, she had honestly expected him to get in the water despite not liking the conditions. But he had stayed onboard. The disappointment had been clear on his face when he'd called off the recon session he had spent so many hours planning and prepping. He had spent the rest of the day quiet and contemplative, keeping to himself and only speaking when directly spoken to; she had missed his voice.

Today was different. The water was crystal clear, the sun was bright, and the sky was a cloudless baby blue. All of the tools from yesterday were once again laid out on deck with Gopher standing at the ready to hand them out. He was so quiet this morning, completely unlike the time she'd spent with him in the past few days. He seemed to be waiting for something from Edward because while his body never moved, his eyes followed every step Edward took.

Lee was sitting cross-legged on the deck checking the tape and battery in the video camera one final time. She was in charge of documenting their work today and had seemed pretty pleased with the assignment when Edward had given it to her this morning. She had her hair piled onto her head in a messy bun, making it easy to see the faded black words on the back of her light blue shirt—Team Masen Crew. Bella had seen Gopher in one yesterday and it made her wonder if they all had them.

Speaking just a little above a whisper to keep from disturbing the others, Bella asked Lee about her shirt. "Lee, do you all have crew shirts like yours?"

"We've all _earned_ crew shirts like mine," Lee replied as she uncrossed her legs and began to stand. Edward reached out to help her up and the two exchanged a look. Bella was certain it was a meaningful look and not just a glance. A simple glance wouldn't have ended with Lee rolling her eyes.

Bella thought back to the conversation she'd overheard on her first day on the boat, the one where Lee had asked him how he wanted her to behave … _Has he asked her to give me a chance? Will she listen if he did?_ Bella wondered.

A shadow fell over her, blocking out the warm sun and she leaned her head back to see who was standing there. Brown met blue and Bella smiled as she took in the nice smile on Edward's face, remembering how she'd first seen it in the park when they'd talked about how Lizzy had come to be with him.

As sweet as his smile was, it was no match for the sight of his bare, toned, and tanned chest. His wetsuit was only halfway on, pulled up enough to cover _sensitive_ areas while showing enough skin to leave no doubt he was less than fully dressed beneath the material. Her seat in the shade was no protection from the heat scorching her skin as she took in the mouthwatering display in front of her. Her sudden surging desire to trace the planes of his chest was almost strong enough to make her forget why she'd been anxious all morning.

But not even the sight of Edward's half-naked body had squashed her fears, despite her urge to drool over how sexy and perfect he looked in his wetsuit—or was that technically _out_ of it? She wasn't sure; she only knew feeling aroused and anxious at the same time was not a good combo.

"I've got a proposition for you, Guppy."

His choice of words had her blushing at the track her thoughts had gone down, thoughts she had no intention of sharing with him. He'd gotten so weird the other day when they'd been dancing and she didn't want him to pull away like that again.

"This is my lucky mask," he said as he held out the scuba mask and attached snorkel for her to see. "If you leave the safety of your chair and take charge of it until I'm ready for it, I'll take your shift as Gopher's helper tomorrow."

Her face answered before her voice, her nose scrunching and the corners of her mouth turning down. "That's a tempting offer, but I'm going to pass this time."

Edward squatted down so that they were face to face. "I know you're not staying once we go in the water. I'm not going to push you on that at all today. I made you a promise and I'm going to stand by it. But I believe if you're going to trust me—to trust us—then you have to be part of the team."

"I want to be part of the team. But just like you, I made a promise I want to stand by. I promised to be aware of my limits and right now, I feel like my limit is the seat of this chair."

If he was disappointed at all, he didn't say it or show it. "Another time then, Guppy."

"Thanks," she said, smiling and feeling relieved that he was being so understanding.

He headed back over to the others and hung his mask off the railing right beside where Whit was sitting.

Whit was dressed in a black wetsuit with red piping, holding a short, round canister fitted with a mouthpiece. Bella knew from past snorkeling expeditions with her uncle that it was a spare air and she wondered why he would use that instead of being fitted with a tank. She made a mental note to ask Edward later when they looked at the video together.

"Mase, you locked and loaded yet or what?" Whit asked. "It's starting to get hot sitting here waiting on you."

The noise Edward made was between a laugh and a grunt. "Almost done. Gotta make sure the waterproof case is sealed all the way." He was kneeling down with the oddly shaped case right in front of him.

He had explained over breakfast that the case was wired so the button on the left handle controlled the flash and the button on the right handle controlled the shutter. It looked entirely too high-tech and expensive for Bella to be anywhere near it with her track record with technology.

Edward lifted the case and got to his feet, his back muscles rippling under his golden skin with every move he made. His rising was some kind of signal to the others because Whit hopped off the ledge, Gopher stood up straighter, and Lee lifted the video camera to her shoulder.

After a small beep that sounded loud in the quiet air, Lee began to narrate. "Wednesday, June fourth. Masen Marine is in the South Pacific, looking to document and tag tiger sharks. Rosalie Hale, videographer. Jasper Whitlock, still photographer. Emmett McCarty, on-deck hand. Edward Masen, team leader."

"This video is being made for instructional purposes for our intern," Edward said as he looked directly at the camera. "We're going to start with marking water conditions and taking samples. We'll follow it up with Whit getting some shots of the underwater conditions before we make contact. Once we've reviewed the images, we'll see if we can get a shark or two close to the boat and tag them using a twenty-four hour transmitter."

Gopher held a large clipboard with a deep bottom and Bella watched closely as he opened it and pulled out a few clear, tubular bottles. He handed them to Edward and then pulled an ink pen from behind his ear and poised it over the paper attached to the top of the clipboard.

Edward climbed down to the platform that sat just above the water's surface at the very back of the boat. Bella couldn't see what he was doing now but she could hear things being called out and see Gopher writing them down. Part of her wanted to leave the safety of her chair and walk over there, to see with her own eyes what Edward was doing. But she didn't know if she could trust herself to just observe and not beg him to stay out of the water.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Whit handed his air container to Masen and then climbed down to the platform. After slipping his feet into the flippers waiting there for him, he took his air back and fit the rubber mouthpiece into his mouth.

Masen asked him with hand signs if he was "okay" and "ready". Whit nodded to both so Masen called up to Gopher for the camera. While Whit was going to be busy getting the test shots of their area, Masen would be watching his back. It would also give him the opportunity to view the conditions below with his own eyes and ensure his plans didn't need revising.

After asking once more with hand signs if Whit was "okay" and "ready", Masen helped him to sit on the platform and then slowly sink beneath the calm blue water. They didn't want to have any large splashes disrupting the water and attracting attention before they were ready to make contact.

"Lee, how are we doing on the angle?" Masen asked while pushing his arms through the sleeves of his wetsuit.

"I've got a perfect outline of his body," she replied.

"Keep him in your sights as much as you can." He looked up at Gopher and held out his hand. "Need my watch."

Gopher leaned in to Lee and plucked it from her back pocket, then passed it down to Masen. "I made sure it was synced with Whit's. Checked it twice."

"Good work. You keep this up and I'll give you a shot at working in the water soon," Masen said as he checked the tightness of the watch on his wrist. Once he was satisfied it wasn't going anywhere, he climbed halfway up the ladder, planning to grab his mask. He ended up stopping instead to see if Bella was still sitting near the cabin door.

He wasn't surprised by her absence, only at how disappointed he felt over it. He knew it was unfair to her to feel that way since she had told him she would leave as soon as they went into the water. She wanted to make sure what happened at the ocean center didn't occur again and he respected her for that.

"Looking for this?" Bella asked, suddenly dangling his mask in front of him.

A slow smile spread across his face as he looked up at her, feeling a mixture of surprised, shocked, and impressed. He was impressed with her bravery, knowing it was no small task for her to be helping to send them into the water with the fear she harbored and struggled to manage.

He also felt pride in both of them, the same as he had when he'd gotten her to say "shark". Her presence right now meant they had trust between them and it was proof he was making progress with her. He wasn't foolish enough to think he could have her in the water in a week, but he did believe he would get her in before the summer ended.

"One of us is in the water," he said, watching her face to gauge her reaction. She had the kind of face that spoke louder than words, showing her true feelings in the depths of her brown eyes and the lines along the bridge of her nose.

"I know. I saw him go under." Her face was relaxed and her eyes were still playful. She wasn't forcing herself in some silly attempt to impress him. She wanted to do this for herself.

He pressed her just a little to make absolute sure he was reading her correctly. "And yet you're here."

"Karma," she said, shrugging and grinning. "Figured if I left without making sure you had your lucky mask then I was doomed to suffer a horrible fate of some sort."

"Right," he replied, grinning just as wide and not believing her bullshit excuse for a second. She could keep her reason a secret for now if it made her happy, but he'd get the answer out of her eventually.

"You gonna take this thing or what?" she challenged, shaking the mask a little.

He reached out for it but grabbed her wrist instead. "Thanks for pushing yourself to stick around a little longer."

"Thanks for understanding _this_ is my limit."

He let go of her hand and took hold of his mask, then jumped off the ladder and landed on the platform below. After wetting the mask in the water and fitting it over his face, he gave a thumbs-up to Lee, Gopher, and Bella, and then turned away from them.

"We'll be safe. You'll see," Gopher said, causing Masen to smile at the concern the man showed toward Bella. "And don't forget. Whatever you make for lunch, keep it light or you'll be scrubbing the after-effects from the deck all afternoon."

_And there's another example of not knowing when to shut up_, Masen thought as he pulled his flippers on. He secured his snorkel in his mouth and then let his body slip beneath the surface of the cool, clear water.

Masen was in a completely different world now, one full of blues that changed hue with the location and penetration of the sun's rays. He turned until he found Whit and held a hand up until his friend gave him a thumbs-up in response. Once he was sure Whit was perfectly fine, he began to slowly turn and take in his surroundings.

They were pretty deep out so he couldn't see the sandy ocean floor beneath him, though he knew it was there from past deep dives in this area. It would be a whitish brown that made the water cloudy when disturbed. He also knew if he swam far enough in any direction he'd come to a coral structure teaming with marine life. The only reason they'd chosen an open space like this one was because of the species of shark they wanted to tag. Tigers needed to be approached in an open area to keep them from feeling trapped and defensive.

The movement of the water and the change in lighting revealed a school of fish off to his right and he slowly swam toward it, wanting a closer look so he could identify the species. When he was close enough to see they had a silver coloring to them, he realized two things … One, the fish in the school were much larger than he'd first thought. Two, these were skipjacks—food to sharks.

Masen headed back to Whit and jerked his thumb upward once to signal for them to surface. One thumb jerk meant you could finish what you were doing first and then surface. Two jerks meant to surface immediately but slowly and to be extremely cautious. Three jerks meant to get your ass out right away. They'd never had to use three yet, and had only used two on a handful of occasions.

Whit freed one hand from the camera to tap his watch and then showed four fingers to Masen.

He gave his friend the hand sign for "okay" and then floated nearby, staying out of the camera's range while watching Whit's back.

Exactly four minutes later, as Masen was obsessive about timing such things, the two of them surfaced. Gopher jumped down to the platform and hauled them both out of the water. He then took the camera and air canister from Whit. "How's it looking down there?"

"Goddamn gorgeous," Whit replied with a wide smile. "I could have taken underwater shots all day long and not been bored." He turned to Masen after shucking both of his flippers behind him. "Why'd we come up?"

"Skipjacks in the area," Masen answered while rubbing his drenched hair with the towel Gopher had just given him.

"That's a good sign for the tagging," Lee commented from above.

"It is," Masen agreed. "We need to get our gear on for that and get back in as soon as we look at the photos."

"I'll dry the case so we can get the memory card out of the camera," Gopher offered, already climbing the ladder with it clutched in one of his hands.

"I'll get the tanks ready," Whit offered, getting to his feet.

"I'm booting the laptop up now," Lee called out.

"Be right there," Masen replied, speaking loud enough for them all to hear him. He wanted to watch the water for just a moment and track that moving swirl of dark blue. He had to make absolute sure they didn't attempt to tag right in the middle of a feeding area.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella had thought her agitation would lessen once she was inside the boat and not directly in view of the water. She had been under the assumption that if she wasn't seeing them in the water then she could forget that was where they were. As the old saying went, her assumption was definitely making her feel like an ass.

When she had first left Edward standing on the platform, she had come inside planning to sit at the dining table and work on some ideas for her first blog entry. She had drawn the short straw and would be the second person to post. Edward had made them draw this morning to give the winner—or loser depending on how you looked at it—plenty of time to come up with a good idea. She had turned on her laptop and had set her notebook and pen aside, ready to come up with some great ideas.

But then she'd decided to read Edward's entry for guidance and had found it to be about tagging, the very thing they were out there in the water to do right now. The image of him underwater wielding a skinny pole with a tag on the end against a large shark sent a shiver down her spine even as it made her skin break out in a sweat across the bridge of her nose and along the back of her neck.

She couldn't sit still after that. She also couldn't go back outside. She tried going downstairs to see if Esme needed help but once she was standing in the hall, she couldn't go into the office knowing her fear was written all across her face.

She went back upstairs and into the captain's area, thinking that looking at the maps spread about would calm her nerves. Of course, the first thing her eyes landed on was the map and overlay of shark swimming patterns Edward had shown her a couple days ago.

She closed her eyes and forced her body to take in slow, deep breaths, trying to will herself to calm down. She was so focused on making her heart and lungs listen to her that she was completely unaware of her hand frantically twisting the watch around her wrist.

In her head, she knew this was different. She knew this was a controlled environment with seasoned professionals. But the fear and panic worked hard to convince her that those things didn't matter against a giant beast with razor sharp teeth. All she knew about tiger sharks was what she'd heard Jacob's cousin Seth saying one day about how they were the garbage cans of the ocean, eating anything and everything in sight, even license plates.

The sound of voices broke through the bubble of anxiety around her—no, that wasn't truthful. _His_ voice broke through. Bella's eyes flickered open, still wide and wild but also a little calmer. She became aware of what she was doing with her watch and stilled her hand, checking her skin to make sure she hadn't injured herself.

After a few deep breaths, she forced her lips up into a smile and headed toward the back of the boat to find out what was going on. While it may have seemed to her that they were in the water for a long time, she knew it had only been about twenty minutes since she'd glanced at her watch after leaving Edward outside.

They were consumed with what they were doing and no one noticed her slip out of the door and press herself against the wall, one hand clutching the doorframe to give her something solid to hold. She wasn't sure if their being out of the water already meant the sharks were here and she figured if she stayed pressed against the wall, she wouldn't be able to see the water or what might be in it. She hoped it would help her keep a lid on her fear and stop her from making a fool of herself. And from disappointing Edward.

Once again, his voice was louder than the panic inside of her, giving her something other than the rapid beating of her heart to focus on. "I'm thinking ten feet out and five feet apart," he said as he pointed something out on the screen to Whit.

Whit nodded while tightening the ponytail he'd made of his long, wet hair. "I think that's a good distance."

"No, that's going to be too heavy for what he's doing today." Bella was so sure the 'he' Lee was speaking of was Edward that she turned her head to find out what the woman was doing.

Lee held open the lid of a large steel chest that Gopher was kneeling in front of. He had some sort of shiny metal thing in his hands that Bella didn't recognize. She wanted to know what it was but not more than she wanted to focus on Edward just in case this might be the last time she ever saw him.

_Stop that_, she scolded herself while clutching the doorframe tighter and trying her hardest to reign in her fear. Nothing had been said or done to make her think any of them were in danger. _Except for knowing they are going to get back in the water and there will definitely be sharks this time_, she thought.

"I think two should be plenty to attract them with," Edward said, grabbing her attention again.

"Skipjacks are on this side, right?" Whit asked, pointing at the computer.

"A little further left," Edward corrected. "Close enough to help attract but far enough out that we're outside the feeding zone."

_Feeding zone_. Bella wasn't sure if those two little words were going to make her break out into hysterical crying or manic laughing—she only knew she was on a ledge and could tip over either way with the slightest push. She clenched her eyes shut and clutched the doorframe as tightly as she could, welcoming the pain in her fingers as a distraction from the panic welling up inside of her at the mental images of these people who were already important to her becoming a meal to sharks.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Mase, we've got an audience," Whit said in a low, confidential tone.

Masen smiled while keeping his eyes fixed on the computer, rechecking his plan one more time. "I was hoping she'd come back out. That's progress."

"I think you better take a look before you start patting yourself on the back," his friend warned.

He looked up and the moment his eyes found her pained face, everything that had been important in his world just seconds ago faded away. All that existed was this young woman struggling to be brave and to be part of something that terrified her in ways he completely understood. He wanted her to know he understood. More than that, he wanted her to know she wasn't failing as long as she was still trying.

In the seconds it took him to cross over to her, Masen noted that getting her hand off the doorframe would probably do more harm than good in her current state so he took hold of the one she had flattened against the wall of the cabin. His fingers slipped between hers and then pressed into her warm flesh, giving her something physical to feel and focus on, something to distract her mind.

He had planned to open the conversation with a compliment but her stillness had him giving out a command instead. "Breathe, Bella."

Her chest finally started to rise and fall again and she slowly blinked her eyes open. Wild and wet and somehow still gorgeous despite the panic showing in them.

Masen smiled and squeezed her hand a little tighter while teasing her to try and get her to relax. "Should I have made 'continue to breath while on board' a rule for you?"

The bridge of her nose wrinkled and her head tilted to the right as she stared at him, seemingly confused by his words. Then all at once that look faded away and was replaced by a soft smile and a pink blush. He could tell she was still close to her line but she wasn't in danger of tipping right over it any more.

"I'm glad you decided to try and come back out," he told her, being completely honest. "I know this is a struggle for you. I just hope you know that as long as you're trying and really giving it your best, then you can't fail even if you can't stay out here."

"_You_ really think that?" she asked. He could hear the strain in her voice despite her trying to hide it by whispering.

"Failure is giving up in the face of adversity. You haven't given up yet so therefore you haven't failed."

"Masen, we're ready for you," Lee called out.

Typically, this would be where Masen dropped whatever had distracted him from his work but this time he felt there was something more important. Some _one_.

He kept his focus on Bella while letting Lee know he'd join her soon. And then he let Bella in on the plan the team had come up with. "We're going to drop two buoys that have long strips of polished metal attached with high tension wire. They'll be ten feet out from the boat and five feet apart. The shine of the strips will draw the attention of a tiger or two close enough for me to use a harpoon to attach a twenty-four hour tracker while Whit videos it all. Lee is going to take still pictures from above, probably from the skiff since she'll be closer to the water's surface that way. Gopher's going to be on the skiff too, ready to haul us out of the water if we need it but I honestly don't believe we will. We're in an open area with plenty of light and the water is calm with a high visibility rate. It's about as perfect as conditions can get."

Bella finally relaxed enough that her hand dropped from the doorframe. He smiled at having been able to calm her as he reached out and took hold of that one too.

"I have a job for you, Guppy. I want you to go inside and look up skipjacks. You're going to tell me all about them when you and I sit down after dinner to watch the video Whit and I are about to make."

"What's a skipjack?" she asked, finally showing something other than panic in her expression.

Masen couldn't help the pride he felt or the cocky smile it produced at having aroused her curiosity. "That's what you're going to tell me, Guppy."

She gave him a half smile that barely lasted a few seconds and then she squeezed down on his hands to the point where he really felt it. "Don't be cocky in the water, okay?"

"I never am," he promised. "No place for it there."

"I'm sorry I'm interrupting."

"Are you doing the best you can right at this very moment?"

She thought about it and then gave a slow nod.

"Then don't be sorry for what you didn't manage. Be proud of what you accomplished. You were never meant to stay on deck past the first person getting in the water. You stayed until I did and then you came back out. If anything, you exceeded expectations today."

She finally gave a true smile. "That sounds like something a teacher would write on a report card."

He gave her hands one more squeeze and then let go. "Get inside, Guppy. You have an assignment and I expect to be dazzled by your knowledge tonight."

His teasing was met with pleading. "Tell me those aren't just words. Tell me you really expect to see me tonight."

Alarm bells went off in his head—she wasn't just afraid of the sharks. She was afraid for him. She wanted reassurances that he would go in the water perfectly fine and come out that way as well. He wasn't sure what to do with that, only that he had no intention of doing anything that might discourage it.

"Eight-thirty tonight, I'll see you in the office, ready to watch the video and talk about skipjacks," he promised.

She tried to speak but in the end she could only give a shaky nod. Masen gave her a smile and then turned her by her shoulders and sent her inside, closing the door behind her.

When he turned around to get back to business, he noticed Lee standing stock still with her arms crossed in front of her and her eyebrows raised in question. He understood why she would be confused by his behavior, and he certainly wouldn't be surprised to find out it hurt her some to watch him do something for a virtual stranger that he hadn't been able to do for her. He wished he had some easy explanation to give her, some way to erase any pain she felt over this. But all he could do was tell her the same thing he'd told her back when their attempt to be more than friends had failed … He loved her and he was sorry it wasn't in the ways she needed and deserved.

But that was all for later. For now, they had a video to make.

"Harpoon's corked but ready. Tag has a fresh battery and the signal was tested twice," Gopher stated as he held a special shirt in one hand and a pair of gloves in the other.

Masen slipped the chainmail shirt on over his wetsuit first, with Lee helping to make sure it covered his arms and torso correctly. But he only took one of the gloves, knowing from experience that having this type of glove on the hand with the harpoon tended to make his aim off.

"Good job on picking the lighter heft chainmail," he complimented Gopher. "But I want to use a regular glove for the harpoon hand."

"What if the shark turns on you after you poke him?"

"Then I'll lift the chainmail hand to protect myself. I'd rather have to turn my body to deal with an annoyed shark than be off on my aim and have to poke at him twice."

"See, this is why you're the boss," Gopher replied, both teasing and being completely honest.

As soon as he stepped away to find the glove Masen wanted, Lee pounced. "Maybe you shouldn't get in the water right now. You don't seem to be completely focused on what we're attempting to accomplish today."

He wanted to offer her comfort but he also wanted there to be no doubt that he was still completely in charge of himself and their mission. "Lee, my focus is exactly where it needs to be for _every_ member of this team. I understand your concern, and I will address it with you, but not until after we've finished with the tagging."

She shook her head as if to say that wasn't good enough. "Masen, even after everything we went through with Whit, I have never once been afraid for you to get in the water. Until today. All it takes is a split second of inattention."

"I know what it takes. I know the risks. And I know my mind is fully focused on tiger sharks." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I wouldn't risk myself any more than I'd risk any of you." He walked away after because he knew standing there arguing with her wouldn't help anything. He joined Gopher and the two of them climbed down to the platform.

Gopher put the chainmail glove onto Masen's right hand first and then he lifted his left hand to take off his watch and make way for the rubber glove.

"Don't lose my watch," Masen warned.

"No way, bro. I'm handing it off to Lee first chance I get," Gopher promised.

"Keep an eye on her, okay? She's kinda annoyed with me and it's making her worry."

"I always do, Mase," Gopher said as he finished pulling the glove onto Masen's hand. With the suit on, it was time to add the air tank and test the pressure.

Masen was congratulating Gopher on a job well done when Whit joined them, holding the video camera in its waterproof casing. "Mase, give this a once over and make sure I closed the case right."

Masen's eyebrows lifted as he took in his best friend's serious expression. "You bring me this _after_ I get the gloves on? What the hell, bro?"

"Just wanted to see what you would do," Whit replied with a laugh. "Lee already checked it for me."

"You realize I'm about to give him a harpoon, right?" Gopher asked, looking between the two friends. It never failed to amaze him the times and ways these guys would press each other's buttons.

"Yeah, I know. Mase isn't going to do shit to me. He'd be lost without my guidance, both at sea and in life."

"Just get ready to be my extra set of eyes down there, jackass," Masen told him while accepting the corked harpoon from Gopher. "You know what to do?"

Gopher nodded and then used his fingers to tick off his tasks. "Drop the buoys ten feet from Galeos. Park the skiff five feet out on the other side of the buoys. Use the digital binoculars to watch for both tigers and skipjacks and use the spotlight to flash you if I see something. Keep an eye on Lee. Pull you guys out at the first sign of trouble."

"Good." Masen was further pleased by Gopher immediately putting Whit's tank on without having to be asked. He also made sure both men had their flippers on snuggly.

"Anything else?" Gopher asked as he stood.

"You and Lee get on the skiff and get the buoys set."

"The buoys are already on board so I just need my lady love," Gopher said as he hopped onto the ladder and started to climb. He only went up about half way before calling out, "Oy! Gorgeous! Wanna skiff with me?"

Lee's laughter was heard loud and clear. "Did you work on that long?"

"Bring that smile over here and I promise to tell you." He climbed back down, leaving room for her to join them all on the platform. She finally appeared with the large SLR camera hanging from her neck and a spare air in each hand. Even though both Whit and Masen would be using a tank this time, it was still their rule to have a spare air just in case.

"Thanks, Lee," Whit called out, glad she'd noticed what he'd forgotten and saved him a trip back up to the deck.

"You all would be completely lost without me," she said as she tossed the canisters down to Gopher.

"You'll never hear any of us doubting that outside of teasing you," Masen promised her.

"We know what side our bread is buttered on," Gopher added.

"Bro, you really gotta get some sayings that don't involve food," Whit said, laughing and shaking his head slightly.

Gopher plucked Lee from the ladder and set her down gently as he asked, "Babe, do you mind that food is always on my mind? Second to you at all times, of course."

Lee shrugged. "As long as food stays second, I'm cool with it."

"Go to work," Masen said, pointing toward the skiff and holding back a grin. He didn't want Gopher to get the crazy idea that he was starting to like him a little more. At least not at a time when he needed the man to be completely serious and focused.

"Team Masen!" Lee shouted with a fist-pump into the air.

The guys repeated her chant, all of them smiling and glad to be a part of their team and their family. Once Lee and Gopher had pulled away in the skiff, Masen and Whit took turns jumping backward, clearing the boat and descending beneath the surface of the Pacific, ready and excited for a day with the sharks.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"That first tiger was scrawny. Had to be an adolescent," Gopher said as he reached across the table for another roll.

"Yeah, but that second was beautiful. Easily a fourteen-footer. And probably over a thousand pounds too," Whit happily shared.

"How much bigger do they get?" Bella asked from her nestled spot between Esme and Edward. She couldn't say she was a big fan of the topic of dinner conversation but she loved how excited they all were to share what they'd seen today. Being around them while they were all so relaxed and happy was keeping away all of the dark thoughts she'd had earlier in the day, allowing her to join in with them now.

"The cap is like twenty-five feet and two thousand pounds," Lee said, smiling as she answered the question. "But they grow so slowly that most barely make it to eighteen feet. Especially in the past decade when they're overfished so damn badly."

"If I ever come across one of those finning ships," Whit said, practically growling.

"Easy man. Don't go Doctor Doom on us," Gopher said, putting a hand on his shoulder and making everyone laugh.

Whit shook his head. "I just don't get how they can be so damn cruel like that. You take a beautiful creature out of the water, you cut off its fins, and then toss it into the water to die. That's like cutting off a man's arms and legs and tossing him into a pool. You know damn well he's gonna die without his appendages."

"These guys don't see sharks as beautiful creatures, though," Edward said as he set his glass down on the table. "They see them as a means to an end. They cut the fins, they get paid. As bad as that is, it's worse to be the person eating the fins. You're creating an industry that kills animals in a cruel way. And not just a few animals either. We're talking _millions_ of mutilated sharks tossed into the oceans. And for a damn meal? That's some sick shit right there. But because a shark isn't as cute and cuddly as a puppy, it's hard to get anyone outside of the scientific community to give a damn."

"But we aren't talking about that tonight," Lee said, smiling brightly. "We are talking about the beautiful tigers we saw today and the female Masen tagged. I can't wait to see what kind of info she gives us over the next twenty-four hours."

"What did you guys name this one?" Esme asked.

Whit lifted his hand and slowly slid it through the air. "Ahe. 'Cause she was just like a breeze. Slid right on in so gracefully and then was gone."

"But not before I got an amazing shot of her dorsal fin breaking the surface of the water," Lee stated.

"Yeah? That's _nothing_ compared to the video I have of her practically swimming right up to Masen to be tagged," Whit countered.

Edward shook his head. "That was some crazy luck. I've never had one do that before."

"No, you just had one jump right the hell over your head," Gopher replied with a belly laugh.

"Oh, I remember that!" Lee exclaimed, pointing a finger at Edward. "We were surfing off of West Palm Beach in Florida."

"Yep," Gopher agreed. "Whit had just caught a wave and Mase, Lee, and me were waiting for ours and out of nowhere, this shark—"

"Spinner shark," Whit interrupted.

Gopher picked right up where he'd left off since he was so used to interruptions like that. "…comes up out of the water and does a spinning back-flip right over Edward's head."

"He nearly fell off his board," Lee added with a laugh.

"And you did fall off yours," Edward pointed out.

"Yeah, but it was because I was laughing so hard at you!" she reminded him.

"It jumped over you?" Bella asked, looking up into Edward's face.

He was grinning as he nodded. "Yeah, right over me and back into the water. It missed Gopher by about a foot, if that much."

"Yeah, I was smart enough to get the hell out of the water after that but the three musketeers kept on surfing," Gopher said.

"Why the hell not?" Whit questioned. "The spinners weren't looking to harm us and the waves were epic." He turned his attention to Bella. "Do you surf, Guppy?"

"No, not me. I don't get that far out into the ocean often. I prefer snorkeling," she answered. "But my friends love it and are in the water as much as possible. Jacob's even won a few competitions. Leah is hoping for her first win this year. They're going to Cocoa Beach later this month to compete."

"Professional or amateur?" Lee asked.

"Oh definitely amateur. They love it but they don't want to make careers out of it. Leah's a vet tech and Jake's a motorcycle mechanic. They both do what they love every day and get to surf on top of that."

"Perfect lives then," Esme said.

"Well, almost," Bella replied with a laugh. "Perfect would require Leah to stop snoring and sounding like a freight train coming through the house, and for Jake to remember to wash his hands outside before going into the house and leaving greasy fingerprints on things."

"Getting back to the surfing," Lee said. "You have to let us teach you to surf, Bella. Even if you only do it here with us."

"Thanks, but I—"

"Come on, Guppy. You'll love it," Whit encouraged.

"I don't think I'm coordinated enough for that. I have two left feet when it comes to certain things," she argued.

"Mase, tell her she has to let us have one day," Lee demanded. "Just one day to show her how much fun surfing can be."

"She'll be hooked. Guaranteed," Whit added.

Bella tensed next to Edward, wondering if he would really order her to do something so crazy. They all might be okay with surfing in waters deep enough for a shark to be right beneath them but she certainly wasn't.

Edward gave her that nice smile that made her feel safe around him and she immediately relaxed, positive that whatever he was about to say would be in her favor. "Guys, let's let Guppy get used to all of us first before we toss her onto a surfboard."

"I think this would be an excellent stopping point to clear the table and grab dessert," Esme suggested. No one said anything but Bella felt certain that was Esme's way of telling them to end the conversation for now just in case Edward's answer hadn't been good enough.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I wish the skipjacks hadn't moved closer and forced us out of the water," Whit lamented while licking the end of his spoon clean of all ice cream remnants.

"Yeah, me too," Masen agreed. "But we can't control a school of fish any more than we could a shark."

"Still, it was a great day," Lee said, smiling and looking a little wistful to Masen's eyes.

Whatever had happened during her time on the skiff with Gopher had definitely put her in a better mood and he was happy she had talked so much with Bella tonight. He had the feeling Bella thought Lee didn't like her when nothing could be further from the truth; Lee just didn't know her yet. Ever since Whit's accident, Lee had become extremely protective of him and Masen, which made her extremely suspicious of strangers being around them.

"Honestly, Mase, between the three of us. Were you worried at all when that female came right up to you?" Whit questioned.

"No," Masen answered with a shake of his head. "Though she did startle me for a second when she turned her head right in front of me and her blunt nose almost touched my mask."

"I can't believe you stayed still with her right there," Lee admitted. "I would have moved. I know it."

"That's why he puts you on the skiff," Whit replied with a chuckle. "You'll spook yourself and the shark and all hell will break lose down there."

"Mase?" Lee was looking at him as if she truly expected him to disagree.

"Lee, you do a lot of things well," he started. "But close up without a shark cage is not your forte."

Gopher must have felt the conversation was too serious because he redirected the conversation. "Have you guys ever thought a shark was a tiger only to have it get closer and realize it was just the sun reflecting of the skin? Because to me, the markings on the tiger look more like underwater sun reflections that actual stripes."

Masen shook his head. "The only shark of similar size with a similar blunt nose is a bullshark and those are such a solid gray that they couldn't be mistaken for a tiger no matter how the sun was reflecting."

"And I would add to that, that the tigers seem to have more dexterity than bull sharks," Whit stated. "Tigers can curve on you in the blink of an eye, kind of like a ribbon, but bulls tend to move more like missiles."

Lee nodded. "Bulls are the bullies of the sea, ramming into anything in their way."

"Kind of like Juggernaut from X-men," Gopher offered, receiving a mix of rolled eyes and snorts.

"Mase, man." Whit barely got the words out between his snorting laughter. "She is out like a light. Be the gentleman your mother raised and help her downstairs."

Masen tried to see for himself but with the way Bella had her head resting on his shoulder he couldn't see her face without dislodging her.

"She wasn't so bad today," Lee mentioned, drawing Masen's gaze to her. "I mean, she definitely needs to toughen up some and participate more, but otherwise …"

"Told ya, Lee. Guppy is a keeper," Gopher said as he let out a huge yawn.

Masen grinned at that but said nothing, choosing instead to try once more to see Bella's face before waking her. He caught sight of one closed eye and her slightly parted lips before her head started to tip forward toward the table. He quickly caught hold of it and woke her in the process.

"I'm awake," she said even as her eyes started to drift closed again.

"Liar," Masen accused, laughing quietly at her. "Come on before you face plant into the table and Whit has to patch up your broken nose."

He wrapped his arm around her and slid her toward the end of the booth with him. When they'd sat back down after getting dessert, Bella had taken the spot against the wall, he'd been in the middle, and Esme had taken the end, knowing she would be the first to head downstairs for the night.

He stood and helped Bella up before letting go but she swayed so much that he had to put his arm around her once again. He also couldn't help laughing again. "Say goodnight to the team, Guppy."

"Night, Team," she slurred with a weak wave.

Whit snorted loudly. "If she's this much fun half-asleep, wait until we get her drunk."

"Oh hells yeah!" Gopher seconded.

"Oh please," Lee huffed. "There's no way she's a drinker."

Masen didn't respond directly; he led Bella away while shaking his head and laughing under his breath. He had no opinion on the matter since he knew it was going to be quite a while before drinking was a possibility for anyone on this boat.

Bella became more alert as they reached the hallway of the sleeping deck. "We didn't watch your video yet. Or talk about skipjacks."

"Guppy, as much fun as it would be to see what half-coherent things you could come up with on skipjacks, I want you fully focused when we watch the video. We can do it tomorrow."

"But I'm throwing your schedule off."

"I won't tell if you don't tell," he joked as he opened the door to her room. She didn't make any attempt to enter the darkened space and it solidified his earlier idea about her—she didn't like the dark. He reached inside to cut on the light and then led her over to sit on the side of her bed.

Her hand closed around his wrist just as he let go of her and she lifted her eyes to his. "I'm glad you're okay. All of you."

He gave her a soft smile as he squatted down to her level, knowing that telling her not to worry would be useless this early into things. He focused instead on building up her confidence in herself and in the team. "I'm glad you pushed yourself today and gave the team your best. We all saw it."

"I promised," she replied, giving him a sleepy smile.

"You certainly did," he said, laughing at the way her eyes were drooping. "Now it's time to sleep," he encouraged, standing and pulling her blanket back for her.

She crawled over to her pillows and then curled herself up into a ball, all the while yawning silently. It was as he slipped the blanket over her shoulder that she spoke again. "Be this nice tomorrow, okay?"

Her words had him regretting his behavior at the ocean center all over again. "Things are different now, Bella. That won't happen again."

"Okay, Edward. I trust you." She let out another long, silent yawn, and then relaxed so completely that it was impossible to doubt she was sleeping.

Masen stood looking down at her, trying once again to figure out what it was about her that made him feel and act so differently. From taking time out of their mission to calm her fears, to protecting her with the surfing thing, to needing her trust just as badly as he wanted it. She wasn't going to give him any answers tonight and he'd been down here far too long to not be missed by his friends—especially Whit.

Masen did the only thing he could do; he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then headed back upstairs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Hello, lovely readers! We hope you've enjoyed another chapter of Beneath The Surface! We especially enjoyed writing this one, not only getting to put in some real shark knowledge but also getting to show the depth of Bella's determination to change. We were even happily surprised by Masen in this one, finding him to be the most helpful he's been yet! But as all things with Masen, we take it with a grain of salt! LOL My wonderful Parter in Crime, the talented Eternally Addicted, has created a polyvore of the tagging equipment so you can all put pictures to the gear used - It's up on the Blog at www (dot) masenmarineresearch (dot) blogspot (dot) com

And if you haven't checked out EA's new story yet, she'll be posting a new chapter tomorrow night. The story is Somewhere I Belong and it's pretty gosh darn good in my humble opinion. :)

That's it from Team Masen Crew for now. Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend!


	11. 11 Shattered

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 11 – Shattered**

**Thursday, June 5th**

"Bella, you need to look," Masen admonished, doing his best to not let his frustration cause him to snap at her. They'd been at this for forty-five minutes and though things had started out well, they'd quickly taken a dive once the sharks had come into view on the video.

"I'm looking. _See_," she said, pointing between her face and the television screen. "I see the water and the people in it and the thing swimming around you guys."

Her attitude pushed his and this time he couldn't keep from snapping. "No, you're seeing _your_ shark."

He immediately realized his mistake but wasn't sure how to fix it. He bent forward in his chair until his elbows were on his knees and his long fingers were running through his mess of hair. His blue eyes tracked a small dust bunny making its way across the floor; wondering why Emmett hadn't swept this room gave his mind something else to focus on. He needed the mental break—he needed to come up with a new approach before Bella started to think he'd broken his promise to keep her line in mind while they reviewed yesterday's tagging tape.

Masen turned his head enough to see her face; it was one of those moments when her emotions were so visible in her expression that he could clearly read her. She was disappointed, though he wasn't sure if that was just with him or with herself as well. She was also angry and probably more so at the circumstances that had led to her being here, than at him. He remembered being angry like that after Whit was bitten … angry that it had been his closest friend suffering … angry that he'd nearly lost another loved one long before their time should be up.

It wasn't until he'd started to learn about sharks and their behaviors that the anger had started to fade. He could no more be angry with a shark for biting than he could with Lizzie for licking—it was their instinct. And with that thought in mind, he approached Bella again.

Lifting his head and scooting his chair closer to hers, he nudged her elbow with his. "Think you can give me another shot at explaining what I want you to see?"

She shrugged while continuing to toy with the bezel on her watch. It wasn't a "no" but it wasn't far off either.

"Let's start simple. Have you always been afraid of sharks?"

Her head slowly moved from side to side. "Only for about eight years."

He quickly did the math in his head, knowing from her paperwork that she was twenty-two; whatever had happened to her had occurred when she was only fourteen years old.

He chose his next words very carefully. "That's a long time to foster a fear. But you want to overcome it. It's why you chose MMR. You want to get back in the water again."

"I don't know about that last part. I don't know that I'll ever get into deep water again."

"What caused you to be so afraid, Bella?" The question was already out there before he realized he'd spoken aloud and while it wasn't phrased as tactfully as he would have liked, he wasn't going to take it back. He wanted to hear her answer too badly.

Her features hardened and she thrust a finger toward the television. "It's a shark! Maybe you failed to notice the rows and rows of razor sharp teeth they have but I didn't."

He lifted his hands palm out to show he wasn't going to argue. "Again, I get that you have a fear of them. Being involved in an attack, even if it's not you directly and just someone you know, it's scary. It leaves a mark and you don't get a choice about that. What you do get to choose is how you move forward from it. Do you let it make you fear the ocean and keep you out of the water? Or do you learn from it and find a way to share the water?

"Bella, you came here because you want to share the water. You love the ocean as much as we do. I can see it in your face whenever you're on deck watching the marine life swimming past the boat. I want to help you do more than observe from the sidelines. I want to give you the tools you need to get back in the water, to immerse yourself in their habitat."

"What does that have to do with watching the video?" Her snarky tone was purely a defensive thing so he let it slide.

"Before you can ever understand sharks, you have to separate your shark from the rest of the sharks in the ocean. I know that's a tall order but I also know you have the right temperament to be able to pull it off."

"Oh sure. I'll just pluck it out and set it on a shelf and ignore it," she said, gesturing with her hand.

He grabbed her flailing hand and held it tight, sliding his thumb along the soft skin of her palm in hopes of calming her. And if he chose to look deeper, to calm himself as well; it bothered him to see her upset this way. "No, not ignore it. Just understand that it isn't every other shark out there."

She was silent for a long time before quietly asking, "Even if I could do that, what do you think I'm gonna see?" Less snark and more interest—he was getting through to her.

"You would see how cautious this tiger is being. She's not charging right up to us. She's taking her time and slowly moving in closer to check us out."

"How do you know she's not just being lazy?"

Masen laughed more at Bella's stubbornness than her words—she was not going to make any of this easy for him. "Bella, think about when you met Lizzie. Think of how she just ran up to you and started licking your hand. She wasn't being cautious, only curious. Sharks are both and nearly all let their caution overrule their curiosity."

"They're predators, not puppies," she argued, challenging him with her eyes to refute that statement.

"They both act on instinct," he pointed out. Now it was his turn to wait to be challenged.

To her credit, she actually considered his words for a couple minutes before responding. "A dog doesn't remove body parts if it decides it likes you. Or doesn't like you. Or whatever reason sharks have for biting people."

"Dogs bite, Bella, and some are big enough and mean enough to bite off fingers and faces. But not all dogs bite. Just like not all sharks attack. The only difference between a dog and a shark is that a dog can figure out what you are with his paws, nose, and a tongue that extends—he doesn't need to bite unless he wants to hurt you. A shark only has its teeth until it can pull the object into its mouth and taste it on its tongue."

She shuddered at his words and jerked her hand away, wrapping it around the too-large watch adorning her wrist. "A design flaw? You're saying to forgive the damage sharks cause because they weren't given paws and a nose?" Her cheeks were flushed a deep red and the rapid rise and fall of her chest was visible, signs that her anxiety level had been reached and surpassed. He wasn't disheartened by it all—he expected it. Just as he expected it to lessen in time.

"I'm saying don't blame multiple species for the actions of a few. That would be like condemning entire countries for the evils caused by a few living within their borders."

"It's not! It's not the same!" she argued.

He planned to explain that to her and to also remind her that the marine animals she loved could also be dangerous, pointing out accidents with orcas at Sea World locations. But the tears pooling in her eyes kept him from saying those things. She was too far into her head, into the past that haunted her, drove her fear of sharks, and kept her lights on at night.

"Let's break for now," he told her. "We'll pick up after lunch. There's not much more to the video and then you can tell me what you learned about skipjacks."

A jerky nod met his words, her eyes remaining on the fingers turning the bezel of her watch. Masen wanted to say something comforting to her but the best he could do was to lay a hand on her shoulder and give it a small squeeze before leaving her alone to get control of her emotions.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Once Edward had left the room, Bella put her hand on the shoulder he had squeezed. It didn't make sense for something so small to make her feel better, especially coming from the person who had upset her.

That wasn't really fair, though. It wasn't his fault that she was terrified of sharks. He wasn't there that day; he didn't send that monster barreling into her life.

"But he thinks they're great," she whispered, once again twisting the bezel of her watch. The feel of the metal under her fingers helped to center her and get her mind off of the things she feared. She closed her eyes and smiled as she remembered a long ago Christmas morning and the pleased smile on her father's face as he lifted the watch from its packaging. He'd put it on right away and it had been the only one he'd worn from then on.

Like all memories of her father, this one was bittersweet and caused her heart to ache in a place that would probably never be soothed. The oddest thing to her was that it also gave her strength, reminding her that she was her father's daughter, sharing his resilience and his determination not to give up. If she could pick up and go on without his large, comforting hand laying against her back and gently guiding her forward, then she could master her feelings. She could do as Edward asked and separate her shark from all others.

Bella reached for the remote but before she got the chance to rewind the video, Lee entered the room. The two eyed each other warily and then Bella broke the silence. "You're really good with the video camera. A lot steadier than Whit."

Lee grinned. "I'm impressed you noticed the difference. I figured you'd have stopped watching once the footage changed to an underwater view."

"It's different watching it on television than being there as it's happening."

Lee turned her head to the hall as if she was getting ready to leave but then she stepped forward and took Edward's empty seat. "I'm not really better at it than Whit. I don't have the eye for detail that he does. But he has an off-kilter kick so it makes his body tilt to compensate."

Bella felt emboldened by Lee's confession and made one of her own. "It's not as different as I want it to be."

"And yet you're still watching," Lee replied, pointing at the television screen.

She shrugged. "I made a commitment. I don't like disappointing anyone."

With a smirk and arched brows, Lee asked, "Anyone or Masen?"

A deep blush colored her cheeks while her eyes dropped to her watch. She wasn't all that great at lying but she was definitely not going to tell the truth. Not to Lee. Not yet. "I want to prove myself to the team. I want to earn a shirt like you guys all did."

Lee was silent for so long that Bella couldn't resist lifting her eyes enough to see the woman's face. She was surprised to find her lips curled in a smirk. "You probably do want that, but that's not all you want. Just keep in mind that if you do anything that harms MMR, I'll turn you into maunu."

"What's that?"

Lee's smirk turned into a predatory smile but it was her one word answer that sent a shiver down Bella's spine. "Bait."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bounce. Smack. Bounce. Catch. The repetitive bouncing of the tennis ball against the floor and wall had to be driving Whit crazy but so far he hadn't said a word about Masen's game of catch with the wall. He suspected his friend had already guessed why he was in here but was staying silent to force him to admit it.

But Masen was nothing if not stubborn. Instead of just starting the conversation they both knew was coming, Masen plopped down in the folding chair in front of the desk. He propped his feet up on the edge and then proceeded to toss the ball into the air and catch it. Now the soundtrack to this non-conversation was Whoosh followed by Palm-smack.

Whit took his eyes off the laptop for a quick glance at Masen that he pretended not to see. He also ignored the eye roll from him.

Finally, Whit gave in and asked, "How's it going with Guppy?"

"Good. She needed a break so we're going to pick it up after lunch."

Whit closed the laptop cover halfway, revealing a knowing grin. "Your ass must be jealous of all the shit coming out your mouth."

Masen shook his head as if the comment was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard when all he really wanted to do was laugh.

"So what was it?"

"What was what?" he replied, continuing to toss and catch the tennis ball.

"What made you need a break?"

"She couldn't separate her shark from the tiger in the video."

"That sounds about right for where her head would be at this stage. But I asked about you."

"I never said I needed a break."

"You didn't have to, Mase." Whit gave him time to respond and when he didn't, he said, "You can tell me now in private or I can ask you during lunch and get the entire team involved. Your choice, bro."

Masen tucked the tennis ball under his chin and focused his blue eyes on his best friend. They studied each other silently for a bit before he finally started the conversation he'd come in here for. "The other night, you said I should tell her I care. You still feel that way?"

Whit braced his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair while considering the question. "Honestly, bro, I don't know that you really have a choice. Not after the way you dropped everything to calm her down yesterday. Right now, she probably believes you did it to keep her from freaking out and derailing our tagging. It was a means to an end, the end being the video and the data we've been getting off the transmitter. If she knows it was for her benefit, that she actually came before the video, she'll be able to believe you when you say changing her mind about sharks is for her benefit first and ours second."

"She might not believe me."

Whit smirked. "Which are you more afraid of? That she won't or she will?"

Instead of answering him, Masen took the ball out from under his chin and started to roll it across the desk under his palm. "What's the benefit if she does?"

"More trust. Less hostility towards you when her past makes her anxiety levels rise. More determination to not disappoint you."

"What about side effects?"

"You mean what about her caring for you in return? That ship has already sailed, Mase. I watched it take off and disappear over the horizon with my own eyes yesterday."

Masen shrugged, not quite sure how to put his feelings to words. "She's two different people, you know. She's Guppy, this smart, friendly young woman who's trying her best to get to know us and fit in with us. But then sharks enter the picture and she's nothing but a scared teenager."

"Why teenager?"

"Fourteen."

"Shit, Mase," Whit replied, knowing exactly what his friend meant. "Not that any age is good for a shark attack but that young …" He shook his head once and then scrubbed his face with his hands.

"Maybe a better thing to share with her would be your story."

"Honestly, bro, I think she needs both. And the sooner, the better." Probably sensing Masen's frustration and readiness for a topic change, Whit's next words had nothing to do with Bella. "So is it dry yet?"

He grinned, excited to talk about his latest invention. "I pulled it out of the mold this morning and it looked perfect. I'm only waiting on you to test it."

"Then go get it, bro," Whit encouraged, gesturing at the door. "Let's do this thing,"

Masen had a smile on his face and a bounce in his step as he headed off to grab his newest and most promising prototype. If it worked the way he expected it to, it could become a money-making product for MMR, funding even more research and conservation efforts. He even had a name picked out for it—Eclipse Shade.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

After her conversation with Lee, Bella couldn't get her head in the right spot to rewind the video so she went in search of Gopher to help him with whatever work he had left before lunch. She found him down on the third floor transferring clothing from the washer to the dryer.

"What can I do to help?" she asked from the doorway.

"Finished the video so soon?" He looked up from what he was doing and something in her expression answered before she spoke. "Was it that bad or was Mase an ass?"

Bella smiled, amazed that Gopher already cared for her and wanted to look out for her. "That bad. He was really patient. Probably more than I could have been in his shoes."

He nodded as he tossed the last of the items into the dryer and closed the door. After setting the machine to the proper drying time and temperature, he grabbed the basket of clothes he'd already folded and led her into the hallway where it was quieter and cooler.

"You know, if you wanted to talk about what first made you afraid, I'm a really good listener," he offered.

"Thanks, Gopher. I really mean that." She paused, trying to find the right words to explain herself without hurting his feelings. "It's something I do want to share … but it's not … I'm just not—"

He stopped her with a raised hand. "It's cool, Guppy. It's personal and you don't really know us yet."

"But I want to," she quickly said, hoping he could hear and see how very much she meant her words.

"Well that's a given, little fish," he said, giving her a big smile while tucking her under his free arm. "And you'll get there soon. No rush. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied, smiling just as wide as him. "So do you need any help?"

"If you're serious, it would be great if you could sweep up down here. Mase swears he saw a dust bunny so he wants every part of the ship swept."

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Thanks, Guppy. There's an extra broom in the supply room. I'll be right above you, putting away the laundry and then sweeping the sleeping deck if you need anything."

"I'm pretty sure I can handle pushing a broom," she assured him.

He grabbed the broom leaning against the wall, managed to spin around with it and not drop the laundry basket under his other arm, and then sang his way up the stairs and out of her sight. "_Hey, girl, I'm goin' away. But I'm comin' back by the railroad track. Boom chick-a-boom._"

Bella was snorting laughter as she pulled open the supply room and started looking for the extra broom. She found it hanging from a peg on the back wall and then spotted a dust pan on a low shelf near her feet. Looking down the length of the hallway, she decided to start at the end and work her way back to this room.

Sweeping the engine room wasn't too bad but she wondered how Gopher managed to clean in here with so many pipes to duck under but he obviously had a way since there was very little dust in her pan when she finished. Since the pan didn't need emptying, she went to the next room. The door was slightly ajar and when she pushed it completely open, she wasn't quite sure what she was looking at. It sort of looked like a drafting room with the long, slightly titled table and the many shelves above it with books and rolled up papers. But then there was a row of tall filing cabinets that one expects to see in an office. Right above the cabinets and hanging from the ceiling on a piece of fishing twine was a shark made of varying sizes and lengths of wood. Rounding out the room with the identity crisis was a rolling bed complete with rumpled pillows and blankets.

She suddenly felt positive this room belonged to Edward. There was nothing with his name on it or that she'd seen him with but she felt sure all the same. She could picture him bent over the table until he couldn't keep his eyes open and then taking a nap on the bed so he could get back to his work faster once he was rested.

Two halves of a black object were laying on the table, teasing her curiosity. There was some kind of white residue on the insides, like the fine chalk powder that collected at the bottom of school chalkboards. Glancing at the side of one half, she noticed a latch and knew right away it was a mold.

"But for what?" she questioned, glancing around the room in hopes of seeing what had once been inside.

Her eyes roamed over the shelves and there on the bottom one, just above the table and the molds, was a white object that appeared to match the cylindrical shape the mold halves could create. Very carefully, she took it from the shelf and brought it close to her face for inspection.

"What are you?" she asked it, trying to imagine what it could be used for. "Maybe you're not finished yet?"

"What. The. _Fuck_." The angry voice booming into the small room startled Bella and caused her hold on the white object to slip. She tried to get her fingers back around it but the surface was too slick and she watched helplessly as it tumbled to the floor.

It didn't hit the floor safely. It didn't hit the floor and crack. Even hitting the floor and breaking into a few pieces would have been great—she could have glued them back together then. No, it hit and shattered into what looked to be a thousand tiny pieces.

The shock of being so clumsy was quickly replaced by horror as Bella watched Edward drop to his knees in front of the mess and try to scoop up the pieces, only to have them sift through his fingers like large grains of white sand. She had rarely ever seen a person look so heartbroken and she felt the urge to cry welling up inside of her for his pain.

"I'm so sorry, Ed—"

A single word spoken in a quiet yet fierce tone stopped her. "Out."

"I tried to—"

"Go. Before I say something I shouldn't."

"But, Edward, I—"

From the way his chest rose up, she expected him to yell at her. He spoke softly but she could hear the rage he was holding on to clearly. "Isabella, get out of this room."

"Mase, what's wrong, bro?" Gopher asked, standing in the doorway. Bella figured he'd heard Edward shouting.

He used that same soft yet furious tone. "Get her out."

"Come on, Bella," Gopher coaxed as he took hold of her elbow and tugged her toward the door.

"But it was an accident and I was trying to apologize," she replied, trying to see past the wall that was Gopher's chest and into the room where Edward was still kneeling on the floor.

Gopher took hold of her shoulders to keep her from getting around him. "Trust me, Guppy. The best place for you right now is far away from him. The anger sharks are swimming in his head and until they back off, he's not open to apologies."

The shock of having broken something important to Edward mixed with her guilt over hurting him caused her to lose her grip on her own emotions. As the first of many tears slid down her red cheeks, she shared with Gopher the words that were on an infinite loop inside of her head. "I'm so sorry."

"It's going to be okay," Gopher assured her while walking her up the stairs. "Just go find somewhere to calm down and I'll get Lee and Whit to help me with Masen."

Nodding and sobbing, Bella continued all the way up the stairs and then outside onto the viewing deck, dropping into one of the chairs and folding her arms over her legs and lowering her head down, drenching her knees in her tears. It was the second time in her life she'd accidentally hurt someone she cared about and she was lost this time as she had been then on how to stop the pain for both the one she'd hurt and herself.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Of course I can make another! What the fuck does that have to do with anything?" Masen yelled while sweeping the last few pieces of his destroyed prototype into the dust pan. While he'd been required to hold in his rage with Isabella for the sake of MMR, he could show his anger to his family.

"Mase, bro, it's not the end of the world. I'll help you make another tonight and in a few days, we'll have a new one to try out." Whit's calmness was only adding fuel to Masen's fire instead of calming it like usual.

He sighed as he moved from his knees to his ass and dropped the broom to the floor. He would have loved to kick the dustpan away but that would just scatter the pieces of his ruined invention.

"Making another isn't the point. This is _my_ room. This is the one room on the boat that I ask to be left completely alone. If she can't even follow that one simple rule, how can I trust her to follow the major rules up top that keep everyone safe?"

Gopher spoke up for the first time since coming back into the room. "Are you sure she knew the rule?"

Masen rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the question. "You told her the first day she worked with you."

"No, bro. I didn't tell her. I thought you told her when you gave her the boat tour."

"Why would I tell her when I didn't even bring her down here?" he questioned, his voice rising to yelling status once again. "How the hell could you not tell her?"

Gopher yelled right back. "You're the leader _and_ you gave her the tour. How come you didn't tell her?"

"Because I didn't know I had to do every fucking thing around here."

"Woah, woah, woah," Lee chanted, unfolding her legs and getting off the cot. "I get that you're pissed, and I completely agree you have the right to be, but you don't get to knock us, Mase. We didn't break it."

"You brought him on the boat, you're responsible for him."

Lee's eyes narrowed to slits and her teeth clicked together as she hissed, "Outside _now_."

"Now he's done it," Whit said under his breath while backing into the wall.

"Sucks to be him," Gopher added, moving into the hall and far away from the door.

Masen didn't move from his spot on the floor. "You go outside. This is my room."

Lee grabbed him by the ear and hauled him to his feet. "I said outside now."

"Shit, Lee!" he complained while trying to get the top of his earlobe out from between her pincer fingers. "That shit _hurts_."

"So do words, assclown," she replied, tightening her hold and practically dragging him up the stairs by his quickly reddening ear.

She led him all the way to the top and out the door to the deck. A few birds were cawing as they flew past the boat but otherwise it was silent—except for Masen whining about his ear.

"Why the hell are you acting like I'm in the wrong?" he asked, wincing at the pain that flared up when he pressed his hand to this ear.

"Shut up and listen," she ordered. When she was sure he was paying more attention to her than his ear, she started to use hand signs to speak to him. One of the pain in the ass things about having friends who know you well was they knew how to make you listen when you didn't feel like it. Whit forced him into facing the truth with calm words and honest statements while Lee forced him to listen by making him pay attention to her hands.

Those hands were currently saying, _"You are in the wrong for how you're reacting to us. We only want to help you. We love you. When you hurt, we hurt. So stop being an asshole and let us help."_

He grunted and then replied with his own hands. _"What you call being an asshole, I call venting my frustration."_

The rest of their conversation was carried out in sign language and the occasional eye-roll from Lee. _"Venting doesn't involve attacking, Masen. You were attacking just now."_

"_Fine. Sorry."_

"_This is more than a damaged prototype. What's wrong?"_

"_Damaged? Obliterated, Lee!"_

"_What's wrong?"_

"_She's getting in the way."_

"_So get rid of her."_

"_Can't. MMR comes first."_

"_Then what?"_

"_Don't know. All I know is I want to focus on work and I keep getting sucked into wondering about her."_ He shook his head and quickly gave her the hand sign for "worrying". Only, Masen had been right the first time. He was always wondering about Bella. Wondering how to make her smile more, how to spend more time with her, how to comfort her, and how to learn all of her secrets. It pissed him off to not be able to completely push her aside and focus on his work. He hated being sidetracked and nothing had ever been able to do it for this long before.

Lee snapped her fingers until he was once again giving her his full attention. _"Assign Whit to work with her."_

"_No. No."_

"_What do you mean no?"_

"_My responsibility."_

Lee groaned and then growled "such crap" under her breath. To Masen she signed, _"Either accept that she will be in the way or assign Whit to be her mentor. Pick one and then deal. We need you focused and strong, not strung out over some little girl."_

"_I'm not strung out."_

"_Yeah? Then why did you just go off on your crew for her mistake?"_

He didn't have an answer for that.

She told him with her hands what she felt was most important to know before leaving him alone to make a decision about all of their futures. _"We love you. We support you."_

With a sigh, he settled himself onto the deck, planting his bare feet against the warm wood and locking his hands over his wrists atop his knees. The wind on the water was a nice contrast to the heat of the sun and it had the added bonus of keeping his hair away from his face.

Once again, Masen found himself completely confused and lost where Bella was concerned. He wanted to kick her off the boat for destroying his prototype but he also couldn't stand the idea of not seeing her again. He wanted to be pissed she had been in his room but he didn't truly have the right since he'd failed to tell her it was off-limits, and so had Gopher. And as confusing as all of that was for him, it was no match for the crazy urge he had to go seek her out and make sure she was alright.

"So fucked up," he whispered while dropping his head onto his forearms. As much as he didn't want to admit it or face it, Lee was right and there really were only two choices. He wished he could flip a coin but with the fate of MMR and Bella's future career on the line, he knew he couldn't leave it up to chance. He was going to have to choose.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella didn't look up when the door slid open or when Whit sat down in the chair across from her. She kept looking out at the blue surface of the Pacific instead.

"So on a scale of one to ten, with ten being 'screw you guys, I'm going home', where are you?" he asked in a quiet, calm tone.

She tried to match it but she didn't feel calm; she felt hurt by Edward sending her away and guilty for hurting him and causing his reaction. "I tried to apologize."

"I know. And so does he."

"If I'm not upsetting him, I'm throwing his schedule off. And the worst part is that the harder I try to be a benefit, the more of a hindrance I seem to become. Actually, that's not right. The worst is that I hurt him and I don't even know what I broke."

"It was a new prototype for a lens hood that battles sun glare on the water without degrading the light needed for a crisp image."

"And I destroyed it."

"Yeah, but he's still got his sketch and can make another."

"Oh, great!" she said, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Not only did I break something he made, it was something he dreamed up all on his own, not a copy of someone else's idea."

"Masen is a bright guy. Lots of ideas and lots of talent. But even he breaks his stuff sometimes."

"Really?" she questioned, eyeing him warily.

Whit snorted. "He's shattered prototypes, spilled drinks on sketches, and on one memorable occasion, he threw away a memory card full of underwater shots and had to go dumpster diving to get it back. I railed his ass from the first moment we climbed in until we finally found the damn thing and got back out. Esme wouldn't even let us in the house after. She tossed us each a bar of soap and made us hose off in the backyard before we were allowed to come in and take a shower."

Bella smiled, easily able to picture it all from the time she'd already spent with Whit, Esme, and Edward.

Whit got up and came over to sit on the arm of Bella's chair. He put his arms around her and gave her a tight hug.

"What's this for?" she asked, hugging him back.

"You looked like you could use a good hug, Guppy."

"Thanks, Whit." She enjoyed the hug for a bit before getting back to the reason he was out here. "So what now?"

"Now you wait. You wait for him to calm down and realize his mistakes and then you make your apology for breaking his lens hood. If you want to stick around and hear his apology in return, that would be pretty awesome of you. But you do what feels right for you, Bella. I'll take care of Masen."

Bella hugged Whit tighter, glad to know he was such a good friend to Edward. She didn't know why that mattered and she even wondered if it should, but it did all the same. "I think you're pretty amazing, Whit."

"Right back at you, Guppy."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

It shouldn't have bothered Masen at all that Bella thought Whit was amazing because that's exactly what his friend was. It also shouldn't have bothered him that they were clearly close already. But both of those things did bother him. Still, they were minor compared to how much the hug they were sharing troubled him.

No, it was more than troubling. Seeing his best friend hug the girl he couldn't get out of his head … If he was forced to pick only one word, he'd have to choose "hurt".

Masen headed downstairs, scrapping his plan to apologize to leave the two of them alone. He'd been debating for days over whether or not to tell her he cared and instead of taking Whit's advice, he'd waited and now it was too late. What would it matter if the jerk who yelled at her for an accident cared or not when the good guy—the better guy, honestly—had already made it clear he cared.

If Bella stayed, if he was allowed to spend any more time around her, it would be because of Whit. And it would be for his best friend's benefit that he would keep very professional boundaries with Bella. Not that she would even look his way ever again after what had happened earlier. Still, he wouldn't risk hurting Whit. He would step aside and let him have the girl, no matter how badly he wanted that girl for his own.

While he knew what he had to do, he needed time to digest it and accept it so while the others hung out upstairs and enjoyed lunch and dinner together, Masen remained below in his project room.

* * *

><p>Hello wonderful readers, it's me Eternally Addicted posting this week for My-Bella. Due to some unforeseen circumstances beyond her control, real life is taking her away from FanFiction right now. Because of that, it is going to be longer than it normally would before the next chapter of Beneath the Surface will post and she won't be able to reply to your reviews this time around. However, we both want you to know that we greatly appreciate each and every one and love reading them. I promise once things settle down for her we will get back to these characters that we all love.<p>

Last summer, My-Bella and I both participated in the Fandom for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society along with a lot of other talented authors. Last year, the Fandom was able to raise $5,400 to help battle these cancers. We would all love to see that number beat this year. All it takes from you is a minimum $5 donation and not only do you get to help those suffering from cancer, you get access to a ton of wonderful stories from your favorite authors in the Fandom. To find out more on how you can help, visit .com My-Bella and I will both be participating again this year, each of us writing a one shot for the donators.

Don't forget to swim on over to the blog and check out the pictures we have up for you this week.

That's it from Team Masen Crew for now.


	12. 12 Friggen Epic

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 12 – Friggin Epic!**

**Thursday, June 5th (later that night)**

"Edward." Bella was so nervous that she secretly hoped he hadn't heard her quiet call of his name. He was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. She could see his fingers poking out between tufts of his tangled reddish-brown hair. Overall, he didn't look like a guy who wanted to talk.

"I brought you an apple. I thought you might be hungry since you missed dinner. And lunch."

"Not hungry." His response was so quiet that it took her a second to figure out what he'd said.

"Oh … Okay … I um … I just wanted you to know I'll make things easy on you. I'll stay out of the way until we reach Africa and then I'll go home."

He lifted his head and he actually looked more miserable than when she'd shattered his prototype. "You want to leave?"

"Well … No, but … I thought it would be what _you_ want."

"Come here." It wasn't much more than a whisper but she obeyed as if it had been a sternly worded demand.

As soon as she settled beside him on the creaky mattress of the rolling bed, he set his arm on his leg with his palm facing up and wiggled his fingers in invitation—she didn't hesitate. Sitting side-by-side with their palms pressed together and their fingers intertwined, they knew they were sharing _something_ but neither understood what. And neither was in a hurry to question it and break their connection.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I should never have touched your lens hood. I let my curiosity get the best of me. But what I'm most sorry for is hurting you."

"Funny." His smile was anything but humorous. "That's what I'm most sorry for too. I shouldn't have been so harsh to you, especially since it _was_ just an accident."

They fell silent, each of them lost in the replay of the afternoon and the apologies they'd just exchanged. The only sound in the room was a slight rustling each time his callused thumb slid over the soft skin of her palm.

Bella shivered from his touch but Edward took it as her being cold. "Put this on," he said, pulling a worn blue plaid shirt from a hook on the wall.

She tried twice to say something while he helped her put the shirt on, but on the third time when nothing came out she thrust the apple she'd brought at him.

"Thanks," he said, smiling as he took it from her. "So about this leaving business."

"I could stay," she blurted out. She quickly added, "If you want."

"You need to do what _you_ want, Bella."

"All I really want is to help you build a new prototype."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You want to work with messy substances while in a dress?"

"I could change," she offered, jumping to her feet. "I have a couple t-shirts."

"You're serious?"

"Yeah, why not?" she replied with a shrug.

He was still holding her hand and he gave a tug, getting her to sit beside him again. "You don't owe me anything. I know it was an accident."

"Accident or not, I _do_ owe you. I can only imagine how much it upset you to see it broken. You _made_ that prototype. You designed it and molded it and it was your very own."

"I was really excited about this one. Most of what I build fits a need for MMR and wouldn't have any practical application outside of what we do. But this hood is different. It could be used by photographers on the water everywhere."

"That's all the more reason to build another, Edward."

"Whit's already offered to help me build another tomorrow so don't feel obligated."

"I'm not offering out of obligation. I'm offering out of friendship. I know that's why you held onto your temper so tightly instead of flying off the handle like at the shark exhibit. You want us to be friends."

"I really do, Bella."

She smiled as she gave his fingers a quick squeeze and then let go. "So then it's settled. I'm going to run up and change and then I'll meet you in the kitchen." She paused at the door and looked back at him. "You won't regret it," she promised.

She headed for the stairs without waiting for a reply, too excited to wait a second longer to get started. She'd change, then they'd make a new prototype together, and then he would completely forgive her for breaking the first.

It was a good thing she hadn't been running or she would have slammed right into Lee when she reached the landing for the sleeping quarters. As it was, she stepped on Lee's plush slippers.

_Penguins. Lovely_. She snorted at her thought and then said, "Sorry, Lee. I hope I didn't hurt your toes. Nice penguins by the way."

"What in the hell do you think you're doing? Why do you have Masen's shirt?" Lee barked, tugging at the sleeve.

Bella jerked the material out of her grip and righted the shirt on her shoulders. It only made it look slightly less ridiculous on her since Edward had broad shoulders and long arms. "He loaned it to me. If you have a problem with that, you should take it up with him."

Lee glared and pursed her lips. "You're mighty mouthy for someone who destroyed a very personal item today. And for the record, I don't enjoy getting my head bit off for transgressions caused by a nosy klutz."

"It was an accident."

"So I've heard." She crossed her arms and assessed Bella for a moment before saying, "I'm a three strikes and you're out kind of girl. And you're exactly one mistake away from getting kicked off this boat."

Maybe it was the stress of the day or that warm feeling she'd gotten from Edward when he'd agreed to let her help—whichever it was, it gave her the courage to stand up to Lee in a way she normally wouldn't have attempted. "I thought you told him to either accept that I'll be in the way or assign Whit to be my mentor."

Lee's face paled as her eyes widened. "You read sign?"

Bella smirked as she replied with her hands. _"Read and sign, thank you."_ With her voice she added, "Guess I forgot to mark that on my application."

"Does Masen know?"

"No. And I'm not going to tell him."

"Why not?"

"Because it seemed like signing with you made him feel better. I don't want to take that away from him."

Lee appraised her as if it was the first time they were ever meeting. When she nodded, Bella knew they had finally reached an understanding. "Alright, Bella. Let's say I believe you, that you'll let him keep it. Why? What's it matter to you?"

Bella shrugged as if it was nothing when in fact it had quickly become a driving force in her choices. "I care about him."

"If you hurt him …"

"Maunu?" Bella questioned with a grin, confident that Lee would be okay with the joke.

"Tiny pieces," Lee agreed, holding up her pinched fingers to show the size she had in mind.

"I probably should shut up while I'm ahead but … Why are you letting me off easy?"

"A very wise man I know believes today's incident was a true accident brought on by poor communication and bad luck. I wasn't really inclined to believe that but he swore on his favorite type of cheesecake so …"

Bella grinned, feeling grateful for her new friend. "Please thank Gopher for me."

Lee didn't give any indication if she'd relay the message or not before turning around and heading toward her room. She stopped just outside of the door and said, "Give that shirt back. It's his favorite and he'll be pissed if it gets lost."

Once the door closed, Bella sighed and leaned back against the wall, pleasantly surprised and pleased with how this day was ending after the crazy way it had imploded earlier in the day. The best part was that it wasn't even over—she still had a prototype to make with Edward.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen couldn't believe his luck. The only thing Bella should have had to say to him was to tell him he was a jerk and she never wanted to speak to him again. But she did want to speak to him. Even more, she wanted to spend time with him. She was even willing to change clothes and get messy to help him build a new lens hood prototype.

But what exactly did that mean? Did she feel a pull toward Whit the way he did with her? Was she Whit's dream girl and just a fantasy he could never have? If she wasn't, could he take a chance with her without endangering his company and his family? Why did he care so much with her when he'd barely noticed anyone before?

"Only one way I'm going to find out," he said as he set the apple she'd given him on top of his filing cabinet. He grabbed the sketch from the cabinet and the mold from his plan table, then headed upstairs to wait for Bella to join him. If he was very lucky—and very careful—he could end this night with a new prototype and with Bella's friendship.

As for the situation with Whit and Bella … It was time he had that conversation with his best friend that he'd been putting off since seeing the two of them together at the ocean center.

But that was for tomorrow. Tonight, it was just Bella and him. And his snorting laughter at the sight of her. She was wearing a black t-shirt with purple, green, and blue Dr. Seuss fish that matched up with the printed words "one fish", "two fish, and "three fish".

Bella smirked. "I also have a Thing 1 shirt that matches Alice's Thing 2."

"Of course you do," he said, snorting all over again. "What am I gonna do with you, Guppy?"

Her cheeks immediately began to redden and he expected her to look away. She held her ground instead and asked, "So how do we make a prototype on a boat?"

"With milk and vinegar." He explained the process to her while gathering his materials from the cabinet and arranging them on the counter.

"That doesn't sound too hard," she said as she placed the container of milk next to one of the pots. "How come more people don't make plastic items at home?"

"For one, it can be pretty messy. For another, it's a very exact procedure so if you get any one part wrong, you have to start all over again. And I guess the biggest reason is that most people aren't interested in creating things from scratch when they can just pick it up at the store on the way home. In my line of work, there's no store I can pop into so I have to come up with my own tools. Plus, I like it. I find it calming to have a task that requires attention to detail and exactness in my movements."

"If you'd rather not have help, I'd understand," she offered.

Masen could see tense lines around her eyes; he doubted she really wanted him to take her up on the offer. "I'm glad to have help tonight, Guppy. Now take this measuring cup and pour three cups of milk into one of the pots."

She gave him a warm, genuine smile as she took the cup from him and then it became all business.

Despite Bella's attempt to follow his every instruction, the first batch of casein failed, just as Masen had known it would. He explained why it had failed while she measured out the milk and vinegar for a second batch and he cleaned the pot of the remnants of the failed one.

"Sometimes in order to get something right, you first have to get it wrong," he told her. "Once you know what it's not supposed to look like, it's a lot easier to tell when you're about to mess it up."

"Well that explains everything," she said with a wide smile. "You were so awful to me the first time we met so you would know how to be nice the next time."

He made a half-hearted attempt to look annoyed with her. "No, smartass. I don't try that approach with people. And you're getting us off topic. We're talking about creating things. Now that you've seen what casein is not supposed to look like, you're better equipped to tell when a batch is going wrong."

After putting the clean pot on the stove, he let her pour in the milk and start it warming—he also verified for himself that she'd measured out one tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of milk she'd poured. When the milk started to foam, he turned off the heat while she poured in the vinegar. With his hand over hers, he showed her the right angle and speed to stir the mixture.

Once he was satisfied it was mixed well, he held the strainer over the second pot for her. "You want to pour in a steady stream but not so fast it looks like a waterfall is happening," he instructed.

She did just as he'd said and now they had a strainer full of casein. "It doesn't seem possible that this goo is going to harden into a lens hood," she remarked as he carefully dabbed away the excess liquid with paper towels.

Masen nodded in understanding. "First time I read how to make this stuff, I couldn't believe all it took was milk and vinegar. It seemed too easy."

"Did you try it in Esme's kitchen?"

He nearly missed her question; he was too busy noticing how closely she was standing to see the casein being pressed into the two halves of the mold. "No, I know better than that. Whit and I tried it in the backroom of his dad's shop using a hotplate. The heat wasn't completely even so it made the casein lumpier than usual, but it was enough for us to know it would work."

Once he'd locked the mold and moved it aside, they cleaned the kitchen together. Masen took care of the pots and strainer while Bella cleaned the stove and counter tops; it didn't take them long to have the kitchen back into the shape they'd found it in.

With his sketch tucked under his arm, he carefully lifted his mold with both hands. "Thanks for the help, Guppy. I'll let you see the fruit of your labor after it's had time to dry and be tested, just in case you have another bout of clumsiness."

"Gee, thanks," she replied, rolling her eyes at him.

An awkward silence fell over them as they continued to stand at the edge of the kitchen. He wanted to keep talking to her but he wasn't sure what to talk about. It didn't help to have the responsible side of him pointing out that she needed sleep. Then again, she didn't seem in any hurry to leave. He tried to guess from her expression what she might like but he couldn't read her.

As much as he hated doing it, Masen put his responsibility for her well-being above his selfish wants. "Good night, Guppy. Thanks again for the help."

"Anytime." Something about the way she'd said it made him reconsider his earlier idea that she didn't want to go to her room yet.

Not knowing what she wanted on top of not getting what he wanted was making him feel unsure and awkward around her again and his fingers twitched to be able to scratch the bridge of his nose. Since he had no clue what to do, he put the choice in her hands by saying, "Unless you don't feel like going to bed yet."

She brightened up immediately at his words. "I'd really like to show you this article I read about going green for the ocean."

"Green?" he replied with a loud snort. "Guppy, if the oceans go green, the whole world's in deep trouble."

"Not literally green," she said with a roll of her eyes. "They want us to be eco-friendly to the ocean."

"Alright. Let's see it then."

Bella's smile widened and she practically ran for the stairs; he was pretty sure she would have gone down them two at a time if her legs had been long enough for it.

Once inside of her room, she went straight for the trunk in the corner while he set his mold and sketch down on her dresser. He didn't notice the two picture frames there because his attention was on his shirt neatly folded at the end of her bed. At the time he'd put it on her, he hadn't thought anything of it. She'd been cold and he'd had a shirt hanging on the hook above his crash cot. But looking at it now, it dawned on him that he'd loaned her his lucky shirt—favorite among favorites and treasured so much that no one but him had been allowed to wear it over the years. Until Bella.

_Until Bella_. That was becoming a recurring theme with him and he didn't know how to feel about it. He'd meant what he'd said to Lee earlier today about not wanting his work interrupted. But he also didn't want Bella to be anywhere else. He wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, as Esme would say, but even he realized something was going to have to give. He had to either accept Bella would be a distraction or give her up. Standing there thinking about every moment with her since she'd arrived, Masen felt giving her up wasn't an option he wanted to explore.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"So what's the magazine? Is it Cosmo? I love their surveys," Edward teased, lounging against Bella's pillows with his arms folded behind his head. He'd made himself at home in her room after giving her all of about a minute to find the magazine. He was definitely the most impatient person she'd ever come across.

"Shut up," she replied, looking at him over her shoulder just long enough to catch his smirk and roll her eyes at it. She checked another stack of magazines and finally found the one she wanted.

Her room had a slight chill to it so she stopped at the end of her bed long enough to put on the blue plaid shirt Edward had loaned her earlier. She could have found something in her closet but she figured this was quicker and easier since Edward was already looking as if he was trying to will her to move faster.

But as she sat cross-legged beside him, she decided she should make sure he was okay with her wearing it still. "Do you mind me borrowing your shirt again?"

"Just take care of it while you do. And I want it back at some point. It's a favorite of mine."

She wanted to say she knew but she felt it was important to keep it quiet for her future relationship with Lee. Although they'd gotten off on the wrong foot, Bella was looking forward to them becoming friends.

He must not have been too worried about the shirt because he was already busy reaching for the magazine. "I'll find the article."

"I can do it," she assured him, leaning away to keep him from taking it. "Stop being so impatient."

"I want what I want when I want it."

Bella really wanted to tell him what she felt was the truth—he had no idea what he wanted. One minute he wanted her gone and the next he wanted to be friends. Instead of saying that, she focused on their reason for being in her room. "The article talks about how important it is for marine researchers to move toward eco-friendly materials to help preserve the oceans."

"So what? Solar boats?"

"Eventually but it talks about starting small, like developing biodegradable fishing nets and twine." She found the article and handed him half of the magazine to hold so they could look over it together.

"Stop hogging it," he accused, giving a light tug.

"I'm not hogging. You are holding exactly half of it."

"Yeah, but the article is mostly on your half."

She rolled her eyes while trying to contain her smile and keep from encouraging his silly behavior. "Shut up."

"That's the second time you've told me to shut up. Did you forget I'm your boss?"

"You're not my boss right now. You're my friend. And if my friend needs to be quiet, I'll tell him to shut up all I want."

Edward snorted. "If anyone needs to be quiet, it's you. All of your talking is interrupting my reading, Guppy."

She ignored his teasing and pointed out the part that had caught her interest the first time she'd read it. "A biodegradable fishing line engineered to degrade in both landfills and marine environments in five years. It even comes in the most popular weights, ranging from four pounds to twelve pounds."

From the look on his face, he didn't seem all that impressed. "That's great in theory but I've got a couple issues with it. First, the weights they're talking about are used by your lake, river, and pond fisherman—guys going after bass, perch, and salmon. You need at least a thirty pound to go after big game fish like Marlin.

"Secondly, the main danger of nylon lines is their transparency. They're extremely difficult to spot under water, making it far too easy for marine animals to get entangled, leading to permanent harm or death. And depending on the how much line there is, it can also trap swimmers and scuba divers."

Bella tried not to show how disheartened she felt. "Sorry. I thought this would be helpful."

"All knowledge is helpful. Just not all of it is usable." He took her half of the magazine from her, folding his side under, and then tapped a section of the article with the side of his thumb. "See this right here? This is a big deal."

Bella had to lean partly on the pillow and partly on his shoulder to see what he was pointing out. "Reduce, reuse, recycle at your marina."

"Exactly. Marinas taking recycling seriously is a big shift. Easily reachable facilities for oil, aluminum, glass, plastic, and antifreeze recycling would be a huge thing, especially for crews like ours. Right now, we keep most of our trash on board until we dock at home where we know recycling facilities are available. In a few years, we might have places we can recycle our stuff at nearly every port."

"And the easier it is to recycle, the more people will be willing to do it."

He nodded in agreement then unfolded the magazine and flipped back to the front. "Let's see what else is in here."

Bella smiled, glad that he wasn't in any hurry to leave and end the nice night they were sharing. "I don't remember if there's anything else good in this one, but I've got one that has an article on if dolphins can sense the future."

"Oh, that's good. Flipper can give me the winning lottery numbers," Edward said with a snort, turning his face to look at her, putting them nose to nose.

There are moments when the silence is so quiet that the intake and exhale of a breath can seem as loud as a firework exploding. They were in that moment. Just breathing.

Then came the leaning—mutual leaning. Same distance, at the same speed, with the same intent.

And then it happened. His lips met hers and they clung together, time spinning out and standing still. They both still had their eyes open and she swore his eyes were the most beautiful shade of green she'd ever seen. She had her wits long enough to question how she could notice his eyes when his mouth was pressed to hers and then he started to pull away and conscious thoughts fled her.

Her hand gripped his shoulder and the retreat of his lips immediately turned into the claiming of hers. He held the side of her face in his large hand and she could distinctly feel the hardness of the calluses on his fingertips on the shell of her ear while the softer skin of his palm rested against her cheek. And the _warmth_. Warm hands, warm lips, warm breaths mingling with hers. The kiss was slow, continuous and utterly breathtaking. And just when she thought it couldn't get any better, he rolled her way and covered her body with his. She had missed the weight of him pressing into her. There was some probably some dark corner of her mind—as dark as the one in the bar—that had known it, but her conscious mind had been blind about it until now. The thought disappeared as quickly as it had come, lost in the crash of a tidal wave of desire created by the swirl of his tongue around hers. Her eyes closed from the sensational overload, losing sight of the green and gaining a heightened awareness of every place his body touched hers.

As unforgettable as their kiss in the bar had been, this one was infinitely better. This one wasn't a mistake and wouldn't be regretted.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

It had taken strength Masen didn't think he possessed to stop at just kissing Bella. He wanted her in ways he had never wanted a woman before and as much as the strange sensation bothered him, it was nothing compared to the conviction he held that once with her wouldn't—_couldn't_—be enough.

He gazed down at her sleeping form, waiting to feel remorse for kissing her without having made a decision about whether or not he could ever be more than her friend. It didn't come. Instead he smiled over how small she seemed wrapped up in his shirt and took in how pretty she looked relaxed in sleep. He also wondered how she could be relaxed with the way she was curled into a contorted ball—head on his abdomen, chest curled toward his body, and legs and feet pointed away from him and pressed against the headboard. And to top it all off, his puppy asleep and snoring, nestled between him and Bella.

It was Lizzy he had to thank for stopping the kiss before it had gone past the point of no return. She'd figured out he was in the room and had scratched and whined at the door until he'd had to go get her or risk having her wake everyone. She'd pranced right on in and jumped up onto the bed to curl up in Bella's lap as if she had done it her whole puppy life. And Bella had been as thrilled about it as Lizzy.

Reaching out to lift a stray hair from her face, Masen realized Bella had fallen asleep with her hair still locked in a ponytail and he knew from Lee and Esme that it wasn't pleasant to sleep that way all night. As gently as he could, he slipped the band out of her hair. It snagged when it was almost free and he thought he would have to wake her to make her get it out. Finally, he freed it and her hair spread out across his waist. He settled back against the pillows, surprised she was still sleeping and expecting her to wake at any second. But she continued to slumber and he continued to watch.

It was hard to look at her lips and not want to kiss them again; it was even harder to restrain himself when he thought of kissing her earlier. He tried not to, but his mind was on a loop with replays of tonight and that first night in the bar. Bella's soft lips and cheek … the way she'd held onto his shoulder, anchoring them together … her palm rubbing against his stubble … the feel of her curves fitting against his as they moved across the dance floor … the sweat running down his back with his every attempt to get closer to her in that dark corner of the bar.

He carefully lifted her head and moved it up, wanting to avoid waking her by poking her in the back of the head. This was completely ridiculous. He wanted her, she was right there, and yet he wasn't going to do a damn thing more with her tonight. He couldn't without knowing how she fit into Whit's life. If worse came to worse, he could find another girl but he couldn't find another best friend who knew him the way Whit did.

Masen scrubbed his face with his hands, tired of thinking. He considered getting up and taking his mold downstairs but just as quickly killed that idea in favor of staying right where he was. He was comfortable propped up on her pillows, Lizzy was comfortable nestled between them, and Bella was comfortable sleeping with her head on him. Plus, now that he'd forced himself to stop thinking, he found he was actually tired enough to sleep.

He reached an arm out to turn off the lamp but thought better of it once his hand was on the switch, remembering that Bella didn't like the dark. He settled for draping his arm over his eyes but that barely lasted any length of time because he decided he'd rather fall asleep with her face being the last thing he saw for the night.

And that was exactly how he fell asleep.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Friday, June 6th**

Bella woke up alone. The only proof that last night had happened was the lone pillow standing upright against the headboard and her feet being where her head should have been. As she stretched, she realized that wasn't completely true—she had the plaid shirt that had kept her warm while she slept.

There was also the hairband lying on the small bedside table by the still burning lamp and the pillow under her head. She'd had a ponytail and only a chest for a pillow when she'd nodded off listening to Edward talk about all the places he'd visited. It wasn't that she'd been bored—quite the opposite. He'd been to some amazing places and with Whit, Lee and Esme at his side he'd never had a bad trip. No, what had put her to sleep was his voice vibrating beneath her ear like the gentle hum of a fan.

But where was he now? Why had he left without waking her? She looked around hoping for a note but there was nothing. Then she noticed his sketch and mold were gone and figured he must not have been able to sleep and had gone down to his project room to work. She'd overheard he was an insomniac, just like Alice.

Well, maybe not _just_ like Alice. Alice wasn't a true insomniac where her inability to sleep more than a few hours at a time was constant. Hers was stress-induced and she would go two or three weeks with a few hours of sleep a night and then as soon as things calmed down, she was back to getting eight or nine hours.

Then again, Edward didn't exactly fit the typical insomniac pattern either. Sure he never seemed to sleep longer than an hour or two here and there but he never seemed fatigued and he certainly wasn't despondent. So maybe it was just that his body ran on low sleep instead of it being a problem.

Bella glanced at the digital clock on the table and saw that it was getting close to her scheduled bathroom time. She'd hoped to get an early slot but she'd ended up with the very last. She was just thankful there hadn't been a morning yet without hot water, something that had really worried her. She hated cold water on her face first thing in the morning. It felt too jarring of a way to wake up, like having a rooster right outside the bedroom window. Not that she'd ever had a rooster but she could imagine it would be annoying if she did.

_My mind is all over this morning_, she thought as she gathered her clothes and toiletry bag. Her thoughts were usually orderly and focused on the day ahead of her and she wondered what was making her feel off.

Her pondering was interrupted by raised voices outside of her door. She opened it to find out what was going on and got way more than she'd ever expected. Edward was drenched with his hair sticking straight up and the ends of a towel fisted in his right hand. The body of the towel was haphazardly covering the body of the man as he stalked past her door, yelling death threats to a laughing Lee who was hiding behind Esme in her bedroom doorway.

"You deserved it and you know it," she shouted at him.

"Hiding behind my mom is only going to save you for so long, Hale," he promised. Bella couldn't tell if his skin was red from hot water or a hot temper.

Lizzy charged out of Whit's room and began circling Edward, trying to bark at everyone at once. Bella figured Edward must have taken the puppy in there whenever he'd left her room. She had a second to think how cute it was that Lizzy was trying to protect him and then the puppy was nipping at his towel and pulling it down, leaving Bella to wonder if she should cover her eyes or let out the laugh building inside of her.

Whit picked up the wriggling puppy and held her against his chest. "Bro, it might be easier for Lee to take that threat seriously if you were dressed. Right now the only thing she has to fear is an eye full of your hairy ass."

Edward stopped adjusting his towel to look at him. "Were you in on this?"

"No, but I'm damn sure enjoying the aftermath."

"What the hell?" Gopher asked, entering the hall from the stairwell. "Mase, why are you dripping water all over the floor I cleaned yesterday?

Esme snorted and then pressed her lips together tightly as if that would stop it from happening again. When Edward whipped his head around to look at her, she said, "Yes, Edward, please tell us why you're making a mess in the hallway."

"Apparently, I pissed off that one right there," he said, pointing at Lee with his free hand. "So she decided to get back at me by dumping a bowl of ice cubes and cold water on me."

She turned her gaze to Lee. "This true?"

"Revenge is a dish best served cold," Lee taunted, smiling extra wide at Edward. To Esme she said, "He deserved it."

Esme's gaze turned to Edward's now shivering form. "That true, Kid?"

He huffed and grumbled something only he could hear while scratching the bridge of his nose.

"What was that?"

"Yeah, okay," he said, looking as annoyed as he sounded. "I deserved it."

"Then it's settled. No retaliation allowed. Agreed?"

"Yeah. Agreed."

"Good." She smiled at him but it wasn't a sweet, motherly kind of smile. It was the kind of smile a person wears when they're about to embarrass you. "Now put some clothes on. Nobody here wants to see you naked."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Whit immediately replied, as if he'd been anticipating the comment.

While Esme, Lee, and Gopher were busy filling the hall with their laughter, Edward tried to push Whit into his room but slipped on the wet floor, nearly taking them both down. That just made them all laugh harder while Bella stood in her doorway wondering which of them would be the first Edward turned into maunu.

Edward finally regained his footing with Whit's help and stormed off to the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind him. There was a brief moment of silence and then more laughter from his family and barking from Lizzy.

"Gopher, I hope you've got a hardy breakfast planned for us," Esme said as she wiped a tear away with her thumb. "My kid's had himself a busy morning and we haven't even started the day yet."

His face was still stretched in a huge smile. "Eggs, bacon, and biscuits. I think that oughtta be enough to replenish his energy."

"And warm him up," Lee added with a snort.

"I get the cold water but the ice cubes?" Whit questioned. "That's just down right mean, Lee."

She shrugged. "Like I said, he deserved it. Besides, he agrees. You heard him."

The bathroom door opened and Edward emerged in a pair of olive green cargo shorts and a tight white shirt that had become see-through where his body was still wet. He looked around at the faces of his family, seeming not to notice Bella at all.

With an angry scowl, he pointed at Gopher first. "Fuck you." Then Whit. "Fuck you." And finally Lee. "Fuck you. And sorry for yesterday."

He smiled at Esme and told her, "Love you." He lifted his thumb toward the ceiling and added, "I'll be upstairs waiting on breakfast."

Bella waited for someone to be mad and yell at Edward. What happened instead was Whit laughed and clamped his free hand on Edward's shoulder, giving it a shake as the two of them climbed the stairs with Lizzy still nestled in Whit's other arm and once again barking. Gopher and Lee met in the middle of the hall where he smacked his lips against her cheek loudly and praised her devious mind. Esme yawned and went back into her room, closing the door behind her.

As quickly as the ruckus had started, it was all over. And Bella was all kinds of amused. Edward Masen had a sense of humor even at his own expense. That was definitely something she wouldn't have expected to find out about him. She slipped past Gopher and Lee, making her way to the bathroom and wondering what the rest of the day would have in store for her after such an eventful morning.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**The View from Whit's eyes …**

_Something changed_. Whit didn't have solid proof of his theory yet but he had some compelling observations. First, there was the sudden appearance of Masen and Lizzy in his room this morning just before his alarm had gone off. If Masen had spent his night awake and in his project room, the puppy would not be with him. She was never brought down to that level of the boat and had never shown any interest in going down on her own. If he'd spent the night at the helm with Lee, Lizzy would have probably wanted to be with them. The only problem with that scenario was that if he had spent the night talking with Lee, he would have apologized enough to make her trash her plan for revenge and the ice bath he'd gotten this morning wouldn't have happened. So then where had Masen been that Lizzy was intrigued enough to want to follow?

The second observation he'd made concerned Bella. He was sure she thought she was being sneaky with her quick glances in Masen's direction. She might have even gotten away with them if Whit didn't have such an eye for detail. But he did so her blushing and her weak efforts to hide her smile were like bright, neon signs to him.

And the final observation—and this was the one that yelled out the loudest that something had happened last night—Masen was unable to sit still this morning. He was like a little kid hopped up on soda and pop rocks, bouncing his leg under the table, drumming his fingers along the top, and generally just being loud and obnoxious. This was the behavior they saw from him on mission days when he couldn't wait to get started and firmly believed they were all moving slower than usual on purpose. But today wasn't a mission day. It was a data collection day.

Whatever force had been keeping Masen somewhat in check let him loose and he moved so that he was sitting on the back of the booth with his feet on the seat. "Assignments for today."

"Masen, sit your butt down and let us finish breakfast," Lee told him, using that mothering tone on him that worked more often than not.

Today was a not since he ignored her and continued on with his train of thought. "I'm breaking today up into two sections … before lunch and after lunch, with lunch being at one o'clock today. So before lunch, Lee, you're at the helm again. Whit is with me for data collection. Gopher and Guppy are taking care of the boat. Any questions?"

It was standard stuff so there were none. At least not about the assignments. Whit had plenty of questions for his friend but he would wait until they were in the office. Masen was much more likely to answer honestly without the rest of the crew in the room.

"After lunch, Lee gets the rest of the day off to catch up on her sleep. Whit's at the helm until dinner and then I'll take the night shift. Gopher, you'll be handling the boat on your own the rest of the day since Guppy has some work to finish."

Bella's mouth was wide open as she looked directly at Masen; it was so priceless that Whit had a hard time not laughing at the poor girl. She looked like someone had just kicked her puppy. "Not that video again?"

For his part, Masen was smiling entirely too wide. "You thought breaking my lens hood would make me forget you have a video to finish and a report to give on skipjacks."

"I didn't think that." In a lower voice she added, "Not until you said it anyway."

Lee burst out laughing and then tried to cover her face with her hands. It didn't do a thing to muffle the sound and Whit couldn't hold back his own laugh over her losing it so thoroughly.

"Edward, can't you give her a pass?" Esme asked, putting an arm around Bella's shoulders. Whit respected the hell out of the woman and little things like that protective move just made him love her all the more.

"No passes. No free rides aboard Galeos," Masen replied without hesitation. "Besides, she might get inspired by something she sees. Her blog post is due tonight for Lee and me to review it. If everything is great, Lee will post it on Sunday. If not, Guppy will have Saturday to work on it."

"I'm inspired alright," Bella said as she poked the remains of her biscuit with her fork. "I'm gonna write about the evil dictator of MMR."

Whit winced, knowing any second now Lee would jump in and defend Masen, and make it that much harder for her to befriend Bella. The sad part was that it made Lee come off as a hard-ass when it wasn't done maliciously at all. She hadn't always been like this, so territorial over her friends. It was one of the nastier side effects of Whit's attack and he had trouble controlling his guilty feelings whenever he saw the effects manifest in Lee and Masen. It was no more their fault for how it had changed them than it was his for being attacked, but sometimes he couldn't help feeling responsible.

Instead of defending Masen, Lee encouraged Bella. "If you want to really hook your readers and keep them coming back, make sure you put in the ice bath he got this morning for being such a _dick _tater."

Even odder than her not defending him was Masen acting like it hadn't even happened. "Since there don't seem to be any questions or comments related to work, let's get started."

While the others were busy bringing dishes into the kitchen, Whit stayed where he was and did some more observing. He also managed to do some overhearing as well.

First, he observed Masen and Bella standing a little too close for it to be work-related and smiling entirely too much for it not to mean something to both of them.

Then, he overhead their conversation. "Where's my shirt? I want it back, Guppy."

"In your room. Well, Whit's room. I put it on your bed before I came up for breakfast."

"Good."

"Thanks for letting me borrow it. It made a good blanket last night. And you weren't half bad as a pillow."

"So what was Lizzy?"

"My cuddle buddy. She's welcome any time to come snuggle with me."

"And me?"

Masen didn't get an answer because Lee chose that moment to call Bella over to her. Whit tracked the girls and managed to make out "shirt" from Lee and "this morning" from Bella before Masen interrupted by grabbing his shoulder, wanting to get downstairs and get started.

Whit grinned, thinking of how much fun he was about to have collecting data on his best friend.

He waited until Masen was distracted with pulling up the tracker results on the laptop before setting his plan into motion. "Hey, what shirt did you loan Guppy?"

"One that was hanging around."

_Generic answer and you're not looking at me. So busted_, Whit thought as he surveyed the forced blank look on Masen's face.

"Hanging around? That wouldn't happen to be your lucky shirt from downstairs, now would it?"

"We've got a lot of data to work on, Whit."

Whit's smile widened. "Oh, I know. Favorite shirt loaned out to the new girl and then there's Lee, your long-time friend, who got her hand physically slapped for trying to borrow it one chilly night."

Masen scratched at the bridge of his nose while asking, "We're gonna do this now, huh?"

"Where were you last night, bro? 'Cause you weren't at the helm, you weren't in your project room, and you didn't come to my room until morning."

"Nowhere. I mean, I was in the kitchen for a while. Bella offered to help me make a new prototype and I figured it would be good to teach her."

"And then?"

"Nothing." He shrugged but his leg was bouncing again so it was very much something. "She had an article she wanted to show me." He must have noticed the change in Whit's smile because he quickly added, "An article in an oceanography magazine."

Whit snorted and held back his 'article' tease for now. "Too bad it wasn't Cosmo. You love their surveys."

Masen grunted.

"I'm pretty sure you enjoy playing pillow too."

Masen's eyes widened. "How the fuck?"

It was Whit's turn to shrug. "I know all. I see all. I hear all."

"Nothing happened."

Whit didn't buy that for a second. "Nothing beyond sleeping with the intern."

"I didn't sleep with her. Well, okay, yeah, but it was _just_ sleep. I wouldn't … Look, I know I should have had this conversation with you before and I'm a total dick for putting it off. I just … If I'm right then I'm happy for you because you're my best friend and a great guy. It's the what if I'm wrong that bothers me because I shouldn't want to be wrong but I can't seem to stop myself."

_Putting off a conversation and being happy for me while wanting to be wrong? What would have Masen tied up like a damn pretzel and involve me?_ The answer, Whit quickly realized, was in the miserable yet somehow hopeful look on Masen's face. Now as his best friend, he had two options. He could give it to Mase straight and easy or he could get him good and worked up until Mase had to admit the truth to himself and to Whit.

_Oh, Option B how I love you_, Whit thought as he leaned back in his chair and prepared for battle. "Mase, I'm sensing a question here but I'm just not getting it. What's wrong, bro? Talk to me."

Masen slumped back in his chair, seeming lost as to where to start. He sat silently for nearly a minute before nodding and sitting up straight. "When I got called up to the office in middle school and they told me I would be showing you around, it was the last thing I wanted to do. I hated getting picked for stuff like that because the new kid always wanted to latch on to me like I was some kind of life preserver. It always ended up with me having to tell the kid to get lost and looking like an asshole for being selective about my friends. So the next day I'm annoyed as fuck because I'm dreading the inevitable end and here you come walking up and the first words out of your mouth are to ask if we can ditch this planned bullshit to go surfing. That was it. You were in."

He stopped talking while he scooted forward in his chair and set his arms on the desk. "It took me three years before I figured out the reverse was true. _I_ was the one let in. You didn't have to accept all the shit that comes with being my friend. Hell some days I wonder if you even notice it. But here you are and that's why I'll never purposefully do anything that wrecks our friendship."

Whit once again had a couple ways he could respond but in reality there was only the truth because no matter what else Masen was, he was a standup guy and a loyal friend. "I love you too, Mase. And you're lucky I do because I was really going to make you sweat before admitting this."

"Admitting what?"

"Hang on there, bro," Whit replied, chuckling as he mimicked Masen's leaned forward position against the desk. "Nothing in life is free. So here's the deal … I admit something and then you admit something."

"Fine but whatever I admit can't be bigger than yours."

Whit grinned. "Oh, it won't be. Trust me."

"So what is it?"

"Bella's not my dream girl."

The fact that Masen remained motionless said more than any words. He didn't believe it was true because he couldn't—he wanted it too badly.

"I know my girl and it's not her," Whit assured him. "Some of the personality traits are similar but Bella's not my girl."

A pleased smile started creeping across Masen's face and Whit knew it was the perfect time to demand payment.

"Say it. Out loud. Admit it to yourself."

"I want to be her friend."

"Bullshit. If a man needs a friend, he gets a dog. With a woman like Bella, he storms the beaches or dies trying. And, Mase, you already have a dog, bro."

With his elbows resting on the desk and his fingers massaging his temples, Masen quietly admitted the truth his friend had known from almost the start. "I want to storm the beaches. I want to be with her. Not just for a night and maybe not even just for a summer. I don't know. She confuses the hell out of me."

Whit snorted. "Yeah that's been painfully obvious, bro." He noticed the change in his friend, the reappearance of the tightness in his shoulders. "There's a but coming."

He nodded in agreement. "But MMR is more important than what I want."

"That's certainly something to consider. But so is this … You don't think that way when you're with her."

"So then what do I do?"

As much as Whit wanted to help Masen and give him all the answers, the hard truth was that he couldn't. Not this time. It wasn't an instruction that could be given and followed. It was emotional and either Masen felt it or he didn't.

"Until you want her more than anything, there's nothing you can do. Anything less would be hurtful to her. And as much as I love you, if you hurt her, I'm going to kick your ass. And I'm pretty damn sure Gopher will help."

Masen slumped into his chair, looking completely defeated. "Why the hell did I have to meet her as the intern?"

"It's your lot in life, Mase. Just like mine is to dream of my girl until it's time to meet her."

"It's hard to be alone with her and not want to be with her," Masen admitted.

Whit could tell he was hoping for some wise advice. He really didn't have any so he gave his friend a joke guaranteed to get his mind off of Bella, at least for a little while. "You just tell Little Masen to keep his head down low and I'm sure it'll be fine."

Masen snorted. "You're an asshole."

"Is that any way to talk to your best friend?"

"Yes." He grabbed his laptop and jumped right into work, calling out statistics for Whit to record on the forms they had developed over the years to document their research.

Whit smiled, happy he could help his friend, even if it was only getting him to admit what had been eating him up inside for the past week. It put Masen one step closer to understanding that he could have both Bella and MMR without either being neglected. It was a conclusion he had to come to on his own in order for him to truly believe it and truly let himself have a relationship with Bella. That wasn't to say that Whit couldn't give a gentle nudge here and a slight push there to help things along the way. He would get Masen and Bella together before the summer ended and then it would be up to Masen to keep them that way.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hope you guys enjoyed this one! I especially hope Whit's POV was a nice surprise for all of you. It was a lot of fun to crawl around in his head and see Masen through his eyes. LOL And it was very nice to have Masen just be himself with dear Guppy during their mold making session. EternallyAddicted has been sweet enough to create a polyvore for their time together and it's up on the Sharkward site at .

Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter - and the well wishes! I'm sorry I couldn't reply to all of you like usual. Real life decided to introduce some very unexpected items into my world and I had to take time off from everything. Everything is on the mend thanks to my amazing family and friends - especially EA for keeping me sane - and I hope to be back to 100% within a couple more weeks. I also hope to get back to posting every 3 weeks. It all depends on how cooperative Masen wants to be. LOL As you guys have already seen, he's a bit stubborn. LOL

I hope you all are having great weekends with those you love! Thanks for reading!


	13. 13 Can't Touch This

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 13 – Can't Touch This**

**Sunday, June 8th**

Bella felt like there should be foreboding theme music playing to usher her forward on her mission to watch the rest of the tagging video. _Just be thankful you had an unexpected day away from it_, she scolded herself. She had been scheduled to watch the rest after lunch on Saturday but something had happened with the data from the tiger shark and now it was late afternoon on Sunday. As hard as she'd tried to follow along and figure out what was so exciting to the entire team, including Esme, she hadn't been able to fully grasp it.

Watching them all work as team, though, that had been easy to understand and she'd been captivated by the way they worked together. Edward had clearly been the lead since he'd been the only one standing—and the only one wielding the magic marker on the whiteboard. He had also been open to every opinion presented. He'd even incorporated the majority of the ideas into the final paper, including a couple items from Gopher.

Lee was very analytical and spoke in technical terms that made Bella's head spin. But she was also aware her audience might have trouble following along and tried to bring things down to a level Bella could understand. That was something Edward could not do and if not for Lee translating for him, the rest of the crew would have been just as lost as Bella.

Gopher had been the most surprising to observe; Bella had expected he'd be as lost as her since he mainly worked on deck or in the kitchen. Despite not having a great deal of hands-on experience, he had a wealth of general knowledge of both sharks and the team's practices. He also knew how to read the data sheets Edward, Lee, and Whit were practically drooling over. If he could learn all of that just from watching these three, then Bella felt more secure than ever that she could learn from working side-by-side with the team.

The best suggestions for reaching people outside of the scientific community came from Whit. He had a knack for taking the jargon that Lee had already spun down and relating it to everyday things so that they went from boggling Bella's mind to making perfect sense. It was the only reason she had a basic idea of what had excited them, though she still didn't understand the why of it.

Esme had served as the moderator, the one to pull them back on track each time they'd slip off on a tangent while fighting to have their suggestion accepted. She'd also taken everything they'd decided to keep and had turned into a polished, professional document.

And now the flurry of excitement was over and it was time to finish the tagging video.

"You can do this. You _want_ to do this. It's on a video so it's not like it can hurt you or anyone you know. And you know the outcome so it's not like that can change—everyone gets out of the water fine." Bella shook her head as if disagreeing with everything she'd just said. "More than fine! They were happy that night and Lee even talked to you. And … And Edward was _nice_."

She heard the door open and looked toward it, expecting to see Edward walking in. But the one sauntering into the room with a goofy grin was Lizzy. Bella's laugh was apparently some sort of signal to the puppy because she suddenly zoomed across the room and jumped right up into Bella's lap.

"Hi, sweet girl. Did you come to watch the video with me? You're probably not afraid of sharks at all. Not a dog who surfs." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Even the dog is braver than me."

Bella leaned over and grabbed the remote from the chair Edward had been sitting in the first time they'd watched the video. She backed the DVD up a couple frames to ease the shark into the shot and to hopefully ease herself into finishing this video without freaking out again.

"We can do this, Lizzy. This is totally a-okay as Alice would say." Bella wanted her words to be true more than anything right then.

But they weren't. She was fine watching the shark come into view. She was fine watching it swim past the buoys and out of the shot. She was even fine with it coming back into view and lurking just behind one of the buoys. But once it twisted its body and made a direct line for Edward, she was no longer fine and had to turn the DVD off. Knowing Edward was perfectly fine did nothing to stop her from picturing the shark slamming into him and then _biting_ into him. It also didn't help her to keep back the tears that often came with the anxiety.

"Hey, hey, hey," Whit said, gripping her shoulder. "None of that. You're gonna drown the puppy."

It was such an absurd thing for him to say that it made Bella laugh. "I'm not crying _that_ much."

"Unless they're happy tears, any tears are too much. And I can see these aren't happy tears, Guppy."

"It's nothing," she said, forcing a smile while using the backs of her hands to dry her cheeks. "Just my own stupidity."

"It's not stupidity. It's an effect of an event in your life." He stood there looking down at her silently for what felt like a long time to her but was probably only a few seconds. "Let's you and me take a walk. I've got something I want to share with you."

"Won't Edward be upset if I'm not in here?"

It was the devil himself who answered her. "Upset about what?" Bella almost felt bad for thinking of Edward as a devil since he'd been pretty nice the past couple days but then she took in the view of him dressed in ripped cargo shorts and a navy blue sleeveless t-shirt and knew she was right. A sinful devil tempting her with shaggy hair, a scruffy face, and lips that gave the most amazing kisses.

Whit's voice pulled her out of her very unprofessional thoughts. "Bella and I are gonna walk and talk. I'm going to share with her what we talked about."

"Sounds good. Let's go."

Whit snorted. "I didn't invite you along, bro. This is a W and B conversation so you just C you're way out of it."

Edward rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest, making his muscles ripple and Bella wiggle in her seat. "That's an A and B conversation, smartass."

Whit smiled in a way that made Bella think of the word _gotcha_. "Except my name doesn't start with an A," he pointed out to Edward.

"Sure it does. Assclown."

"Hey, Lee donned you with that name, not me."

Edward waved him off. "Go talk if you're gonna talk. We've got a video to watch and you're holding up progress."

"Come on, Guppy," Whit said as he helped her to her feet. "Hand the puppy over to Mase and let's find a quiet place."

"Was the rhyming on purpose?" she asked as she took hold of his offered arm.

"I rhyme, all the time. I'm prepping for my run, as the biggest rapper under the sun."

Bella snorted hard enough that it hurt a little.

"Yeah, I guess I should let go of my dream to be a top record-selling rap artist. If only I wasn't so damn tone def. I had the best moves, too. Learned most of 'em from Mase." Whit leaned in close to make sure Bella could hear the last part over the sound of her own laughter. "Which between the two of us, they aren't even a little good. But don't tell him. He still thinks the shirt pop move he taught me is pure brilliance."

Bella waited until they were sitting in a couple of the plastic chairs on deck to hug Whit. "Thanks. The laughter really helped."

"The talking will even more," he promised as she sat up straight. The sound of the cabin door opening had Whit turning his head and yelling. "Scram! Nobody likes a lurker."

Edward didn't seem too pleased with his friend. "I'm not lurking, you douche." 

"You're lurking, Asshole. Now go inside." 

Bella somehow managed to keep her laughter contained; it was absolutely absurd for Edward to look so put-out and still do exactly what Whit had told him. Maybe he wasn't as in charge as she'd been thinking.

"So why are we out here?" she asked as soon as Whit was paying attention to her again.

"After some discussion, and a slap to the back of a certain lurker's head, it was agreed I should tell you my story."

"Please let it be the story of how you get under Edward's skin because I really wanna know how to do that. It's not fair how easily he does it to me."

He gave her one of those smiles that said he knew everything, especially the things she didn't. "Trust me, Guppy, you're in deep. Now about my story ... It's kind of MMR's story too." He scooted forward in his chair and turned his left leg so the calf was clearly visible. Bella noticed immediately that something was off about it, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what. She didn't think it was the bird tattoo—it was something about the shape of his calf. 

"Looks a little odd, huh?" Whit didn't seem to really want an answer since he continued talking. "It didn't always look like this. It used to be part of a matched pair. In fact, I'd say it was the pretty identical twin."

Bella worried her laugh was inappropriate but Whit continued to smile sweetly at her. "I'm not going to like this story very much, am I?" she questioned.

"It's got a happy ending, if that helps." He righted himself in his chair, draping his arms along the sides of it. "This story is better with a beer but Mase has a no booze policy so we'll just have to settle for some fresh air and sunshine."

When Whit remained silent for longer than a normal pause took, Bella encouraged him to continue by saying, "I'm listening."

"It was a perfectly normal day. I got up, tossed on my board shorts, grabbed my board, and went to the beach. Mase was there waiting for me alone since Lee had worked late the night before and wanted to sleep in.

"There wasn't anything weird about the day. No odd feelings. No portents of disaster. Just Mase and me and the waves calling out to us. We were sitting on our boards shooting the shit and waiting for our turns. I remember thinking about asking him to hang out with me for the whole day because he was big time stressed and I knew I could get him to relax. We were done with college and supposed to be starting careers and he just couldn't settle down. It was like he couldn't find anything to focus on because he was good at everything. He's also pretty big into overthinking so if you can pull him out of his own head, then he calms down and sees his path. So I was sitting there plotting out our day in my head.

"Next thing I knew, I was underwater fighting to hold on to the breath in my lungs and not scream because I knew if I let the air go I'd probably drown. I could tell it was something big that had my leg but I didn't know what. I couldn't see anything because the water was dark that early in the morning.

"I don't remember how I got to the beach but I remember Masen kneeling over me and screaming for help. Lucky for us both, while he was busy getting his college degree I was getting my nursing license. I talked him through tying off my leg and the next clear memory I have is of being in a hospital bed. My parents were there with Masen and Esme and Lee and her parents. At first, they were scared I had brain damage because I just smiled at them. But then I explained I was just so damn happy to be loved by all of them."

Bella swallowed, trying to ease the tightness in her throat at the idea of Whit suffering such a horrible thing. She also recalled Lee's comment earlier in the week about him having an off kilter kick and now she knew why. "What kind of … What was it?"

Whit stood and pulled his shirt off, revealing a set of tattoos on his left side. The first was a grey and white shark that wrapped around him, with the tail on his back, the body along his side, and the head covering his lower abs. The eye of the shark was so detailed that Bella shivered, feeling like the thing could actually see her.

"Great White. Mine was just an adolescent but even the kids have sharp ass teeth," Whit explained, tracing the belly of the beast with his pointer finger.

He moved his finger to the numbers above the shark's head. "This is the latitude and longitude of our meeting." Then he pointed to the numbers below. "This is the number of days I was in the hospital."

When he moved to sit back down, Bella noticed a tattoo adorning his shoulder blade. It was a woman in a very red bikini standing next to a matching surfboard. "What's this one for?"

Whit smiled but Bella could tell it was forced. "Another story for another day. Right now, we're talking about my shark." He moved his leg to show the calf again. "I would've been out of the hospital sooner but Mase and Lee were both dead set on me getting my leg rebuilt. For Lee, it was all about quality of life—she was convinced my surfing would suffer. She was afraid for a lot more than that, but that was the easiest way for her to explain herself at the time.

"Masen …" This time, Whit's smile was much more genuine. "Masen was a sixty-forty split between love and guilt. He felt like he should have done something to protect me, to keep me from being bit. He also couldn't handle not knowing why that shark had gone for my leg instead of his. He needed to fix my leg for me." Whit's smile turned into a smirk and she knew a joke was coming. "Plus, I didn't have a leg to stand on to turn him down since my insurance wouldn't cover it."

Bella lifted her brows, silently letting him know his joke had fallen flat.

Whit shrugged and then continued with his story. "So one day, not too long before they finally released me for good, he comes to me with this idea. He's got that light in his eyes, the one that screams to the world that the idea in his head is so damn bright, he's gonna burn up inside if he can't share it with someone.

"He tells me he finally knows what to do with his life and he wants me and Lee there with him. He wants to use his marine biology degree with his engineering and photography experience to explore the oceans. We both know sharks are what he really wants to study but we also know he'll make time for whatever Lee and I want to explore. That's Masen. He wants what he wants but he also gives you what you need if there's any way he can.

"And so right there in my hospital room, we decided to go into business together and shook on it. Lee joined up the next day when she came to visit and we told her about it. And once Esme found out, there was just no stopping her from joining us. Not that any of us seriously tried though. A couple years later, Gopher joined us, having fallen hard and fast for our Lee.

"And _that_ is my story. Questions?"

Bella thought long and hard about what to ask and she also thought about the type of person Whit seemed to be so far. When the question came to her, she couldn't hold back her big grin. "A bird? Really? Your best friend spends all kinds of money to build you a leg and you go and put a bird on it. What kind of gratitude is that?"

Whit cracked up laughing and was having such a fit that both of his arms were wrapped around his stomach while he was just barely remaining in his chair. Bella was busy shaking her head at his foolishness, wondering how much of his laughter was amusement and how much was relief at being done with his story.

When Whit finally collected himself, he told her, "You're special, Guppy. Everyone else always asks how I can get back in the water."

She smiled as she touched his arm. "But I already know that ... It's a part of you. It's your passion the same way the sport is to the athlete and the painting to the artist. You could no more give up the water than you could breathing. Well, I mean technically you could, but you'd be miserable and empty."

He nodded in agreement as he leaned over and ran his hand over his calf. "It's not just any bird, you know. It's a swallow. For sailors back in the day, they were a sign that they would have a safe return home. No matter what body of water I'm in, I've always got mine with me."

"You're a pretty amazing guy, Whit."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Guppy. You're not so shabby yourself." It was his turn to touch her arm. "You don't have to share just because I did, but when you're ready, I want you to know you have a friendly ear available."

"I wish I was ready. I wish I was as brave as you are and could just put it out there. But I'm afraid that if I tell it right now when I'm still so afraid to even look at them … at sharks … It will change how everyone sees me. It'll make them change their minds about my ability to be a good intern and to help MMR grow. I don't want to be judged that way."

"I get that. And you might even be right about one or two of us. But Masen will get it. He'll understand and he won't see you differently. He'll treat you a little differently but only in that he'll adjust his mentoring to fit your specific experiences."

Bella shook her head slowly. "I would like to think you're right about that, but his behavior with me has been kind of erratic so far."

Whit nodded while giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Just think about it, Guppy. If you still feel that way tomorrow, then hold off until you're more comfortable. In the meantime, we better get you inside to finish up with that video. I'm sure the door is tired of having Masen lurk behind it."

Once again, Whit's comment was just so absurd that Bella couldn't help laughing. She also couldn't help warming on the inside at the sight of Edward pacing behind the cabin door and knowing that he was waiting there for her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen let out a groan as he ran a hand over the scruff on his chin while heading for his room and longing for the hot shower in his immediate future. He had managed to get Bella all the way through the video but not without fraying both of their nerves so close to the breaking point that he was honestly amazed they had made it through at all. Then again, he hadn't known just how much of a trooper Bella could be. She would take a few minutes to herself and then come right back to it, trying her hardest to separate her shark from the one on the video. She'd even stuck around after the video to give her report on skipjacks, refusing his offer to do it tomorrow instead. She had fears but she also had heart, something he was really starting to admire about her.

He was so busy analyzing his time with Bella that he didn't notice the wall of Gopher coming out of Whit's room and nearly collided with the man.

"How'd it go with Guppy?" Gopher asked as he shifted the laundry basket to rest under his arm.

Masen didn't even hear the question because he was too busy yanking a shirt from the top of the pile. "What the hell, bro? What are you doing with my lucky shirt?"

Gopher's eyebrows lifted as high as they could go. "Uh, laundry. Hulk see dirty clothes, Hulk wash them."

"This wasn't in the laundry basket. It was on my bed."

"Yeah. And so were quite a few other items in need of a wash. You wanna dig those out of the basket too?"

"This wasn't with the rest of the stuff. It was hanging off the headboard. As in out of the way."

Gopher snorted. "Look, Mase, if you have something against the shirt being washed, that's fine, bro. I didn't know. My bad."

"I don't have anything against it. I just don't think it needs it."

"If you say so." Gopher's smile widened some more and for some reason he couldn't quite pinpoint, it was really starting to piss Masen off.

"Trouble, boys?" Esme asked, standing in the doorway of her room which was where Masen had been headed before getting sidetracked by Gopher.

"No trouble, Esme," Gopher replied, giving her a wide, toothy smile. "Just Masen not wanting his precious shirt washed is all."

Esme's frown immediately turned up into a smirk. "Kid, let's you and me have a talk."

"Mom," Masen whined without an ounce of shame. "I just want a hot shower. Please."

"This won't take long. Promise."

His head fell forward with his chin nearly touching his chest. "I just want a shower."

"You've got to come in here for your clothes anyway," she pointed out.

"Fine." He lifted his head and followed her into the room, hoping for a quick, short chat with her. He loved talking with her but just not when he wanted a shower and some time alone.

She sat on the end of the bed and crossed her legs in front of her, then patted the spot beside her. "You look tired, Kid."

Masen stretched out across the bed so that his head was resting on Esme's leg and his feet were touching the floor. "I feel it. My plan was to grab a shower and then a nap before dinner. But _someone_ wants to talk."

She smiled down at him while running a hand through his already tortured hair; he'd lost count of how many times he'd pulled on it to keep his mouth shut and his temper in control with Bella, especially since she was actually doing really well given what he knew about her fears so far. He just wasn't used to working with someone who abhorred sharks. But he was going to have to get used to it because Bella wouldn't be the only intern they took on who didn't find the creatures beautiful the way he did.

"I heard about the incident with Bella and your lens thingy."

It was his turn to smirk. "I was going to tell you about that, you know. I just got sidetracked with the tiger shark data."

"Were you also going to tell me about your feelings for Bella?"

He groaned loudly. "I swear Whit is worse than a damn girl with his gossip."

Esme snorted. "I haven't spoken to Whit but I'm not a bit surprised he's seeing the same things I am. He's been a good friend to you for a long time."

He nodded. "Yeah, Whit's the best. He's a total shit too, but he's the best." He let out a breath and then lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I care about her. But I don't see any way to show her I care without jeopardizing MMR."

"That's because you have H-C-D-D."

"What the hell is that?"

With a devilish smile she answered, "Hard. Core. Denial. Disorder. It's your brain overthinking and overruling your heart."

"Okay," he said, laughing and rolling his eyes. "I hate to break it to you, Mom, but admitting I care is not a denial. It's not my fault that I met her as the intern and it's not overthinking to want to be careful with what we've built this company to be in the past five years."

"I think this has more to do with you not wanting to change your ways than it does with protecting MMR."

"It doesn't," he argued, getting up and walking over to his dresser to grab some clothes. He had a bad feeling about where this conversation was headed and just hoped he was wrong. Surely she wouldn't try and make a comparison like that, especially since it would be total crap.

"Edward, I know it was hard on you but—"

He spun around, fully aware that his face was giving away his anger even if he was controlling his voice. "Don't go there. This isn't about that."

"I think it is. I think it's the fear of having it taken away that's holding you back."

"No. What's holding me back is our company. It's more important than some summer fling with a girl I hardly know."

"And yet that shirt in your hand says something completely different."

Masen looked down at the blue plaid clenched in his fist. "It doesn't mean what you want it to mean. I'm not like that. I'm not like you when it comes to that stuff."

"Only because you fight so hard not to be. And maybe you're right. Maybe there _is_ a point in life where it stops giving us things and starts taking them away. But if there is, we haven't reached it yet, Kid. So please stop acting as if we have. For her sake if not your own."

Her last words pushed him over the edge and his voice sounded like a roar in the small room. "Don't pull her into this!"

Esme jumped up from the bed and went to him, hugging him as tightly as she could while whispering apologies. His arms folded around her and he clung to her shoulders, hating that she could make him feel so weak and out of control with just a few words. And hating himself even more for being upset with her when it wasn't her fault.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you, Edward. You know I would never hurt you. I love you so much and I want you happy. Despite what we've known in the past, I believe there is a wonderful future for us both with people who love us."

"I have people who love me. I have you and Whit and Lee."

"We do love you. But there's also a deeper love that you're meant to have."

"You first."

She sighed as she hugged him tighter. "Okay, Kid. I'm going to say one more thing and then I'll leave you alone for now … When you're not so mad at the both of us, please honestly look at where your reluctance is coming from."

Instead of saying anything to her, he kissed the top of her head and left the room. He needed his shower and his time alone now more than ever.

She wasn't right. She couldn't be right. That hadn't been the reason things hadn't worked with Lee. He knew that without a single doubt in his head or heart. So she couldn't be right about Bella. Only …

Only the more he tried to come up with a reason why Esme was wrong, the more frustrated he became when he didn't find one.

As he stood under the warm spray of the shower with his head lowered and his arms braced against the cool tile wall, only he could tell which drops sliding down his face were water and which were tears born of his frustration and loss.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

After the video and the report, Edward had given Bella the rest of the afternoon off. She'd been grateful for it, knowing that she wasn't going to be much use to anyone until she was able to get herself in full control of her emotions again. She was proud of how well she had held herself together throughout the video but she was also well aware of how much further she had to go.

Wanting and needing to hear a familiar voice, she took her phone up to the viewing deck and curled up on the loveseat with it. Now that they had cleared the Panama Canal and were sailing through the Caribbean Sea, her phone could pick up enough of a signal to call home.

Her uncle answered after only a couple of rings. "Hello, Bug. How's it going?"

She smiled and closed her eyes, picturing him sitting beside her just like they did at home. "It's going really well. You would be really proud of how well I did today."

"I'm always proud of you, Bella, because you always do your very best."

"I'm trying. It hasn't been easy. And I certainly didn't help things by breaking Edward Masen's prototype lens hood."

"Oh, Bug," Carlisle said, laughing a little. "You dropped it, didn't you?"

"Yep. And when it hit the floor, it _shattered_. Literally thousands of little white pieces."

"How did Mr. Masen take the news?"

"Well, he didn't throw me overboard," she joked. "He was pretty upset but he also let me make up for it by helping to make a new one. Did you know you can make plastic with milk and vinegar?"

"I did not know that. Though, it must not be a durable plastic if it shatters."

"If you make the casein—that's the plastic stuff before it hardens—if you make that stuff thick, then it's surprisingly durable. But Edward says he makes them thin until he knows it works right so that he doesn't waste supplies. If he runs out of milk, he can't just hop off the boat and go get more."

"Sounds as though you two are getting along much better than before you set sail."

"He's really serious about helping me, Uncle Carl. I can even say it now. I can say shark. And the best part is that Edward and Whit don't make a big deal out of it when I say it. It's just done and we move on. And you won't believe this, but Whit was actually _bitten_. He was surfing with Edward and a Great White bit his leg. Edward got him out of the water and then Whit talked him through tying off his leg so it's like they both saved his life. And you know what? Whit's not even mad at sharks. He wants to save them. You should see how upset he gets when they talk about shark finning. How amazing is that? He's so brave and I want to be brave like that and I really think that with all of their help I can get there." Bella finally took a breath and then she laughed. "Sorry, Uncle Carl. I must have channeled Alice for a moment."

"I'm happy for you, Bella. You're making progress and you're enjoying yourself. But I must admit, I do miss you."

"I miss you too. And Alice. And land. I miss stable land a lot." She laughed again. "Gopher says I'll get my sea legs any day now and that I won't even notice the boat's swaying anymore. I think he was just being nice by saying it."

"Sounds like everyone there is being welcoming to you."

"They are. And Esme has been checking on me every day to make sure I have everything I need. She's so different from anyone else I know. She can go from being silly with everyone to pulling out the mom card in no time flat."

Carlisle chuckled. "Parental supervision. Now I feel even more okay with you being there."

Bella grinned, glad to know that he wasn't worrying for her. She hoped her sister was doing just as well. "Is Alice home? I was hoping to talk to her too."

"I'm afraid she's out this afternoon. She was invited by some of her sorority sisters to dinner and a movie."

"Is she doing okay?"

"She's doing remarkably well. She misses you very much, but she's been able to stay focused on school and work and she's doing great at both. It also helps that she enjoys the attention she gets when she tells people she has a sister traveling the world by boat."

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes, easily able to picture her sister doing such a thing. "Yeah, that sounds like my baby sister alright. Has she gotten her letter yet?"

He chuckled again. "She has the envelope proudly displayed in her room. She loved your choice of stamp."

Bella shrugged. "Yellow orchids are her favorite." She suddenly felt incredibly sad and her eyes started to water.

"Try not to feel too homesick, Bug. You'll see us again soon enough."

She didn't want to end their call on a sad note so she forced a smile. "Yes. I'll see you soon and I'll get to share everything I've learned with you. In the meantime, I'm going to let you go and head inside to see what I can help with."

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Uncle Carl. Please give Alice a hug from me."

"I will, Sweetheart. Talk to you soon."

"Bye." She set her phone on the cushion beside her feet and then relaxed against the arm of the loveseat, laying her head against the back of it. She figured she'd take in the view of the Caribbean for a bit and then head inside to go over her blog one more time before handing it over to Lee for review. But she hadn't counted on the breeze feeling so good or the motion of the boat being so soothing and she ended up falling asleep.

She woke late in the afternoon, roused by the laughter coming from inside the cabin. At first she didn't move from her spot, content to listen to the crew. She couldn't pick out exact words but the tone was clear—they were enjoying their time together. She was excited to fully become a part of their team and she had used that today as another reason to push herself to face her fears. She was pretty sure she'd done a good job since Edward had managed to remain patient with her. _I need to thank him for that_, she thought as she stood and stretched.

She headed inside and found Esme, Lee, Whit, and Gopher chatting while setting up for dinner. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

"We're nearly done, Sweetheart. But thank you for asking," Esme replied, giving her arm a pat as she passed by.

"I know what you can do," Lee said as she set a couple of glasses down on the table. "Go down to Whit's room and let Masen know dinner's almost ready."

Bella narrowed her eyes slightly. "This isn't some kind of setup, right? Because if he's working and I get in trouble for interrupting him, I'm taking you down with me."

"Uh, oh! Look out!" Gopher teased, smiling wide. "Little fish found her backbone with Lee."

"Zip it, McCarty," Lee said, giving him a quick glance and a smile to show she was teasing right back. "It's not a setup," she said to Bella. "Even if he's working, he knows he's required to come to dinner. There is rarely ever an exception to that rule and he has no worthwhile reason to skip tonight. And you can tell him I said that."

"Alright," Bella agreed with a nod. "I'll give it a try then."

She headed down to the sleeping quarters and found Whit's door halfway open. Peeking inside, she was treated to the view of a shirtless Edward sprawled across his bed with Lizzy fast asleep on his chest. He had one arm thrown over his eyes and the other bent so that his hand was resting on Lizzy's back. It was such a sweet sight that she hated to wake him and ruin it.

She started by knocking on the door. Lizzy lifted her head, saw it was Bella, and then yawned and put her head back down. Bella giggled at the puppy as she pushed the door fully open and entered the room.

"Edward. It's time for dinner."

Once again, Lizzy was the only one to react. She scooted her way off of Edward and came to stand at the end of his bed. Her tail was wagging and she looked as if she was waiting for something.

Bella smiled and picked her up, cuddling the puppy under her chin and accepting a lick to her wrist with a laugh. "Hello, sweet girl. Sorry I had to wake you."

"Why are you waking us?" Edward was scrubbing his face with his hands when she looked up.

"Dinner time. The table's being set right now."

He glanced at the clock on the bedside table and then got out of bed. His arms went up over his head and he lifted up onto the balls of his feet, stretching himself out. The position made his muscles look more defined and had the added benefit of causing his shorts to slip down his hips and reveal the top band of his underwear.

"Briefly in boxers," he said, causing Bella to jump.

"What?" she asked, honestly confused.

"You were wondering if I'm wearing boxers or briefs."

"I was not!" she argued, her face a shade of red to match the collar around Lizzy's neck.

"Then why are you blushing?"

"Because … Because that was a really absurd thing for you to say."

"The only thing absurd around here is how red your face can get, Guppy."

Bella gave him a clearly fake smile and then turned and walked right out with Lizzy still in her arms. She wasn't going to stand there and give him a chance to make her face get even redder.

She had just put a foot on the first stair when Edward caught up with her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back against his chest. Since her dress was sleeveless she could feel that he'd put on a shirt—soft cotton from the way the fabric felt against the back of her arms. She closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the feel of his palm resting just before her hip and his fingers spread out and gripping her side. It was so unbelievably good to feel wanted, especially with the memory of their last kiss on her mind.

"Are you really mad at me?" he asked, his warm breath making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"I probably should be, but no. I'm not mad."

"Can we talk after dinner then?"

Bella pulled away so she could see Edward's face and gauge his mood. "Is it about the video? I thought I'd done pretty well."

"You did great, really. You pushed through it and finished it. I just wanted to see if you had any questions about it or about what Whit shared with you."

"Oh. Okay. Yeah, that would be nice. There is something I was wondering about."

He smiled and started walking up the stairs backwards. "So then come up and keep me company at the helm after dinner."

"You're gonna fall like that," she warned.

"I don't have any plans on falling, Guppy." For some reason, she had the strangest feeling he wasn't talking about the stairs. She thought for a second about saying something but then decided to wait until they were sitting together at the helm.

They found Esme and Whit already seated together at the table so Edward slid in next to his mom while Bella set Lizzy down next to her food and water bowls. After making sure Gopher didn't need any help, Bella slid in until she was next to the window. Once Lee and Gopher sat down, dinner became the usual hustle and bustle of trading plates accompanied by the sounds of multiple conversations being carried. For the most part, Bella just took it all in, only commenting when she felt she had something worth adding to a conversation.

Dinner was nearly over when Lee nudged her in the arm with her elbow. "How did you do on your skipjack report?"

"Okay, I guess. Edward didn't really comment on it. I think I had worn out his patience by then."

She nodded as if she was agreeing but then Lee looked over at Edward and asked, "How did Guppy do with the skipjack report?"

Edward didn't hear her at first, too busy arguing with Whit about something called a Soul Arch. After she repeated the question, he smiled and locked eyes with Bella. "I'll say this for her, she's thorough. She even looked up the Hawaiian name of skipjacks."

"Aku," Bella immediately replied with a smile. Not only had she found the name, she'd pronounced it correctly on the first try. She was also pretty sure she'd impressed Edward a little with it.

"Not bad," Lee commented. She even looked and sounded genuine in her compliment. "But did you retain any knowledge about them or just throw together a report?"

Bella smiled, confident she could meet this challenge. "Skipjacks are part of the tuna family and inhabit tropical waters across the world. They live in shoals of up to 50,000 fish and feed on small fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and mollusks. They have a short life span of seven years but they manage to keep up their numbers because they begin to reproduce after only one year of life.

"Their natural predators are sharks, like the tigers from yesterday, and wahoo, the mackerel-like fish Edward and I spotted my first official day with MMR. The other danger to their numbers comes from commercial and game fishing. The ones that aren't deemed trophy material are sold fresh, frozen, canned, dried, salted, and smoked. They serve as an important part of the culinary culture in both Hawaii and Japan, and luckily for both, the fish are deemed sustainable at the current fishing levels.

"As for their appearance, skipjacks are silvery fish with four lateral bands that appear reflective under water. Unlike typical fish, skipjacks don't have scales except on the corselet, a dark blue band of large, thick scales running directly along the top, from their mouths to their tale fins. In my own personal opinion, they look similar to juvenile swordfish minus the long, pointed upper jaw."

There was such a long silence when she was done that she started to fidget in her seat. She'd thought Edward's silence had been from tiredness but now she was beginning to worry it had been from boredom, that her report had been too stiff.

"All that knowledge is sitting in your head?" Lee finally questioned.

"Well, yes. But that's only because it's fresh in my mind. In a couple of days, I'll only remember the highlights, like their life span and natural predators." Bella knew she would be able to remember more later on if she had gotten to note the skipjacks in her journal now, but since she had only seen them on video the sighting didn't count.

Lee eyed her closely and then quickly said, "Favorite cephalopod."

Bella answered just as rapidly. "Cuttlefish because it's the chameleon of the sea and can change its skin color at will."

"Yeah, like Bella's blush," Whit joked, giving her a friendly smile that she returned while blushing.

Lee grinned and gave a nod. "Alright, Guppy. You know your stuff. I'm impressed."

"Bella, I wonder if you've heard of my favorite cephalopod," Esme stated. "It's the blue-ringed octopus."

"Oh, I saw one!" Bella excitedly replied. "I was in New South Wales with my uncle and sister and there was one in the tide pool we were exploring. We didn't know it at the time, but we could have really been hurt if we'd tried to get any closer to it."

Esme nodded in agreement. "They're as beautiful as they are deadly, recognized as one of the most venomous marine animals in the world."

"I love the way their skin darkens when they're agitated and it looks like the rings are pulsating on them," Edward added.

"Yes and because Edward enjoys them as much as I do, he's promised to have an aquarium built for my room just so I can have my own blue-ringed octopus," Esme proudly shared.

"That was a joke, Mom, and you know it," Edward told her, looking annoyed. "I'm not about to put a potentially deadly creature in your room where you sleep."

"Why not?" Lee questioned. "It's not like the octopus can crawl out of the tank."

"Because it's my Mom," he yelled, using his hands to indicate Esme. "She'll decide she needs to pet it to show it some love, she'll get bit, and then all hell will break lose."

Bella felt concerned with how truly upset Edward appeared to be and it prompted her to speak up before waiting to see if anyone else would calm his fears. "I'm sure Esme was only teasing, Edward. And even if she was serious, she knows the dangers of the octopus. I bet you were even the one to tell her how deadly it can be in the first place."

Esme wrapped her arms around his shoulders the best she could and kissed his cheek loudly. "I'm sorry, Kid. I thought you'd know from the way I was smiling that I was only yanking your chain. I promise I'll only have safe fish in my aquarium. Like those Lionfish with the pretty barbs that we saw when we were in Australia."

Edward leaned in to her, pressing their foreheads together and fighting a smile. "Not funny." They all knew that lionfish were poisonous to humans.

"Kid, I'm flippin hilarious," she told him. Her comment cracked everyone up at the table—everyone except for Bella. She was a little busy trying not to cry, overwhelmed by the beauty of Esme and Edward's relationship. She was also feeling a sense of surprise since for the first time in a very long time, she found herself missing her mother.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen smiled as Esme's arms looped around his neck and her lips brushed his cheek. "We okay, Kid?"

"We always are."

"You left the dinner table pretty quick."

"I don't like not having an eye on the gauges for long in this part of the ocean."

"Is that all?"

He turned his head so she could see his smile. "I'm fine, Mom. And I'm not mad with you. Promise."

"Good. Want some company?"

"Thanks but Bella's going to come up so we can talk about the tiger shark video some more."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why do you look so shocked?"

She smiled and ruffled his hair. "I guess I was just worried I'd said too much and you would pull away from her."

"Like I said earlier, MMR comes first and I'm her mentor. We're going to be working together no matter what. And after thinking about it some more, I agree with Whit that it wouldn't hurt anything for us to be friends. But that's where it ends."

She grinned and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "I think it's an excellent place to start, Kid."

He huffed and gently pushed her away. "Out. As captain of this ship, I order you out."

"And as your mother, I love you and wish you a good night."

"You really try my patience sometimes, Esme Masen!" he called after her. Her answering laughter made him smile wider.

Not long after Esme left, Bella came into the room. "Did you still want to talk?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

She pointed her thumb toward the hall while saying, "I was in the kitchen and heard you yelling to Esme."

"That was nothing. That was just us messing around." He patted the seat next to him and said, "Come here."

She came over but didn't sit down, choosing instead to get a closer look at the control panel. "Whit says Galeos basically drives itself."

"He's right. We have a very sophisticated auto-pilot. But just like with any piece of technology, you still have to keep an eye on it."

"Do you ever really drive it then?"

"Of course we do. We have to manually steer it in and out of marinas and anytime we're lining up for a mission."

"So the wheel's not just for decoration?"

He snorted. "No." He was going to leave it at that but then he got an idea into his head. He went to the wheel and after turning off the auto-pilot, he called Bella over to him.

"Hands on eleven and one," he instructed, standing directly behind her with his hands covering hers. "Feel the pull?"

"Yeah. What is that?" she questioned, her fingers flexing under his to grip the wheel tighter.

"The drag of the ocean current. We're cutting across the Caribbean to get to the Atlantic. Once we hit those waters, we'll turn and head straight for Gordon's Bay on the western side of the cape. It'll be our base of operation while we're researching near False Bay's Seal Island."

"How long before we reach the Atlantic?"

"Just a few more hours. We should cross over sometime around midnight. Then if the weather stays nice like it has been, it'll be a few days until we reach our destination."

"When will the big boat with the supplies be there?"

"They'll reach it sometime Tuesday, maybe early Wednesday."

"If we were to let go of the wheel, what would happen to the boat?"

"The current would push us off course."

Her fingers twitched beneath his. "Okay, put the auto-pilot back on before I screw something up."

"Relax, Guppy." He chuckled as he stepped closer, making sure she was locked in between him and the wheel. "I'm not going to let us go off course. Just relax and enjoy driving the boat."

"Please, Edward. I don't want to risk it. Just put it back the way it was and then we can talk."

"Alright, calm down," he said as he lifted his hands off of hers. "Take one hand off at a time and then duck under my arm to move away from the wheel."

She did just as he said and then let out a big sigh of relief behind him that made him laugh. "It's your fault," she said, poking him in the shoulder blade.

"How is it my fault?"

"I wouldn't be so nervous about screwing up if it wasn't for the lens hood thing."

"You were poking around in my room," he reminded her as he checked the course once more before putting the auto-pilot on.

"I wasn't poking around. I went in there to sweep up."

"And what? My hood jumped into your hands on its own?" he asked, smirking as he sat down beside her.

"Would you believe that?"

"No," he answered with a snort.

"Yeah, didn't really think so." She sat up straighter and looked directly at him, making him feel as though her brown eyes were pinning him in place. "Why did you leave my room Friday morning without saying goodbye?"

Masen took a moment to think about his choices in responding before answering her with the one that was as honest as he was willing to get. "I left really early because it wouldn't have looked right for anyone to see me coming out of your room. And since it was so early, I didn't see any reason to wake you."

She stared at him silently for what felt like a long time and when she finally spoke, she said the one thing he never expected. "You regret kissing me. Again."

Seeing her hurt once again by something he had done made him feel like an ass but leading her on would be worse. "Bella, I don't regret it. But I also can't let it happen again. If things were different, if we had met under other circumstances …" He shook his head. "But we didn't."

"What if they were different?"

"They're not."

"But what if they were?" she pressed. This time he was pretty sure her cheeks were red from frustration with him.

It was probably going to hurt her more, but he felt compelled to be honest with her. "Then we wouldn't be talking right now."

"Alright. I quit the internship."

"I can't let you do that, Bella. Your future is riding on this as much as MMRs."

"Don't use your company as an excuse. I may not have been here long, but I've seen how important it is to you and everyone else on this boat. I would never do anything to hurt it."

"I'm not saying you would. But you're smart enough to know that a perception can be just as damaging as an actual event." He took hold of her hand, running his thumb across her soft skin. "Listen, I'm going to be your mentor, and if you want, your friend. Just nothing else."

"Is this because things didn't work out for you with Lee?"

Masen barked out a laugh, shocked by Bella's question. "What did Gopher say to you?"

"Nothing. I just … I see things."

"If you're talking about how protective Lee is of me, that predates any attempt we made at being more than friends. When she moved to the island, I was the first friend she made. Plus, I was the only guy in our engineering group that thought her capable. All the others were too busy betting on when she would drop out to notice that she's maddeningly brilliant."

"But there was an attempt," Bella pressed, obviously determined not to let this go until she'd heard the story. "And it's not just her being protective. It's the way you are with Gopher."

He glanced toward the hall entrance, wanting to make sure they were really alone and also wondering what the hell had gotten in to him that he was actually going to share this with her. He leaned in closer so she could hear his low tone of voice. "You repeat a word of this and any chance we had at being friends is over. That clear?"

She nodded twice, her brown eyes never losing their intense focus on him.

"Lee wanted us to try dating and I didn't have a reason why not so I went along with it. I figured it would be just more of the same for us. We'd work on getting MMR off the ground, we'd hang out on the boat, and we'd surf. No real change to everyday life. When she told me she wanted more time with me and only me, I knew I'd made a mistake but I wasn't exactly sure how to get out of it without hurting her. Lee is a great woman and she deserves to be treated right. I had MMR on my mind and was barely focusing on anything else. I think she knew we weren't going to make it but just like me, she didn't know how to get out of it.

"And then she met Emmett, our very own Gopher," he said with a rueful smile. "He's an alright guy but even more, he treats Lee the way she deserves and needs. My attitude with him, I'd guess you'd call it, is from my own guilt. I should have been upset that he was suddenly all Lee could talk about but all I felt was relief. It was a way out of a bad situation for us both with no one getting hurt. And it allowed us to be what we truly are … family. If I'd felt a deeper kind of love for Lee, then I would have been able to change, to drop everything for her the way she needed." He smiled wide as he said the last bit. "But I only love her as an annoying, brilliant, amazing friend. And as she's fond of telling me, I'm her favorite pain in the ass."

Bella snorted. "I have to agree with her that you can be a pain."

"Says the woman who broke my lens hood."

She rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. "That was days ago. Just how long do you plan to hold that over my head?"

He gave her his most devilish smile. "For as long as possible."

"That's really not fair."

"What?"

"For you to smile like that when you only want to be friends."

He tried to look and sound apologetic. "Sorry."

"Okay," she said, giggling a little. "You sit there and pretend and I'm going to head down and go to bed."

"I'm honestly doing what I think is the right thing, Bella."

Even though she smiled, he could tell she didn't completely believe him. "See you at breakfast, Edward."

"Night, Guppy."

Bella stopped at the edge of the hall and turned toward him. "I'd kiss you goodnight but you said no more kissing."

Masen spluttered a couple of times but never actually managed to say anything before Bella left, giggling all the way out of earshot.

_What the hell just happened_, he wondered as he shook his head. One minute she'd seemed upset that he only wanted to be friends and the next she was teasing him—no, _taunting_ him. He had been just fine all throughout their talking, not feeling any particular urges towards her. And now all he wanted to do was go get that goodnight kiss she'd mentioned. She was like a lionfish—beautiful to look at but dangerous to touch. The thought should have been just what he needed to feel like he'd made the right decision to stop at being her friend. But if it was the right one, why was he still thinking about kissing her?

_Because you weren't honest with yourself just now_, he answered in his head. There had been a definite urge when she'd been trapped between his body and the boat's wheel. He'd wanted to move her ponytail aside and kiss her exposed neck, to rake his stubble across her soft skin and see if she opened up for more like she had in the bar that night. He'd wanted to press against her more, to fit her curves into his and feel the weight and warmth of her body against his own. What was it about this girl that made him lose focus whenever they were within touching distance?

Masen did what he did best when people confused him—he focused on his company. He checked one last time to make sure the boat was perfectly on course and then he began studying the maps for Seal Island and its surrounding waters.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: ** We hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm sure a few of you were frustrated by Masen's decision—if it helps, he's going to have a really hard time sticking to it for the little while that he does ;)

Bella's first blog post for MMR was written by the very talented EternallyAddicted and is up on the Sharkward blog for more reading pleasure – links on my profile page. Not only do you get to read her take on what she's learned so far, she got permission to share some of Masen's photos.

Also, we want to remind everyone that time is running out to make a donation to Fandom for LLS and receive a Twilight / Hunger Games compilation. EternallyAddicted and I have both written brand new oneshots for the cause. Teasers are up on the Fandom site, along with plenty more from other talented authors. Donations will be taken through August 31st so make sure you get yours in – all it takes is $5.00. For more details, visit the Sharkward blog or EternallyAddicted's blog – links on my profile page.


	14. 14 Egg McMuffin

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 14 – The Egg McMuffin and the Blind Inconsistent**

**Thursday, June 12th**

"What in the green eggs and ham are you doing?"

Bella cracked a smile at Gopher's question but didn't open her eyes or move from her spot in the middle of the bedroom. "I'm enjoying land."

He burst into laughter and she was pretty sure the thump she heard was his hand smacking the wall to hold him up. She didn't care how silly she looked; she was too happy to be on stable ground after spending almost two weeks straight on a boat.

"You do realize we're only going to be in the house tonight, right? In the morning, it's back on the boat and the real work starts."

She held tightly to her smile while singing her reply, "I don't care. I have land."

He snorted loudly. "Go on and enjoy your land then. You have about fifteen minutes before the crew is back with the last of our gear from the supply ship."

That got Bella to open her eyes. "I meant to ask earlier, why doesn't the ship stay here?"

"Too expensive to dock it for a whole summer. At least this rental house has that exercise room downstairs to store most of it. Last time we went out, we couldn't find a house big enough for us and our gear, and had to rent a storage unit. It was a major pain to have to drive there to get the gear, drive to the boat to use it, and then drive it back at the end of the day."

"Be honest now, Gopher," Esme said as she slipped in beside him. "The biggest pain of all was getting Edward to give up the keys to his precious Bronco."

Gopher snorted. "That ass really tried to make me pack the gear into a rented two door compact car."

"Edward making something complicated? Sounds nothing like him," Bella quipped with a roll of her eyes. She had been trying her best to avoid him outside of work the past few days, not yet ready or willing to deal with him on a personal level after their conversation at the helm. The problem was that the closer they got to Africa, the more time he spent preparing her for her role as a deckhand assistant.

"Now, now, Guppy. He doesn't make things complicated," Gopher replied with a big grin. "He just makes you do them his way. There's a difference."

Esme giggled at Gopher's comment while playfully slapping his arm. "Get back to work before you get us all in trouble."

"Yeah, guess we better," he said with a nod. "Bella, if you're done enjoying your land I could use your help unpacking the kitchen. I want to make sure Esme has everything she needs since she'll pretty much be here by herself the next few days."

"No, I don't mind at all." In fact, some mindless unpacking sounded perfect right about now. Every time she stopped moving, she started to think about Edward and their conversation at the helm, and that train of thought always left her frustrated. It wasn't that she didn't see his point about the image of MMR; she could understand that and even agree with it to a point.

No, her problem with Edward was that his words didn't match his actions. He said he didn't want to be anything more than friends, but he gave her these looks like he was trying to touch her with just his eyes. He'd done it again just this morning when he'd been sitting alone at the table waiting for her and Gopher to finish making breakfast. And he had a really bad habit of grabbing her hand and holding it anytime they were alone, like last night when he was supposed to be explaining the tiger shark data to her. When she'd asked him about it, he'd said she'd looked upset and he was only trying to be a good friend and comfort her.

_Comfort like hell_, Bella thought as she frowned at the set of plastic bowls in her hands. He was being wishy-washy and she was pretty sure that on some level he knew it. It was why she had taunted him as she'd left the helm that night. Sure, he'd said they could only be friends and that it was best for their careers. But he'd also had his front pressed solidly against her back and his large, warm hands covering hers, trapping her between him and the steering wheel. She'd felt his breath against her cheek and could smell the fruity scent of the peach tea they'd all had with dinner. His voice had been that low, rough timber that scratched her insides the way his stubble did to her palms; so much pleasure with just a tiny hint of pain to prove it was all real. To prove this man who looked at her as if devouring her was his sole intent was a real person and not a figment of a hormone-induced fantasy. A fantasy he said they couldn't have, yet reignited with every green-eyed stare.

Bella shivered, her body temperature having risen well above the temp in the house just from thinking about him. It wasn't fair that she seemed so tortured while he walked around as if he wasn't the least bit bothered. His behavior was why she'd put away her dresses in favor of bikini tops and shorts that hugged her curves in a way that was natural and didn't make her look starved for attention. Because she wasn't. She just wanted to make him feel a little of the frustration and tension he made her feel. Like with how he'd had her pinned against the boat's wheel that night—there was no way he could honestly say that had been an entirely innocent encounter but she knew if she asked, he'd say that it had been. She just didn't know why he was trying so hard to push her away. If he didn't want her, all he had to do was say it. And show it. But he kept saying one thing and showing another and it was _not_ totally a-okay.

And as frustrating as his behavior was, it was barely a blip on the radar compared to her own behavior. She had never been attracted to the "bad" boy before, the one who couldn't make up his mind what he wanted. She had always been annoyed by that type of personality. But with Edward, it was like the more confused he seemed, the more she wanted to be with him. Every look and touch he gave her increased her hope that he would change his mind. Out of the two of them, she was starting to worry she was more confused than he was!

At least things would be better the next few days. With the actual research finally happening, Edward was sure to be far too involved with that to notice her, much less spend time confusing her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"This is bullshit," Masen said with a sigh, tossing his cards face down on the table.

"You're just sore 'cause you're losing." Gopher had good reason to be smirking—he'd won four of the five hands they'd played so far.

"No, I'm pissed because it should be impossible for you to win so many hands," Masen replied. "Last time we played, you could barely tell when to raise and when to fold."

Gopher's smile widened as he turned his attention to Lee sitting beside him. "That was before my baby bought me a book on poker for Christmas."

Whit barked out a laugh. "Of course she's behind this!"

"This is ridiculous," Masen said as he pressed his palms into the side of the table and pushed himself away from it. "I'm going to bed."

"Oh come on," Lee pleaded. "At least finish this last hand before you go off and sulk over your loss."

"I don't sulk over losses. I sit and wonder how the hell you fell for _him_," he answered, pointing an accusing finger at Gopher.

Gopher puffed out his chest and ran a hand back and forth across his cropped hair. "Short hair don't care!"

That made them all laugh. "What the hell?" Whit asked, the first to recover.

The big man shrugged as he kept his eyes on Masen's face. "Just means that it doesn't matter. Say what you will but at the end of the day, it doesn't change the fact that she _did_ pick me."

Masen sighed, knowing this was long overdue yet still not really wanting to do it. "I'm only saying this once so make sure you're listening … I'm glad she has you. Now shut the fuck up and finish the game. We've gotta be up and out of here by five in the morning."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Lee said, giggling and saluting him.

He leaned down to kiss her cheek and she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug and a whispered "thank you" that he didn't see any reason to acknowledge. It would just lead to more talking and he was talked out for the day with all the shit Whit had thrown at him.

Looking around the rental home for his puppy, his best friend's words replayed in his mind …

_You're wasting your time and hers by acting this way. And the worst part is that on some level you know it. It's why you can't give me one true, logical reason why you can't commit to getting closer to her._

_You better damn well believe that when my dream girl is standing in front of me, nothing is going to stop me from getting hold of her and not letting go. Whatever changes I have to make, done. Whatever sacrifices are required, done. Because no matter what I give up, I know I'm gaining more than I can even comprehend. I'm ready for more from this life, bro. When are you gonna be ready?_

He was wondering the same thing when he finally found his puppy in the last place he expected—sound asleep in Bella's arms. He stood in the doorway, one hand on the frame and the other resting on the doorknob, just taking in the picture perfect view and wishing he had his camera with him to capture it.

_She's avoiding you. And we both know you've noticed it. I don't want to think I'm best friends with a total moron but the more you let her get away, the more idiotic you look._

"Did you want your puppy back?" Even thick and gravely with sleep, Bella's voice brought a smile to his face. So did the sight of her looking so completely content in the soft glow of the lamplight, curled up on her side with both arms around Lizzy.

"I'd hate to break up the cuddle-fest you two have going on. Besides, you need your sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a big day for you."

She nodded while letting out a huge yawn. "On deck all day. Observe during and report on over dinner."

He shifted in the doorway, wishing for a reason to stay and knowing he had no right. "Night, Guppy." He didn't wait for a response; he just closed the door with a soft click and headed off to see if Esme was still up.

He found her propped up in her bed with one of her romance books in her hands and the familiarity of the sight relieved a little of the unease he'd been feeling. He climbed in beside her and shared her pillow with her. She didn't take her eyes from her book but she did reach out a hand and patted his cheek.

"I lost at poker tonight."

Her eyes brightened with her smile. "I heard. I also heard your kind words to Gopher."

He didn't respond, knowing she was going to add to that statement.

"Overdue words, in my humble opinion."

He smiled at being right. "Yeah, well, baby steps, Mom."

She closed her book and tossed it to the end of the bed before turning on her side to face him. "You're too old for baby steps, Kid. If you keep it up, life is going to pass you right by and you'll be all alone, wondering what the hell happened."

He grinned, sure that she was exaggerating to make some point. "Why? You planning on going somewhere I don't know about?"

"Of course not, sweetheart," she said as she pressed her hand to his cheek. "I just meant that you need more out of life. You need someone to share all those small and big moments with, someone to remind you of the better times when you're in the middle of the rough ones. Whether Bella is that woman or not, I can't say because only you can do that. What I can tell you is that if you aren't open to having more, then you'll never know either."

"You make it sound like I'm all alone when I'm not. I've got you, Whit, Lee, and Gopher. Not to mention Lizzy."

"An aunt, three friends who are also crew members, and a dog do not make a family."

His face reddened with his frustration but he managed to control his temper and his tone, knowing she didn't mean it the way he was taking it. "They make mine."

"I didn't mean that in a derogatory way, Edward. I'm just trying to encourage you to want more out of life. I promised to make sure you had everything, and having someone to love is a very big part of that."

He ignored her words completely. "And anyway, you're not my aunt. You're my mother. You have been since I was eleven and you always will be."

"Calling me 'mom' doesn't erase her death, Edward."

"I know. But at least it makes it easier to be without her."

"I'm so sorry you got stuck with me, Kid."

He smiled and dragged her into a hug that made her laugh. "I'm not stuck. I'm lucky."

"Me too."

He could tell by the silence between them that she wasn't quite done with the subject of his mother yet and though he dreaded it, he knew she needed it, maybe even more than him.

"I was thinking a nice dinner on the sixteenth for her birthday and a cake on the twentieth for yours. Unless you think it's going to be awkward for you with Bella here. If so, we can do something in private, just you and me."

"I don't know. Let me think about it."

"Any special requests for a gift this year?"

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, keep loving me and putting up with me."

"That's an easy promise to make, Kid." She playfully smacked his chest. "Now get out. I need to get some sleep so I'm not a total zombie while I'm seeing you all off tomorrow."

He would have argued for her to sleep in if he'd thought he had a chance in hell of winning, but he knew he didn't. He gave her a tight hug while saying, "See you in the morning, Mom."

"Love you, Kid."

He kissed her cheek and then got out of her bed, only stopping at the door long enough to say he loved her too. Once he'd closed her door, he wasn't exactly sure what to do with himself. He didn't feel tired and even if he had, there was too much on his mind for him to sleep. He couldn't get things together for tomorrow because that had already been done. And from the quiet of the house, the others had gone to bed while he was talking with Esme.

He spotted the trunk that held all the things Esme brought along as entertainment for them and decided to search it. He ignored the iPod and the laptop, not in the mood for anything with sound. He also passed on the numerous decks of cards, always having preferred games that required more than one person. He was nearly ready to give up on the trunk when he spied an object that brought an instant smile to his face. He pulled it out, amazed and thankful that Esme had thought to bring a copy, though he preferred the hardback in his room. But for tonight, a paperback would do just fine.

He settled into the couch with his feet on one arm and his head on the other, just as excited to read the story as he had been when he'd gotten his first copy at eight years old. No matter how many times he read it, or how old he got, there was just something about the story of Jim and Captain Silver that never failed to captivate him. So while everyone else in the house slept, Masen lost himself in the world of _Treasure Island_, a land of dirty pirates, honest thieves, and a complex concept of loyalty.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Friday, June 13th**

"Don't ask questions and don't give me that look of wonder that I'm speaking to you," Lee stated as she sat down on the sun-warmed deck next to Bella. "Just answer 'yes' or 'no'. Are you okay?"

Bella focused on her hands resting on her knees, not knowing if looking up at Lee was allowed in this sudden and odd conversation. "Yes."

"Be honest."

She took all of half a second to realize the truth must be written on her face for Lee to have come over here to talk to her to begin with. "No."

"What's got you freaked? Ten words or less please."

It took her a minute to sort through the mixed jumble in her head and pick just a few words. "Leaning over with no tie-off and threat of falling in."

Silence followed her words and when she chanced a glance at Lee, she was sure the woman was honestly trying to think up a way to help. Just having Lee wanting to help made her feel less alone and that was enough to help squash some of her anxiety.

"Okay, I want you to really look at Whit right now," Lee said, lifting her chin toward her friend. "Look at his stance and tell me what you see."

Bella did just as she was told. "His feet are spread out."

"Gives him better balance. It also means he's actively aware of his body and location. And if you look, Gopher is positioned just behind Whit and Masen so that if either moves too far forward, he can grab them and haul them back."

"But they're not even wearing shirts. How will he grab them?" Bella clearly heard the whine in her voice but she was in no shape to do anything about it at the moment.

"He'll wedgie the hell out of them if he has to, but he'll keep them safe. Just think of him as a bodyguard. As long as he's right there, Whit and Masen are perfectly safe."

She shook her head, nearly slapping her cheek with the end of her ponytail. "I feel like a complete idiot. They're not even really doing anything yet and I'm getting anxious."

Lee shrugged. "You know what we're here for."

A dark red blush stained Bella's cheeks. "I think I screwed up. I watched some episodes of those shark week shows. I was just trying to be prepared."

"Why am I not surprised?" Lee asked, laughing a little. "Bella, I'm not gonna lie and say that you absolutely won't see those things. But that's not what we're here for. We're here to observe the sharks' behavior around Seal Island, not interfere."

"But they do jump out of the water, right? What's to keep them from jumping and landing on our boat? Okay, well maybe not this boat since it's higher but what about the skiff?"

"Distance. And Masen. He's not going to put us close enough to have something like that happen. He's only going to put us within camera range." She looked toward her friends for a moment and then back at Bella. "I know this is probably going to sound really crazy to you, but why not try looking through the binoculars to see what they're seeing right now? Today's just about scouting so it's not like the sharks are going to be right up at the boat. Maybe seeing them at a distance will make them less scary when you see them up close. And keep in mind that up close for you is still going to be a safe distance away."

Bella looked skeptically at Lee's offered hand. "What if it backfires?"

"Here's a better question … What if it works?"

That was enough of a reason for Bella and she put her hand in Lee's and held on tight as she got to her feet. Lee pushed in between Whit and Masen, pulling Bella right up beside her. The guys offered up their binoculars without a word and then stepped away—except for Gopher. He stayed right there in his protective position just a step behind them.

"Because of the time of day, you're mostly going to see the fins breaking the water, but you might see one or two come up out of the water. Whatever you see, it's far away from us and can't hurt you."

Lee made a point of squeezing the hand she was still holding, reminding Bella that the two were tethered, and then she brought her binoculars up to her eyes without waiting to see what Bella would do. She was leaving the final choice up to her, encouraging but not pushing.

Despite the racing of her heart and the shake in her hands, Bella actually felt some confidence as she lifted up the binoculars to get her first glimpse of their reason for being here. For the longest time, she only saw the quick black lumps that signified the seals cavorting around Seal Island.

But then it happened. A dark gray triangle with one curved side breaking the surface of the water and leaving ripples behind in its wake. As much as it ratcheted up her anxiety level, it also held a strange fascination for her. Was this shark anything like hers? Did it look the same? Act the same? Would it be as relentless once it decided something out there in the water was its prey?

Bella suddenly realized that her curiosity had taken a stronger hold than her fear and she squeezed Lee's hand in thanks. Regardless of the way their first meeting had gone, the entire crew was willing to help her and that was a powerful thing to know.

"Still freaked?" Lee asked quietly, keeping their conversation private and giving Bella another reason to really like her.

"Yeah, but I'm feeling more curious than freaked."

"Progress, Guppy."

Bella smiled, agreeing completely with those words. It was going to feel so great tonight to report on her ability to step up and take a look at a shark without feeling crippled by her fear and anxiety.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I get what you're saying about the current but with the sun coming from the other side, we might not have a choice," Masen said to Whit as the two sat across from each other at the table, picking at the last of their lunch.

"All I'm saying is let's test the lens hood under working conditions before we make a big deal out of where the sun is located."

"Then let's jump on the skiff and go get some test shots."

"Wanna bring Gopher along? He's itching to get a closer look."

"No but only because I really want Lee's opinion from a photography standpoint. We can take him out this afternoon."

Whit took a quick look around them and then leaned in across the table. "What did you think of Lee and Guppy?"

Masen had a lot of thoughts about it but very little he actually wanted to share right now. He especially didn't want to share his annoyance that Lee had been the one to help Bella instead of him. "I'm glad to see her taking an active interest in Bella's mentoring."

"It proves your theory, too. She reacts better when we incorporate her changes and don't call attention to them."

"She wants to change. I could see that from the start." He relaxed against the back of his seat and gripped his neck, trying to rub out the tension knot that had formed there. "Originally I was concerned I would push too hard too fast but now it seems like she might be the one to do that. How do I slow her down and make her see we have weeks to work on things?"

Whit grinned. "There's this thing where you open your mouth and words come out. I think it's called talking."

Masen tossed a leftover chip at his head. "If all you're going to do is be a smartass, you can shut up now."

"That was being helpful. If I wanted to be a smartass, I'd mention your inability to look at anything but her when she's in the room."

He ignored the comment. "So I'm thinking we spend tomorrow putting the boat exactly where it needs to be and marking the location.

"Then we'll document everything. Active time periods, increases in numbers, boat traffic, the works," Masen said as he ticked off the items on his fingers.

"Sunday morning we'll do some more watching and in the early afternoon we'll get some initial shots above and below surface. Until I'm comfortable with the area, we're going to be using the shark cage. Since we haven't used it in a while, I think you and I should put it together ourselves since we have the most experience with it.

"We'll take Monday off and then be back for our next three day stint, which is when I want to start using the decoy seals to get a closer look under more controlled circumstances. I want us as far out from Seal Island as we can get while still being in the sharks swimming zone."

"Are we still taking off three days for your birthday?" Whit questioned.

"Definitely the day of and the day after. Esme's really looking forward to it. The third day will just depend on how bad we're all itching to get back on the water."

"What are you talking about so seriously?" Lee asked as she slid in beside Masen.

"Mase's birthday," Whit explained.

"We're still taking off for it right, Mase?" she questioned.

"Yeah and probably the next two days," he agreed with a nod. "I figured you'd want to explore Gordon's Bay and the surrounding areas."

"What are our plans for the sixteenth? Are we doing anything special to recognize the day?"

"I don't know yet, but Esme suggested a nice dinner."

"She does love to see you dressed up," Lee said with a grin. "As if cleaning you up makes you any less of a pain in the ass."

Whit chuckled as he nodded in agreement.

"Thanks. The love from you two," Masen replied sarcastically.

"So how about my brilliant move with Guppy today?" Lee questioned, looking only to Masen for an answer.

Masen smiled as he looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "You did good. You didn't make her feel pressured and you didn't make a big deal out of it when she followed your lead."

"Get her curiosity going and her fear takes a backseat," Lee stated.

"Do you get the feeling she's going to be overzealous in getting over her fear?" Whit questioned with a quick glance at Masen.

Lee took a moment to consider it before answering. "I think if left unchecked, she might go overboard. But as long as we're all keeping an eye on her, it'll remain a healthy push for a better life. Still, it might not be a bad idea for you to caution her, Mase. Part of her issue this morning was that she'd watched some of those made for TV videos of the sharks out here."

Whit barked out a laugh. "Poor girl must have been ready to piss herself thinking she'd see that today."

"It's not funny," Masen warned, not for a second questioning his quick defense of Bella. "That's the kind of thing that can mess up the progress we're making."

"Relax, Mase," Lee told him. "It didn't mess anything up. It just freaked her out a little. Besides, she was more concerned with you and Whit falling overboard. Tell you what, though, I see now why you're letting her decide when to tell us her story instead of demanding she share it. She's as worried about what we think of her as she is about the sharks being near us."

"It's not so much what we think of her as it is that we'll stop trying to help her," Whit corrected. "She doesn't want us to give up on her."

"Even if you and I gave up on her," Lee said while pointing between herself and Whit. "This one here isn't going to." She was smiling as she pointed at Masen. "He's got a vested interest in the internship."

"That's not the only place his interests lie," Whit teased.

Lee gave Masen a questioning look. "I was wondering about that. I mean, kind of hard not to notice you let her borrow _the_ lucky shirt. And Gopher mentioned you made a big deal out of not washing it."

Masen shook his head. "Loaning her the shirt was nothing and it wasn't like she got it dirty."

"Nothing?" Lee cried, turning to face him fully. "You slapped me the one time I tried to borrow it."

"I didn't slap _you_," he defended. "It was just the back of your hand. And I barely even made contact. And this is not even what we're supposed to be talking about. Whit and I wanna take the skiff out to try some test shots with the lens hood so we can decide if the sun will be a factor in positioning the boat. I want you to come along and give your photographer's opinion."

Lee turned her attention to Whit. "Did you see that? He totally blew me off."

"You're preaching to the choir, sister."

"How did I not see this before?"

"You were a little busy being territorial."

"I'm not territorial," she said, sitting up straighter. "I'm just … I'm cautious."

Masen climbed up onto the seat of the booth and then jumped over the back of it. "I'm getting on the skiff. Whoever wants to come better get moving. And they also better focus on work."

"Wow," Lee breathed, looking between Masen and Whit. "He's in deep denial."

Whit agreed with a nod. "Welcome to my world."

"Leaving now," Masen called out loudly while leaving out the cabin door. It was absolutely ridiculous that his two best friends wanted to try to make something out of nothing while he was busy trying to work. It was bad enough with just Whit riding him about this Bella stuff and now that it looked like Lee was going to join in … _Gonna be a long ass day_, Masen thought while grabbing his camera bag.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Making notes for your report tonight?" Whit asked as he slid into the seat across from Bella.

She pulled her book to her chest, hiding the entry she had started and so far was unable to finish. "No, it's … So why did you guys go on the skiff?"

"Most people don't realize it, but a big part of successful research is being in the right place at the right time. Over the years, we've found the best way to get Galeos in the right spot is to scout the available areas on the skiff first."

"How do you compensate for the size difference?"

"We line the back deck up with where we liked the skiff best." He pointed at her book. "If it's personal, you can just say that. I've seen you writing in it a couple times so I figured you were either documenting your time onboard or keeping a personal journal."

Bella relaxed her hold on the book and set it down on the table, turning it to show her unfinished entry to Whit.

_Sighted: Great White Shark – fin only via binoculars_

_Where: South Atlantic, Near Seal Island in False Bay, Western Cape of South Africa_

_Conditions: Sunny day, light winds, mid-morning_

_Description:_

Whit leaned in to get a look at her written words but was interrupted by Gopher setting a glass of lemonade down on the table. "Here you go, Guppy. Enjoy your night off from cooking while I get to order Masen around."

Bella giggled while Whit snorted.

"Oh, hey! It's the super secret book of secrets," Gopher said as he reached out and pulled Bella's journal closer to him.

"Dude! You can't just snag her book," Whit scolded, pushing the book towards Bella. "Manners, bro."

"Sorry, Bella. My curiosity got the best of me," Gopher said, looking and sounding honestly repentant.

"It's okay," she assured him with a smile. "It's not so much secret as just something I've done since I was a little girl," she explained as she moved the book for both men to be able to see it.

Gopher was the first to comment. "That's cool. It's like a written snapshot of what you saw."

"I really like the detail you put into it," Whit told her. "But it's not done."

"I know," she said, feeling her face heat with her blush. "I got stuck."

"Maybe we can help," Gopher offered. "What do you usually put in your description?"

"Usually a brief summary of what the animal looked like, how far above or below the water's surface it was, and if there was more than one. Then I put any questions or feelings about the experience in a side note area."

"But all you saw today was a fin," Whit stated, tapping the page where she'd written the note.

"So then just skip straight to the side note," Gopher suggested. "That's what I would do."

Bella smiled as she shook her head. "No, that would feel like cheating if I just skipped over it."

"The sign of a true researcher," Whit said, sounding proud. "She wants to cross her t's and dot her i's."

"Sorry, Guppy. I'm out of fresh ideas and I need to get started in the kitchen."

"That's okay, Gopher," she told him. "I appreciate your attempt to help."

"Let me know what you guys come up with," he said, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze before leaving them alone.

"It's not really the lack of the body that has me stuck," Bella admitted to Whit. "It's that my reaction isn't making any sense. How can I be curious about it when I'm also afraid of it?"

"Because Masen's plan for you is starting to work. The video, the report, the blog, the talks about what we see and how we gather our data—it's all helping you to start changing the way you think about sharks and you're starting to separate your shark from every other shark in the water."

"I didn't think it would be so subtle. How can he make changes I don't notice when he does everything else so big and brash?"

"Oh that's easy," Whit said with a wide smile. "Because it's what you need. Whatever he's told you—or hasn't told you—he cares for you and wants to help you make the changes you need."

With as confused as Edward seemed about what he wanted in relation to her, she found that hard to believe.

Lee's laughter mixed with Edward's voice had Bella looking toward the kitchen. Lee was pulling things from the refrigerator and Edward was setting them up along the counter while Gopher removed pots and pans from the cabinets.

"I'm sorry things are confusing with him right now. He doesn't like being out of his element," Whit confided.

Bella turned her attention back to him and blurted out a question that had been sitting on the tip of her tongue for days. "What do the changes in his eye color mean?"

He snorted. "Noticed that, huh?"

"Mostly blue and a couple times green. Only once grey so far."

He glanced over at his friend, his smile growing even wider. "As his friend, I should probably tell you to ask him about it. But as his _best_ friend, I've decided it's in his best interest for me to share.

"The grey shows up when he's content and relaxed. The way his mind works makes it hard for him to sit still and do nothing at all. His mind is always busy with one idea or another."

"Is that why he never seems to sleep?"

Whit nodded. "He's been that way ever since I met him."

"So what's blue mean?"

"Blue is what we see most and signifies his excitement or frustration. Missions, surfing, sketching … those are all times we'll see the blue coming out strongest. We'll also see it when things are going wrong or just aren't up to his liking. He's a bit of a perfectionist."

"Is that what we're calling it?" she asked with a laugh. "I just thought that was his sparkling personality."

Whit snorted. "Yeah, so does he."

Bella's smile faltered as she worked up the courage to ask about the color that haunted her dreams. "And green?"

"Ah! The rarest of them all," Whit answered, grinning in the way that made Bella feel like he knew what she was thinking. "He has to be in a single-minded state for anyone to see the green. You see it because you get under his skin and consume his thoughts." He gave her a pointed look that said all the things his voice hadn't.

"Will you tell him I know?" she asked, not wanting to think too much about what she'd learned just yet. It was better to puzzle over it alone in the safety of her room.

Whit made a humming noise and then shook his head. "Nah. It'll be more fun for me if he figures it out on his own."

"Are you sure you're his best friend?" she teased, mirroring his smile.

"Most friends tell each other what they want to hear. I believe the best way to help mine is to tell them the truth, whether they like it or not."

"What's your truth for me?"

He reached over and tapped Bella's journal. "Write what you felt. Don't worry about understanding right now. You've got plenty of time to make sense of it. You only have so long to recall it honestly."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Mase, one more time," Lee challenged, holding an olive pinched between two fingers. Her idea of helping in the kitchen so far had been tossing olives into the air for Masen to catch them in his mouth.

"Come on, you two," Gopher pleaded. "You're going to use up all the olives and ruin my chickpea and olive salad."

"The shit you come up with," Masen said, laughing as he waved off Lee and her olive.

Gopher leaned past Masen and plucked the olive from Lee's hand. "For all your jokes about my food, I haven't seen you pass up a plate yet."

Masen smirked. "I'm a growing boy. I need sustenance."

Gopher looked up from chopping olives, his eyebrows raised. "You are a cheesy bastard, you know that?"

"Don't start you two," Lee warned. "You've been getting along so well the past few days and I'm already spoiled with it. No backsliding."

"We're still getting along," Masen assured her. "It's just our version of it includes the occasional insult. Like when I point out he's a mediocre chef at best."

Gopher leaned to the side and lifted his leg, kicking Masen in the ass with the side of his foot. They both laughed about it while Lee shook her head at the two of them.

"Hey, so what was with that book you and Whit were looking at with Guppy?" Masen asked as he worked to finish chopping the onion for the salad. He figured being busy while asking would mask just how curious he was to find out what was in that book. He'd seen her carrying it around and writing in it whenever she thought she was alone and it had been killing him not to ask about it. Now that the guys had seen it, the door was open for him to find out what was in it.

Gopher shrugged his shoulders. "Stuff."

He rolled his eyes at the response, hating that he was going to have to ask a second time, but Lee ended up doing it for him. "What kind of stuff? Personal stuff? Work stuff?"

"Guppy's stuff. If you want to know, go ask her."

"Fine," she said as she spun herself around on the counter. "Guppy!" she called, jumping down and heading straight for the table where Bella and Whit were sitting.

"The balls on that one," Gopher said, chuckling as he lifted his chin toward Lee.

Masen smiled, enjoying the sight of Lee and Bella sitting together and smiling. "She's one of a kind."

"If you're smart, you mean both of them."

He looked up at the man, wondering what Lee had told him. All he got from Gopher was a shrug. The last person Masen ever expected to look to for advice was the man standing next to him so it was completely baffling to him that he was doing just that.

"You left everything behind to be on this boat with Lee. Do you ever regret it?"

"There are times when things are stressful and I wonder what it would be like if MMR wasn't such a big part of our life. And there are times when I wish I could see more of my family back in the states. But there's never been a single second where it's felt wrong to be with her, to follow her wherever she goes. The inconveniences never outweigh the joy being with her brings me. But maybe that's just because I believe she'd do the same for me if I asked her."

"Would you ever do that? Ask her to leave us? To leave MMR?"

"The only thing I can think of that would ever have me doing something like that is if she paid more attention to MMR than us. But that's not something I worry about. She's never made me feel like a second choice. Not with you or this crew."

Masen thought about Gopher's words all through the rest of the dinner prep and for most of the meal as well. He had never really spent much time actually looking at the relationship between Lee and Gopher, just glad that she was happy. Now he could see how the two complimented each other, becoming better people and better workers by working together and encouraging each other. They managed to mix their careers and relationship and do it in a way that improved both their lives. If they could do it, then shouldn't that be something he could manage?

It wasn't until Lee made the most ridiculous comment he'd ever heard from her that his mind focused on something else. Gopher had been explaining his choice in dinner was based on Lee's desire to have something different that was also fresh with lots of vegetables.

Looking up at Gopher with a huge smile, she said, "I think you're the Egg McMuffin of boyfriends."

Masen and Whit both snorted while Bella started to giggle.

"Baby, you made a food reference for me." Gopher put his arms around Lee and kissed her soundly on the lips. "My girl is the greatest," he said, looking over the top of her head at Masen.

He didn't realize Gopher was looking his way, though. Masen was too busy smirking over how tickled Bella was at Lee and Gopher's behavior. She was still giggling and her cheeks had turned a dark pink color. Of course, he was only amused up until she turned her face and pressed it against Whit's arm. No matter how much he told himself he didn't have a right to be upset about it, he still felt it should be his arm that she was pressed against. Just as it should have been him helping her this morning instead of Lee. And it damn sure should have been him getting to see her book before the others.

He assumed what he was feeling was anger over her attempts to avoid him, never once imagining that he might be feeling jealousy for the first time in his life. The family that loved him and knew him well had seen what he was still blind to; Bella was the first to affect him on a truly deep level. Whether he would ever admit it or not, he was closed off to sharing his life with someone, not wanting to deal with the aftermath that was sure to come when that person was no longer there. In his mind, relationships were a distraction and he didn't want anything to get in the way of his work.

Sure in his belief that he was angry with her avoidance, he found himself charging toward her room later that night, determined to know her reasons for it. He knocked on her door but didn't wait for an answer before entering.

Bella jumped, startled by his entrance, and dropped the thick hardcover book she had been holding. It missed her foot by barely an inch and then tumbled over to smack into Masen's big toe.

He hissed as he leaned over and snatched the hardcover up. "I thought we were friends," he said as he thrust it at her.

Bella still had a startled expression on her face. "We were. I mean, we are."

"Then why haven't you shared with me what you write in that book?" he questioned, pointing at the black journal with the gold crest lying on the end of her bed.

"Because..."

"Look if you changed your mind and don't want to be friends anymore—"

"No, Edward, that's not it. I just..."

"Just what?" he huffed, quickly losing what little patience he'd managed to hold onto after his useless attempts to stop thinking about her.

"I can't, okay!" she yelled, looking almost as angry as he felt. "I can't be alone with you and not feel things for you. I'm not built that way."

"I didn't say you couldn't feel them. I just said we can't act on them."

"You want me to pretend we're just friends when that's not what we are. You felt it when you kissed me. I know you did. And I know it's why you look at me the way you do."

He'd thought he'd been more discreet in watching her and hearing he'd failed at it took some of the steam out of his angry sails. "What way is that?"

"Like you wish we were the only two in the room so you could kiss me again."

He shook his head, now understanding her avoidance. He was making her uncomfortable by saying one thing and showing another and she didn't deserve that. It didn't matter that he was trying his best to control it—it only mattered that it was affecting her. "I shouldn't have come in here."

"Regret seems to be a common theme with how you feel about me."

Once again, she managed to make his emotions fluctuate and he was angry all over again. "Don't do that. Don't decide how I feel."

"Then you do it! Be completely honest with yourself and me and stick to it."

"It sucks, alright!" he yelled, his hand sliding through his hair and then resting against his neck, right over the knot of tension that had been there most of the night.

Seeing her flinch made him force himself to calm down and lower his voice. "Wanting to spend time alone with you and not being able to do that, that's what I regret, Bella. The only thing I could regret more is hurting our careers, our futures. I truly, honestly do _not_want to hurt you."

She nodded and dropped her head, but it was too late. He'd already seen the tears in her eyes and heard the sniffle she'd tried to cover up with a cough.

"Come here." He pulled her into a tight hug, wishing once again that things weren't complicated. That he could just let himself be with her.

Bella shook her head as she pushed against his chest and freed herself. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to comfort me and act like it's okay. Because it's not. You have to make up your mind and you have to stick by it. Either you want to be with me outside of a working relationship or you don't. I'm a big girl and I can handle whatever you choose. I just can't handle the back and forth. I'm not a yo-yo for you to play with and then put aside."

"I'm sorry you feel that's what I've been doing."

"Stop being sorry, Edward. Start being consistent." She paused as her eyes flicked toward the journal on her bed and then back to his face. "It was easy to show it to Whit and Gopher because when they make a comment or give me a compliment, I know their intentions and how to react. With you, I don't have the slightest clue. So when you're clear on what kind of relationship you want us to have, then you can come back and I'll gladly share with you. Until then, I think it's best if we keep things professional."

There was no mistaking the emotion he was currently feeling—hurt. And it was wrapped up in the sting of self-infliction with a layer of guilt for good measure because he knew he wasn't the only one feeling hurt by this complicated mess.

Had he stopped to ask himself if anything about Bella felt wrong to him, he would have saved them both some heartache. But Masen didn't ask himself that. He was too busy focusing on an acceptable apology rather than on solving the overall problem. As Esme would have told him if he'd consulted her, he couldn't see the forest for the trees.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: **Hello, Lovely Readers! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We've posted pics of the Rental House in Gordon's Bay, along with a photo of the Journal that's causing so much trouble for poor Guppy ;) Thank you all for reading!**  
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And for those that wrote for or donated to Fandom for LLS, thank you for helping!


	15. 15 Just A Feeling

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 15 – Just A Feeling**

**Saturday, June 14th**

Bella finally gave up on pretending she was going to get any sleep without talking to Edward first and went in search of him, sure that he would be awake. She checked his project room, the kitchen, the helm, the crew's office, and even the room where she'd been watching that tiger shark video. He wasn't in any of those places. She had been so sure he would be just as restless as her.

With no desire to go back to her room for more tossing and turning, she headed for the kitchen to see what she could find for a midnight snack. There was some left over fruit from yesterday morning's fruit salad breakfast that looked good and just enough chocolate milk for one glass.

She had just started to pour the milk into a glass when the one she had been searching for found her. "I thought I heard someone up here."

Bella did her best not to stare at his bare chest while wishing once again that she could force herself not to respond to him. It was incredibly hard to be so close and feel so much without being able to express it.

"Hope I didn't wake you," she said, focusing on pouring the last of the milk into her glass.

"No, I was already up." He eyed the empty carton she set down and she smiled at the forlorn look on his face; he looked like a little kid whose ice cream had slid off the cone and onto the hot sidewalk.

"I'm not opposed to splitting the last of the chocolate milk if you're willing to talk with me," she offered.

His left cheek pulled up higher than his right with his crooked grin. "I'll take that deal."

After a few back and forth pours caused by their disagreeing on what constituted half when two different glasses were involved, they finally sat down across from each other to share the milk and the fruit.

"So what has you up at two in the morning?" Edward asked around a rather large chunk of cantaloupe.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she automatically admonished, used to doing it with Alice back home. And then she answered his question, "I kept thinking about our conversation and it just didn't sit right with me."

She looked up from the cucumber melon on the end of her fork to see him and for him to see she was serious. "I meant every word I said, and I still do, but I feel bad about the delivery. I realize this is hard on you, Edward. It can't be easy to feel responsible for everyone on this boat and an entire company … all the futures of the people you care about."

"You don't have anything to feel bad about, Bella. You were right and I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable."

"It's not … Listen, I've been attracted to guys before but with you … I don't know. It's like … The harder I try to focus on something else, the more you're in my thoughts."

"But that's just because you felt like I was saying one thing and doing another. Now that I'll be making sure that doesn't happen, it should be fine."

Bella was ready to call "bullshit" and her lips had even started to form the "b" but then she got a look at his chocolate milk mustache and a fit of the giggles took her over. One of the many things her father and uncle had agreed upon was that serious conversations were impossible when someone was wearing a milk mustache. Many a conversation had been derailed by them getting their hands on a glass of milk.

"What?" Edward asked, not having any clue why she was laughing.

Still giggling, she pointed at him and then ran her finger above her upper lip to indicate the mustache.

He rubbed his face against the back of his hand and then looked down at his skin, smirking at the liquid he saw there. "You are too easily entertained, Guppy."

"I know," she agreed with a sigh and smile. "Alice just has to make a goofy face at me and I lose it completely. Of course, it always backfires because as soon as I start giggling, she can't stop from joining in."

He still had that damn devilish smirk on his face. "Do her cheeks turn pink the way yours do?"

Bella fidgeted and then made an attempt to change the subject. "What's the plan for today?"

To her happy surprise, Edward went along with it. "We're going to move closer to Seal Island but still be on the edge of it. We want to be close enough to have an encounter but not directly in the main path the sharks use to travel to and around the island. And then we sit and watch and document."

She ignored the bubble of dread the word "encounter" formed in her stomach and focused on the rest of what he'd said. "What are you watching for?"

"Everything. Active time periods for the sharks and the seals, increases in numbers of both, boat traffic … anything that might affect our studies."

"What do you see as being my role?"

He asked his own question instead of answering hers. "Are you going to finish that milk? Because I'll gladly take it."

Bella laughed as she pushed her glass toward Edward. "Take it but you owe me a glass later."

After he'd downed her milk in two big gulps, he answered her question. "Ideally, I'd like to have you assisting me. It'll give me a chance to critique your observational skills." He gave her the grin she'd heard Lee call shitty before and added, "Plus you can do all the writing."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "You just want another gopher to do your bidding."

"That's a plus but I really do want you to work with me. No matter how frustrated you might feel with me at times, I promise that everything I'm having you do as work is for _you_, for your benefit. The fact that it's good for the internship and MMR is just a side effect."

"How am I supposed to believe that when you've made it clear MMR comes before everything else?"

"No, it doesn't come before everything," he argued with a shake of his head, making his crazy hair look even crazier. "I have to put it before things that could damage it. But helping you, making sure you achieve the goals you've set for yourself this summer, those things are going to be a plus for MMR."

She turned his words over in her mind, bolstered by the fact that he cared and sad once again that he believed so strongly that they had to deny what they felt for each other. No matter how she felt about it, though, it wasn't something she could change so she would just have to accept it as best as she could.

"So what does assisting you entail?" she questioned. "Besides writing, of course."

He gave her his full happy smile and then excitedly launched into his plan for them. She wasn't too thrilled about some of the finer details of it but overall she trusted that he really did have her best interest in his heart and his support bolstered her courage.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Have you ever thought of using digital binoculars?" Bella asked, keeping her voice barely above a whisper so she wouldn't disturb the others.

They were seated at the back of the boat in front of the cutaway that led down to the platform on the water's surface. Whit was a bit behind them and off to their left while Lee and Gopher were high up in the crow's nest. They all had binoculars, scouring the water for both seals and sharks—everyone except Bella. Masen had done his best to persuade her to give it another try but she was too convinced she wasn't ready to see the inevitable outcome of a shark meeting a seal. He had at least gotten her to promise to try tomorrow so he still counted it as a win.

"My uncle has a pair and we used them to track a family of dolphins off Key West," Bella continued.

Masen shook his head while keeping his eyes trained on the patch of water in front of him. "Wouldn't work for us. They don't have enough magnification for wildlife photos in general, and the lenses are too small for the action shots that come with shark photography. The actual magnification when used strictly for viewing is the same as a regular set so it's not worth the extra weight for us to use them."

"Couldn't you enhance it?"

He grinned at her confidence in him. "Maybe but the design of the thing makes it impossible for me to perform the necessary alterations. I'd have better luck molding my own binoculars."

"So why don't you?"

"Too delicate of a process," he answered while slowly getting to his feet to keep his binoculars trained on his target. Satisfied with what he saw, he made sure his voice carried to everyone. "Port side, team. Focus on the small cluster of seals."

Then lowering his voice, he instructed, "Guppy, note the time." He trusted her to be paying attention, not that he would have taken his eyes off those seals even if he hadn't.

"Three seals. They appear to be juveniles," he added.

The seals were about fifty feet from the beachfront of Seal Island and seemed to be playing a game of tag. They weren't paying any attention to the larger group of seals in the surf near the beach, the area where most stayed because it offered the greatest protection next to being on land. The splashing movements of the juveniles increased the crew's odds of seeing a shark since every ripple in the water sent an underwater signal to the marine life around them.

"Gopher? Anything?" Masen called out.

"Not yet, Mase."

"Lee?"

"Might have a shadow under the water on their right side. Maybe fifteen yards out. But it's hard to tell with the way the sun's reflecting off the surface."

"I'm gonna vote for not a shadow," Whit announced. "The seals in the surf closest to them can't seem to get to land fast enough."

"Gopher, get the video camera going and point it at those seals," Masen ordered as he dropped his binoculars into his chair. He ran for the ladder to the crow's nest while thumbing on the power button of the camera hanging around his neck.

"Move that ass, Mase," Whit yelled out. "The juveniles are going to catch on any second now and things are gonna get trippy."

Masen grinned, moving up the rungs as quickly as safety allowed. This was what they had been waiting for all morning—their first sighting of a Great White in Africa.

He reached the crow's nest and found Gopher focused on videoing; Lee had already gone down to the viewing deck below since there wasn't enough room for all three of them in the nest.

"Lee? Whit? How are we looking?" Masen shouted while zooming the camera lens in on the seals.

"The shadow is gone so the shark's most likely in dive mode," Lee answered.

"The juveniles are heading for shore," Whit stated. "Damn that beach seems far away."

Masen made sure his camera was set for action mode and then pressed the shutter button for the first of many times. The camera clicked away while he slowly moved his head and the camera to follow the progress of the seals. He wouldn't be able to see much from behind the lens if an attack happened because of the speed of it but hopefully he'd get plenty on film for later viewing.

No sooner than he had the thought, he caught a slight glimpse of a large object flying through the air and then a burst of water raining down on the surface.

"Gopher?" he asked, continuing to keep his camera focused and clicking away.

"It was quick but I got it," he assured him.

"Whit? Lee?" he called out.

"Definite attack," Whit confirmed.

"But it was way too fast to tell exactly what happened," Lee cautioned. "And all three seals are still in play."

"Then it's not over." Masen quickly dropped to his knees so he could have a more inline view of the seals. "Lee, any shadows?"

"Not yet."

"Fin!" Whit yelled. "I've got a fin peeking five yards out, right side of the seals."

Masen excitedly yelled, "When that fin disappears, he's gonna be diving down to come up at them from below. Stay sharp!"

"He's not diving," Lee yelled. "He's chasing. He's going for the chase."

And she was right. The seals were hopping through the water and the shark was following right behind. Its first dorsal fin, the large one near the middle of its torpedo-shaped body, would break first and then the top tail fin, the upper caudal lobe, would follow—it was happening so quick that if Masen didn't know better, he could have mistaken it for a large dolphin. He knew sharks were flexible but he had never seen one this large being _this_ flexible—at least not with his own eyes.

"He's gaining!" From the slight warble in Whit's words, he knew his friend was jumping up and down.

Masen had a brief second where he wondered about Bella's whereabouts but then the seals made a huge mistake by trying to quickly cutback in hopes the shark would continue on past them. Instead, the Great White managed to jump and twist at the same time—and slam down against the water's surface with the end of a seal clamped between its massive jaws. The spray was the biggest Masen had ever seen and it was tinged red in a couple of spots.

And then it was over.

The water calmed. The shark didn't resurface. And the other two seals were no longer in the range of his lens.

There were a good thirty seconds of complete silence and then the air filled with the whoops and yells of one very excited team. Masen and Gopher hi-fived while Whit whistled from below and Lee let out a "hell yeah" loud enough to make her voice scratchy for the rest of the day. They had all hoped to see something like this but none of them had been convinced it would happen so quickly, least of all Masen.

As he accepted a good natured shoulder slap from Gopher, he was already going over the list of things he wanted Bella to write down about what they had just witnessed. He would have to review the film closely to guestimate the size of the shark based on the size of the juvenile seals. He couldn't wait to break down the two attacks, noting every detail of the shark's behavior and movements. He'd never seen a shark use two modes of attack before—even Guppy would have to be impressed by that!

_Bella_. Masen grumbled a "fuck" under his breath and after handing his camera to Gopher, he shimmied down the ladder as fast as he'd gone up it earlier. _Please be wrong_, he hoped, thinking of how he'd left his binoculars right beside her. If she'd changed her mind and decided to look then no one had been with her to help with her fear—_he_ hadn't been with her.

His binoculars were still in his chair but Bella was no longer in hers. He wanted it to mean she'd gone inside as a precaution—odds were that it did. And yet there was that knot of tension in his neck again, that feeling that things weren't right.

He charged through the cabin door and nearly smacked her in the face with it. Bella screamed and for some reason he couldn't possibly imagine, she threw her drink in his face. And then she started with that giggling of hers while he pulled his shirt off and found a dry spot to mop up his face.

"Nice, Guppy."

"You scared me," she said, shrugging as a few more giggles escaped.

"This is some crappy thanks for coming to check on you."

"How was I supposed to know that's what you were doing? All I saw was a door speeding towards my face."

"And what? You thought your tea would protect you?"

"There wasn't time to think. I just reacted." She turned away, leaving him with the view of her ponytail swinging like a pendulum, alternately covering and revealing the back of her neck and the ruby strings of her bikini top. If he let himself, he could feel the heat of her skin against his palm from that night in the bar. But he couldn't—not if he wanted to keep things professional between them the way he'd promised.

"So are you okay?" he asked, shifting his eyes to hers to keep from staring at her body. He'd thought he was getting used to seeing her in bikini tops but then she'd come outside this morning in this ruby red one with the ruffled edges and he'd just about swallowed his tongue. How the hell was he supposed to keep himself from wanting to be close to her, from needing to touch her, when she was a walking temptation? It would be easier if she was doing it on purpose because then he could be angry with her. But she wasn't.

Bella smiled but it wasn't right; there were tension lines at the corners of her lips. "I'm fine. Are you okay? I could hear you guys so I know you got to see what you wanted. Shouldn't you be celebrating and looking at the pictures and video with everyone?"

His suspicion that things weren't right was confirmed when she tried to refill her glass and ended up spilling most of it on the counter from the shake in her hand.

"Shoot!" She reached across the island for the paper towels but Masen snagged them before she could.

With just a look, he got her to move aside while he cleaned up the spilt tea. He could see her in the corner of his eye and he noticed the rapid rise and fall of her chest—he probably would have noticed it before if he hadn't been so enthralled with her bikini top. Now on top of fighting his wanting her, he felt bad for missing a sign of her discomfort.

"Bella, I …"

_You what?_ he wondered. _You screwed up again and you're sorry again? Way to be consistent._

"If there's anything … If you wanted to talk … I mean, I'm not … but … whatever it is, you can tell me." He could hear Whit in his head and he thoroughly agreed with his friend's opinion—_Lame, Mase_.

He sighed as he gripped the back of his neck, trying to ease the knot of tension in it. He wanted her to know she could trust him and that no matter what it was that had her upset, he cared to know about it. Instead he'd just blathered a bunch of nothing. _How the hell do I fix this?_

His attempt to think of a solution was interrupted by a giggle. Two more quickly followed—it seemed Bella found his idiotic rambling funny.

Her giggling had him smiling and momentarily forgetting about being useless. "You really are too easily amused, Guppy."

A snort from behind him had him spinning around to see Lee and Whit standing there with wide, toothy smiles—the kind of smiles that meant trouble for him.

"You owe me five bucks," Whit said as he held his hand out to Lee. "Told you nothing was wrong with him."

"You'll get your money later." She still had her eyes fixed on Masen. "Right now I wanna know why the floor's wet and Masen's shirtless."

"That _is_ a really good question," Whit replied, his smile widening and turning predatory. "So what's the answer, Mase?"

Masen was saved from having to answer by Gopher of all people. He came in holding the video camera in one hand and the tape in the other. "Am I seriously the only one dying to watch this footage? It's our first Great White! That's like having cheesecake with your cheesecake." His eyes flicked over to the refrigerator. "I wonder if I have the stuff to make a celebratory cheesecake for dinner tonight."

"Forget about the food and give me that tape," Masen ordered, already walking toward Gopher.

"Dibbs," Lee yelled as she snatched the tape from Gopher and bolted past Masen and down the hall.

"Don't you dare start that tape without us," Masen warned, knowing full well she would do whatever she wanted.

"I wouldn't take too long if I were you," Whit said as he and Gopher walked past Masen.

His fingers twitched with how badly he wanted to bolt down the hall and be there when Lee started the tape but his feet stayed firmly planted. He couldn't leave before he finished his conversation with Bella.

Her giggle had him snapping his head in her direction. "Go, Edward," she said, giggling again. "Go watch your video. We can talk later."

He studied her closely and only moved once he was absolutely convinced she was alright. "Sure you don't want to watch with us?"

"Not yet. I'll wait until tomorrow. It'll give me something to do while you're …"

He understood her reluctance to say "in the water" so he left it unsaid. "Later, Guppy."

She smiled and although it was much more real than the others, it still wasn't the smile she usually showed him. "Later."

He hesitated for a second but then came Lee's threat to start the tape without him. He gave Bella what he hoped was a reassuring smile and then sprinted down the hall, rushing to get there before Lee pressed the play button.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"What is with you tonight?" Whit asked, pushing on Masen's knee to stop his foot from tapping.

Masen pushed his hand away while shaking his head. "Nothing."

"Seriously? You gonna go with that answer?" When Masen didn't respond, Whit told him, "Fine. But if you're gonna blow me off on this, then you have to explain earlier today. What lit a fire under your ass to run off and talk to Bella after the sighting?"

"I just had a feeling."

"What kind of feeling? Like an in your pants feeling? 'Cause I know it was exciting but damn, bro." Whit's grin and joking words broke through Masen's frustration and got him to smile.

"You're a sick puppy, Whit."

"That's not a denial."

Masen shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I felt like something was wrong. Like maybe she decided to look through the binoculars after all."

"Guppy trunked Great White." Whit pretended he had a beard to stroke while grinning. "This is interesting information, Mase."

"It's nothing. It's just me being a good mentor."

"Then we've got very different understandings of the word 'nothing', bro. To me it's a lack of something. Your care in the Bella department is damn sure not lacking. And from your annoying ass foot-tapping all night, your care has turned to concern about something."

He stayed silent.

Whit took that as an invitation to be more annoying, sharing his views to the tune of the Hokie Pokie …

"You put your lips on her,

You pretend you don't care,

You do the hokie pokie and you try not to stare.

'Cause you're Mase and an asshat."

When that failed to get a reaction, he told him, "You know, there are plenty of fun ways to put something in and out if you'd stop being a chicken shit."

Masen sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, knowing full well that Whit was only saying those things to goad him into talking. "She's not herself. She's faking. What if she looked and I wasn't there to help her like I promised I would be?"

"She seemed fine to me today. Are you sure it's not just guilt you're feeling for leaving her alone on deck?"

He shook his head in disagreement. "She's not fine. She's been quiet and jumpy all day. Her smiles aren't right and she didn't laugh once during lunch or dinner. Not even tonight when Gopher was whining about not being able to make a cheesecake."

"She could just be having an off day. It happens to us all sooner or later. And it might be that she's worried about coming through on her promise to look through the binoculars tomorrow. She could also be stressing about us going in the water tomorrow."

Masen shook his head again. "That might be part of it, but that's not all of it."

"If you're this concerned, talk to her."

"I keep trying but she keeps finding a way to avoid me. She even ran off with Lee to watch that celebrity dancing show," he added, pointing toward the hallway where the sounds of applause were coming from.

"She could like that stuff, Mase. She _is_ a woman." Whit ignored the death glare from his friend and shrugged. "So then maybe she's nervous somebody might overhear what she has to say. We already know she's worried about seeming like a lost cause. Why not try talking to her later on when we all go to our rooms?"

With a sigh, Masen set his elbows on the table and shoved both hands into his hair. "This freakin waiting is annoying as hell."

Whit laughed. "And here I thought you were a patient man."

"Asshole."

"Stubborn Asshat."

Masen grinned and turned his head to see his friend. "Wanna watch the video again?"

"Sure. Why not make it an even fifty?" Whit answered with a laugh.

"Whatever. You know you wanna watch it again just as much as I do."

"And you know you'd rather be talking to Bella than watching that shark. And you also know that feeling driving you is more than mentorship or even friendship."

"The only thing driving me is my goal of a successful summer for us all."

Whit nodded as if he agreed but then said, "Success can be measured in a lot of ways, Mase. Even in opening yourself up to new experiences."

"Speaking of new experiences, what's the latest with your dream girl?" While he was honestly curious to know, he also wanted a topic Whit couldn't pass up.

"Changing the subject isn't going to change the way you feel about her, but I'll bite anyway. My dream girl hasn't been visiting me as much these past few days. She's worried about something and that's got her distracted."

"So what? You think she dreams about you too?"

"Absolutely. We're all in, bro. Just like you should be with Bella."

"There really is no stopping you," Masen replied, shaking his head. "One track mind."

"One life, Mase. You get this one life and you don't know how long it's gonna be so why not fill it up with love and laughter? Why waste time fighting feelings?"

"Some feelings don't lead to good things, Whit. Some just lead to trouble and complications."

"It's only going to be a complication if you make it one. I really believe if you just stop fighting and let yourself enjoy it, then you'll see it all balances out."

"I can't risk you being wrong. Not right now. We're just getting started here and I need to be one hundred percent focused on the job. It's hard enough not to feel distracted with my mom's birthday just two days away. I don't need to add to that and put us all at risk. That's not me being stubborn. That's me protecting every one of us. If anything ever happened to one of you because I wasn't fully focused … I can't, Whit."

His friend nodded. "Alright. I can understand that."

"Thank you."

"Right _now_," he replied, emphasizing that last word heavily. "We do have some off days throughout this summer and you better damn well use them wisely."

"You're not going to give up, are you?"

Whit gave him a toothy smile. "Not a chance in hell, bro."

Masen sighed and went back to running his hands through his hair.

"You know, I wish I could have known her." He didn't have to ask who the "her" was; he could tell from Whit's quiet tone. "From what you've told me about her over the years, she was pretty damn amazing."

Masen smiled, picturing his mother happy, healthy, and smiling. "She was."

"She'd be proud of you, Mase. Especially with all you're doing to help Bella have a better life."

He wanted that to be true but something told him his mother would be more concerned with what he wasn't doing and saying in regards to Bella. He shook his head and refocused his mind on work and his work goals for Bella.

"I had planned to push Bella's limits tomorrow because I really believed she was ready for it. But with the way she was today, now I'm not so sure." Masen lifted his head, catching sight of the hallway—and of Bella. Even from this distance he could see her cheeks pinking up and he desperately wanted to know what she was thinking to cause it.

"Goodnight, guys," she said once she was near the staircase.

"Calling it a night already?" Whit asked.

"Yeah, I'm tired. Long day and tomorrow's going to be longer. So …" She gave them a smile and wave before heading down the stairs.

Whit waited until they could no longer hear her footsteps to say, "That's your cue, bro."

Masen nodded and then got to his feet. "Wish me luck."

"You don't need luck, Mase. Just don't say anything stupid."

He laughed. "That's exactly why I need the luck."

"Pomaika`i."

"Mahalo."

"Whit, why are you wishing Masen good luck? And why are you thanking him, Mase?" Lee asked, looking from one to the other. "What are you two up to?"

"Why do you always have to be so suspicious of us?" Whit asked.

"Because you two are typically up to no good when left alone together," she answered.

"We're not plotting anything," he assured her.

Masen planted a kiss on her cheek. "Not now anyway. Night, Lee." He tried to move past her but she grabbed the back of his shirt to stop him.

"Are you actually going to sleep?" she asked.

"Not right away. I've got a couple things to check on first."

"Get as much as you can, okay? You need to be sharp tomorrow when you get in the cage."

"Always," he promised, kissing her cheek once more and then heading down to the sleeping quarters.

He knocked on Bella's door, waited maybe half a second, and then entered her room. She was already in bed, curled up under the covers with just the top of her head poking out.

Bella pulled the blanket down enough to see who had come into her room. "Hi."

"Hi. Guess you forgot we were supposed to talk."

"I didn't forget. I just … I figured it could wait until tomorrow."

"Bella, if something's bothering you, you can tell me. It's expected that you're going to be upset from time to time. The best way to get past it is to talk about it."

"I'm okay. Just tired."

_If it wasn't the shark that upset her, was it me_? he wondered, thinking back to their conversation in the kitchen last night. "If this has anything to do with last night—"

She quickly cut him off. "No. Not even a little."

"So then talk to me, Guppy," he said, hoping the nickname would at least get a smile out of her.

She did smile but it was the same fake one from earlier in the day. He was starting to hate that damn smile. Even more, he hated not knowing what to do about it.

"If you change your mind, I'll be down the hall in my room," he told her. "Doesn't matter what time it is. Alright?"

"Thanks, Edward."

"Welcome. Get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning." He turned to leave but she called his name. "Yeah?"

"Would you stay here a little while? I … I could really use a friend's company if you don't mind."

He started smiling, pleased that she wanted him around even if she didn't feel up to talking yet. "Alright, but if I'm staying, I'm laying. Move over, Guppy."

She scooted back to make room for him, leaving a pillow for his head and one between them. Masen grabbed it and shoved it under his head with the other, grinning wider than before as he turned on his side and closed the gap between them some.

"You got enough room over there? You can move closer if you need," he offered, fully enjoying seeing her cheeks turn pink for the second time tonight. He knew this wasn't technically being consistent with her but he also sensed she wasn't going to send him away tonight.

She proved him right by moving closer until her forehead was touching his chest. "Tell me about this morning. Not any details, but just how you felt about it. Tell me your favorite part."

"My favorite part was seeing my crew happy and satisfied. They stayed sharp, worked together, and communicated well, and they were rewarded with the sight of a lifetime."

Bella tipped her head back to see him, her brown eyes bright and curious. "Really? _That_ was really your favorite?"

"You're doubting me, Guppy?" Masen asked, grinning at her.

"No, I'm just surprised."

"Their success is my success. Plus, there's nothing quite like Whit jumping up and down like a giddy high school cheerleader."

She giggled and put her head back against his chest. "What else did you like about it?"

"Seeing the agility and the power of it firsthand. It's one thing to have heard about it but to actually _see_ it. It was magnificent. Here's this powerful creature that's hardly changed in millions of years, yet here, in this one place, it does amazing feats to adapt to the speed and agility of its prey."

"You're dazzled by them."

"No, I respect them. They're not mindless and they're not monsters. They're just doing what they were designed to do—be the top of the food chain in the oceans. They are dangerous but they're also in danger. I know that must sound so weird to you right now but I really hope you'll at least understand my view at some point, even if you never agree with it."

"You would be okay with me not agreeing?"

"Of course, Bella. You've seen how it is around here. Lee and Whit don't always agree with me. And Esme enjoys not agreeing with me. They're entitled to their opinions and while I don't always agree with them, I always try to understand and respect them. If I didn't, I'd be a pretty piss poor leader."

"You'd be a dick tater," Bella replied, giggling and trying to cover it up.

"Yeah … Remind me to thank Lee for that one."

"Edward … The promise I made about tomorrow …"

"Are you rethinking it?"

"I just … What if I can't separate my shark from the one in the water?"

"Then we try again another day. This isn't going to be a quick fix. No one expects that, least of all me. I know you're going to have some days where you feel stronger and more capable than others. A big part of my job as your mentor is knowing when you just need a push and when you need to back off. And right now, I really believe you can do it."

"And if I can't?"

"Then we'll deal with it when we get to it. Until then, let's assume you can."

Bella was quiet for so long that Masen had assumed she was sleeping until she spoke. "Does Whit know you compare him to a cheerleader?"

He laughed into her hair, completely caught off guard by the way her mind went from worrying about sharks to wondering about his friendship with Whit. "Guppy, go to sleep."

"When you go, leave my light on, okay?"

"Sure." He thought about confessing he already knew she slept with the light on but then he decided to wait, to give her the opportunity to confide in him about it. Of course, that was probably going to require him to be consistent for longer than a day first.

"I'm going to try tomorrow." She sounded slightly more convinced than the first time she'd promised him.

"Then you better get some sleep now."

"Goodnight, Edward."

"Night." His plan was to stay until she was deeply asleep and then go to his room and try to sleep himself. Instead, he ended up drifting off right there beside her, lulled by the warmth of her body against his and the rhythm of her steady, deep breaths.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:**

Hello again, Readers! EternallyAddicted and I hope this Saturday night finds you all well. We had a lot of fun with this chapter, some of it at Masen's expense! ;) We have photos of Bella's shark sighting and her bikinis up on the blog!

Shout out to **movieandbookgirl** for the Hokie Pokie idea :) We really loved having Whit put his special spin on it to try to wake Masen up!

Next chapter will have Masen and Whit getting into the water with Great Whites! We're very excited to bring you guys that chapter!

And if you aren't reading it already, then get on over to EternallyAddicted's page and check out her story _Somewhere I Belong_. Bella and Edward start out in the Dominican Republic, leaving behind real life in the States. But now that they're back, real life is settling in and real trouble soon follows. It's a fabulous read and I am impatiently waiting for her next chapter.


	16. 16 If You Only Knew

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 16 – If You Only Knew**

**Sunday, June 15th**

Bella thought she was dreaming the first few times she heard her name in Edward's voice. It wasn't until he shook her by the shoulder that she realized it was really him. As soon as she saw it was still dark out, she groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. "Go away. Too early."

He snorted and shook her shoulder again. "Get up, Guppy. If you waste any more time in bed, you're gonna miss it."

"Miss what?"

"Just get up and come with me."

She sighed and then tossed her pillow at him while kicking her covers off. "There better be a real reason for waking me before the sun is up."

He seemed to be ignoring her. "Grab a long sleeve shirt or jacket. It's gonna be chilly out."

Looking through her closet, she remembered how warm Edward's plaid shirt had been and she wished she hadn't given it back. _Just have to settle for the hoodie I love and Ali would love to burn_, she thought as she slipped her arms into her ratty turquoise jacket. 

When she finally looked at Edward, she noticed two things … One was that he was wearing the shirt she'd just been thinking about. The second was that he was offering his hand to her.

"Do friends hold hands?" she asked, fighting the giggles that wanted to come out. "Are _we_ the kind of friends who can hold hands?"

Edward snorted and grabbed her hand. "Come here, Guppy." He pulled her close and then led her upstairs. At first it seemed he was taking her to the viewing deck but then he let her go to grab onto the ladder.

Bella followed him up to the crow's nest and the two sat side by side with their legs crossed in front of them. She waited a little for an explanation of what they were doing but he didn't give one. "Why are we up here?"

"When was the last time you looked out on the ocean and enjoyed the view?" His eyes were that steel blue color this morning as he watched her, waiting for her answer.

She was shocked to find she really had to think about it and even more surprised when she couldn't come up with an answer. "I'm not sure."

Edward didn't seem surprised at all. "That's what I figured. We are up here for you to watch the sun rise over the ocean."

"But this isn't the ocean. This is a bay."

"Focus, Guppy," he said, smiling as he bumped her elbow with his. "I want you to watch the sunrise because I want you to see the water a little differently this morning … See the beauty of the ocean instead of searching for what lies beneath the surface."

He lifted his arm and moved it in a sweeping gesture; Bella barely noticed, too transfixed by the serene smile on his face. "All this as far as we can see, always moving, always giving life to the creatures who call its depths home. Sometimes it's as smooth as glass and sometimes it's so choppy the waves could damage the boats on the water.

"And always colorful. Right now, it's this grayish color but in a minute or two the sun will start rising and the water will take on an orange glow. Then once the sun is actually up, it'll look blue from here and blue-green from the deck. Anyone under the surface will see it as being a greenish color. It's all about angles and reflections, like with how a camera captures photos."

She forced her eyes to leave his face and focus on the water, to try to merge the view he'd just painted for her with the one she could see. Unfortunately, the harder she tried to look at the big picture, the more her eyes kept darting back to check the water around the boat.

"When was the last time you actually enjoyed being out on the water?" he asked.

It only took a few seconds for her to come up with an answer. "A year ago when I went with my uncle and sister to New Zealand. We stayed close to the shore, though. We just snorkeled."

"I didn't ask about being _in_ the water. I asked about when you were _on_ it."

_Before_ was her immediate thought; somehow she pushed past her anxiety to figure out exactly when. "Um … It's been about ten years … Since we anchored off of Block Island in Rhode Island. There was a school of bottlenose dolphins that stayed near our boat the whole week, even when we went swimming. I remember the water being this amazing shade of blue …" She smiled, thinking of how she'd annoyed her parents for weeks after the trip and of how happy she'd been when they'd finally relented. "I begged for weeks to have my room painted that exact shade of blue."

Edward leaned back on his hands and studied her for a moment. "You got your way."

"Yeah, I did," she answered with a nod while still smiling. "My dad and I painted it together."

"If I had begged Esme like that, she would have painted _me_ blue," he joked.

"She wouldn't. She'd threaten to do it, sure. But I think she'd end up painting your room too. She'd surprise you, though … make sure you weren't expecting it."

He laughed. "For having only been here a couple weeks, you've got my mom pegged." He quickly sat up straight and pointed toward the water. "Look! See how it's orange where the sun's hitting the water?"

This far out, the mountain ridges that curved around the bay seemed like small shadows peeking out of the water. The sun was barely above them and all around it was orange, just like Edward had described. But he was wrong about the color on the water.

"I agree it's orange around the sun, but the surface of the water looks more like a light yellow to me," she told him.

He snorted. "What is it with girls having to be so exact with colors?"

"Why do guys have to lump various shades into a single color?"

"Because it's quicker and easier," he answered with a grin. "So, Guppy … How's the ocean looking to you this morning?"

She smiled as she answered with a single word, "Lovely." She leaned over and placed a quick kiss against his stubble-covered jaw. "Thanks, Edward."

His expression was this great mix of pleased and shocked that made her giggle.

"Don't get excited," she told him. "It was just a show of thanks to my friend. There's nothing improper about appreciation."

He was still grinning when he shook his head at her and looked away. "Guppy, shut up and enjoy the ocean."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen reached behind him and snagged the bag he'd brought up before waking Bella. He pulled out the two thermos bottles he'd put inside and passed one to her. He also gave her one of the fruit and nut granola bars he'd packed since he'd noticed it was her favorite snack.

"It's not a four-star breakfast but it'll tide us over for a while," he said as he ripped open his own granola bar.

Bella was busy staring into her thermos. "This is chocolate milk."

"So?"

"So we emptied the container last night. How did you get this?"

Masen grinned, picturing the lecture he was in for later today. "Not a lot of people know this about him, but Whit has a sweet tooth. He always keeps a bag of Hershey kisses in his room. I managed to pilfer a big handful while he was busy snoring and dreaming."

She giggled. "You melted down his chocolate stash. You are gonna be in so much trouble."

"Won't be the first time," he said with a shrug. "Besides, I owed you chocolate milk. And I did leave him enough until we get to the house tomorrow."

She lifted her head and gave him a true, genuine smile. "Thank you. This is really nice." She continued to smile the entire time they ate their breakfast together.

As much as he didn't want to do anything that would make her smile go away, he had no choice. He took solace in the fact that everything he was doing would eventually make it easier for her to smile this way anytime she was on the water. Reaching into his bag again, he pulled out two sets of binoculars.

Bella eyed them warily. "What are those for?"

"How about I ask the questions this time?" he replied, smiling in hopes it would relax her a little. "What do you know about Great Whites?"

"They're the most dangerous of a dangerous species. Man-eaters."

"Yes, people have died from being bitten, but they weren't bitten on purpose. They were mistaken for seals. And over seventy percent of victims of attacks survive because the sharks realize they aren't seals and leave the area."

"That still leaves thirty percent."

"It does," he agreed, taking in her stiff posture, curled fists, and pinched face. He was beginning to suspect whoever it was in her life that had the brush with a shark had been in that thirty percent. He really hoped he was wrong about that—Bella didn't deserve that kind of loss and pain in her life.

He set the binoculars down in his lap and then reached for her hand. After uncurling her fingers, he wrapped them around his own hand. "If Lee can hold your hand, I damn sure can," he said in response to the guarded look on her face.

"The thirty percent for Great Whites is due to bite location only," he explained. "The person wasn't targeted by the shark—they were mistaken for a seal. I know that doesn't give you comfort right now. And it didn't give me any when Whit was hurt. I was angry and I wanted that shark found and killed. I wanted it to suffer the way Whit had." He had been watching her the entire time and he'd seen her go from guarded, to surprised, to complete disbelief.

He squeezed her hand as he continued, "Sounds weird to hear me say that after listening to me go on for weeks about how beautiful they are and how they're not monsters. But back then I was just a guy who had nearly lost his best friend. Looking back on it, I know my anger was fueled by fear and ignorance."

Bella rolled her eyes and turned her head to look out on the water. But just as quickly she turned it back—she even tried to cover it up by freeing her hand and pretending she was thirsty for her chocolate milk.

Instead of calling her out on it, he continued sharing his past with her. "It wasn't until we'd spent months at the Farallon Islands that I stopped being angry and started trying to help. All of the people we met in San Francisco, they all said the same thing. Shark attacks on humans are mistakes."

She bristled at the work "mistakes" and he quickly kept going, hoping it would keep her anger from tuning him out.

"A shark doesn't have the ability to distinguish human legs over the sides of a surfboard from seal flippers extended from a seal's body. They don't rely on eyesight to find prey. They use electroreceptors. Do you know what those are?"

"I know rays have those and use them to help guide them through the water and find food."

"That's right. The electroreceptors in Great Whites are called Ampullae of Lorenzini after Stefano Lorenzini, an Italian physician and marine researcher back in the late 1600s. He was big into studying animal anatomy and physiology. His claim to fame was his discovery that sharks and rays have a network of jelly-filled pores in the front of their heads that allow them to detect small amounts of electricity given off by the creatures around them. The sharks use their system to find and capture prey. From what we've been able to tell so far, the signal given off by a human in the water is indistinguishable from the one given off by a seal.

"That's why it's so vital that we learn everything we can about sharks. Knowledge is the key to keeping us safe from them and them from us. By educating the public on shark behaviors and locations, we can reduce mistaken bites and we can keep the sharks safe from revenge killings."

She sighed as she pulled her legs under her hooded jacket and wrapped her arms around them—a gesture of unease and protection if he'd ever seen one. She wasn't buying into attacks being mistakes right now but there was still time. As long as she was willing to hear him out and not shut down, there was a chance for change.

"Bella, I know that everything I'm saying right now, none of it is going to change your view of them right this second. My purpose for telling you all of this is to let you know that I was once in your place. I _do_ understand your anger and your fear, I want you to know that it doesn't have to always be this way for you. Let me help and together we can change it for you just the way it changed for me."

He would be lying if he said he hadn't been hoping for some sign of a positive change from her, but the steely look in her brown eyes made it perfectly clear that wasn't going to happen this morning.

"I'm really glad things turned out okay for Whit and for you. But that's you. You say you understand but you really don't because your situation is totally different." Her rough tone and stiff body language were clear signs she was angry but Masen only saw the pain in her eyes.

He tried once more to show her that he could relate to what she was feeling and also that she could change it. "Whether your experience puts you in the seventy percent or the thirty percent, it's still an experience that's changed your life permanently. I know I got lucky that I channeled my stuff into this company. I know I could have gone the other way and never set foot in the water again, never surfed again. But the thing is that I didn't. I made a choice not to let this one thing rule me. So did Whit and Lee. And so can you, Bella. I _know_ you can."

Masen had expected her to argue more but she surprised him by reaching over for a pair of the binoculars. After glaring at them for a while, she asked, "Where do I point these?"

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella had planned on documenting what she'd seen this morning in her journal but instead she kept focusing on the guys as they got ready to go into the water. Edward and Whit were erecting the shark cage while Gopher was bolting down the base of the winch that would raise and lower the cage. Lee was sitting just a few feet away from her, prepping the still and video cameras.

It was unbelievable to her that Edward and Whit would trust their lives to metal bars bolted together, especially after what she'd seen this morning. And Gopher and Lee were not only allowing them to do it, they were _helping_.

_Be reasonable, Bella_, she scolded herself. And then she recited some of the things Edward had told her about the cage and their plan … Cages are built to withstand ramming from large sharks. Most sharks will swim near the cage but not actually touch it. The guys were _only_ going to take photos and video. They were _not_ going to get in or out of the cage without the water around them being clear of sharks.

None of that was really helping though. She wondered if it would help if she hadn't seen that initial near-miss yesterday and the definite catch this morning. Seeing those massive sharks come completely out of the water … And that one this morning … the way its mouth had seemed to get impossibly wide, revealing rows of huge, razor sharp teeth … The seal had never stood a chance. She wasn't sure if it had even had time to realize there was a shark there before its life was over. It had been so quick and … and _brutal_.

She shivered and clenched her eyes shut, trying to get rid of the image in her head even as she tried to tell herself a seal was different from a human. She probably would have succeeded if she hadn't remembered something else Edward had told her today … Human and seal electroreceptor signals were indistinguishable to sharks.

"I need another set of hands," Edward yelled out, immediately capturing Bella's full attention.

"Can't let this go or it'll fall back and squash you guys," Gopher told him, his voice strained from the physical demands of his work.

Bella expected Lee to answer next but she didn't—a quick glance around showed she wasn't on deck any longer.

"Guppy, get over here," Edward demanded.

She dropped her journal and pen and scrambled to her feet as fast as she could. "Shouldn't I get Lee?"

"If we wait it could slip and then we'd have to struggle to align it all over again." His arms were straining and his chest had turned red up near his neck.

"Fuck that," Whit said with a grunt. He looked just as harassed, right down to his sweat soaked hair. "If we lose the alignment, I'm done for the day."

"What can I do?" she asked, kneeling down beside them.

"Take the socket wrench from my back pocket," Edward instructed. "Put it over the bolt right between our hands. As soon as you have it seated all the way, start pulling the end of the wrench towards you to tighten it up. Keep doing it until you absolutely can't pull anymore."

"And still give it one more try," Whit added.

The idea of being responsible for a section of the cage terrified her and caused her hands to shake so badly that she dropped the wrench and just barely missed Edward's knee. _What if I mess up the bolt and a shark hits it and then it breaks and then Edward gets hurt?_

"It's okay." From his calm tone, it seemed like he knew exactly what she was thinking. "You're just going to tighten it enough that I can let go. After that, I'll tighten it down to where it can't come loose. Trust me."

She gave a shaky nod as she worked to align the grooves inside the wrench with those on the bolt.

"Told you we should have practiced putting this thing together," Whit said with a chuckle, somehow finding something funny about their predicament.

Edward laughed too. "Yeah like you told me we needed to workout but then found every excuse possible not to do it."

"We worked out," Whit argued. "We surfed."

Edward grunted and then laughed again. "I don't know about you, but the surfing's not paying off for me at the moment."

"Guppy, lie to me if you have to. Tell me I'm buff," Whit pleaded, smiling and winking at her. And then he gave her a fake scowl. "Wait! I'm mad at you."

"For what?" she asked, so shocked by his declaration that the wrench slipped out of her hand and hit the deck. She quickly picked it up and placed it over the bolt again.

"You had chocolate milk this morning and I have missing chocolate," Whit told her. "You pilfered my stash, Guppy. Not cool."

"Whit, don't," Edward ordered.

"Bro, I get that she's the new fish but this is my chocolate we're talking about." He looked and sounded so upset about his chocolate that Bella was ready to apologize even though she was innocent.

"She didn't take it. _I_ took it," Edward confessed. "If anything, you should be thanking me for leaving you any at all."

"You stole my chocolate, made chocolate milk with it, and didn't give me any. Bro, you suck." Since Whit was smiling, Bella was pretty sure he was only messing with Edward.

Edward didn't seem to care one way or the other since his next comment had nothing to do with missing chocolate. "Guppy, you're doing great. You're torqueing the wrench like a pro. I'd never believe this is your first time putting a shark cage together. In fact, we might have to vote you M-V-P of today's activities."

His teasing had her smiling and relaxing enough to tease back. "Be nice or I'll start going the other way with this wrench and undo it."

"Look at this, Whit. Give the woman a compliment and she threatens me. What am I gonna do with her?"

Whit's laugh was an absolute cackle. "What indeed!"

Bella didn't miss the look that passed between the two guys or the quick glance Whit gave her. Once again, she had that strange certainty that he knew something big she didn't but should. But now was really not the time for thinking about that—she had to finish tightening this bolt for them.

It wasn't long before she had done all she could. "That's it. That's all I can pull," she said even as she struggled to give it one more tug.

Edward looked over at Whit. "Ready?"

"Let go one hand at a time just in case."

As soon as Edward had freed one hand, he nudged Bella's aside and took control of the wrench's handle. He gave it three quick pulls and then took his other hand off the section of cage he'd been holding. Using his newly freed hand to brace himself against the deck floor, he leaned over the wrench, pulling the handle as hard as he could to tighten down the bolt. She was amazed at the way his arm flexed from shoulder to wrist with each torque of the wrench.

Finally, he let go of the wrench and twisted around to sit on the deck. "Damn that was harder than I remember."

Whit winced as he pulled himself up into a sitting position; he had been lying on his side and bracing the cage from below. "You and me both, bro. Why the hell did we get one we have to put together?"

"Space constrictions," Edward answered.

"I say we leave it put together from now on and pack it on the supply ship."

"Then we won't have it around if we decide to stop off along our travel route."

"Don't talk sense to me," Whit demanded while getting to his feet. "Just lie so my muscles think they won't have to suffer abuse like that again."

Edward snorted and then asked, "Going for water?"

"Yep."

"Bring me some back?"

"Yep."

"Should I tell you now or later that we still have another side to this cage?"

"Never." Whit went inside without saying anything else so Bella wasn't sure if he had been joking or not.

"Later it is," Edward said with a sigh. He brushed his wet hair away from his sweaty forehead and smiled at Bella. "Thanks for the hand, Guppy."

"Should we help Gopher now?" Bella asked, remembering that he had also been struggling with his assignment.

Edward's lips curved and she wasn't sure if he was smiling or smirking. "Guess we had you pretty distracted. You completely missed Lee helping him finish and then the two of them heading inside."

"Guess so."

"Are you looking forward to having the afternoon off? Esme always cooks to welcome us home so you won't have dinner duty either."

Bella shrugged, still fighting with herself on whether or not she would take the time off. "I owe my sister an email and since we'll be docked tomorrow I want to handwrite a letter to mail too."

He looked at her oddly. "You know it'll take weeks to get to her."

"Oh she doesn't care what's in the letter. Well, she does a little. But she's really into stamps so it's more about the envelope than the letter."

"So wait … You take the time to handwrite a letter, buy stamps, and mail it to her, knowing she is all about the stamps?" he asked, using his fingers to tick off the items.

Before she could answer, he smiled and said, "You're a pretty cool big sister, Guppy."

"You kinda sound impressed," Bella replied, wishing she could read his expression and know for sure.

"Masen, catch!" Lee called out. He barely had time to turn his head her way before she launched a water bottle at him. He caught it one handed and Lee applauded him along with Gopher and Whit.

Bella waited until he paused in draining his water to ask, "Is it okay if I head in and start my time off?"

"Yeah, go ahead. And thanks again for helping with the cage."

"No problem." She gave what she hoped seemed like a natural smile, grabbed her journal and pen, and then headed inside. She stood behind the door, watching him with the crew and working things out in her head to come to a decision once and for all. Her room would be safe and quiet. But it would only be safe for her. The deck would be hard and probably pretty stressful but it called to her much louder than her room.

Edward had made it clear he didn't feel she was ready to watch them go into the shark cage and had even given her the rest of the day off. But Bella _had_ to watch. She was certain with every single fiber of her being that the only way for him to be safe today was if she didn't let him out of her sight.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Easy guys," Masen cautioned as he helped Whit and Gopher get the shark cage over the side of the boat. "Let's not scrape the paint on Galeos please."

"I feel like I should be down in the skiff, grabbing from the bottom," Gopher told him.

"The waves are too choppy for that," Masen replied. "You'd bump against my boat and lose your grip on the cage. That or you'd keep holding on and lose your footing, ending up in the water. I don't want either happening."

Gopher smiled and then loudly shared his response with everyone. "My dream has finally come true! Masen loves me."

"Yeah, well I have a dream too," Masen replied, grinning at his friend. "And in it, something eats you. So maybe I should let you get in the water after all."

While the guys laughed at his joke, Lee made it clear she didn't find it the least bit funny. "Edward Anthony Masen, when I tell your mother what you just said … Apologize and I might let you live."

He wasn't intimidated by her threat at all—okay, maybe just a little. But he had an excellent counter argument for her that would surely get him off the hook. "I didn't say _what_ ate him in my dream. For all you know, it was a tiger or a bear. In fact, it was a big Kodiak bear on dry, dry land."

She continued to glare at him as if she was hoping he would catch fire. "You're an asshat."

Realizing she was honestly upset made him feel about two inches tall. "Lee, you know I didn't really mean that. We were just joking around. I wouldn't let anything happen to him anymore than I'd let something happen to you."

"Well it wasn't funny."

"Noted. It won't happen again. And I'm sorry."

She finally relaxed her stiff posture and pointed past his head. "Don't scratch my boat with that thing."

When the cage finally hit the water, it did so without harming the boat. Not that Masen had ever really doubted it would be any other way. His crew cared about the boat as much as he did.

"Gopher, what's your job while we're in the water?" Masen questioned, checking to make sure he understood his duties fully.

"Once you guys are in the cage, lower you down into the water but not so far that I can't keep the top of the cage in sight. Keep a close watch on approaching sharks and an ear on the radio. If any purposefully hit the cage, pull you guys up. If you call out 'up' on the radio, I pull you guys up. Otherwise, maintain radio silence. In two hours, whether you've seen a shark or not, I pull you up." Gopher lifted his arm and turned it to show Masen the watch on his wrist. "Synchronized my watch with yours already too."

"Where _is_ my watch?"

"Lee's got it until you finish putting on your suit."

"Good. Just stay sharp and focused and we'll all be able to call it a successful day in a couple hours."

Lee came over to help him with his wetsuit and he could tell right away there was something on her mind. He also knew to wait for her to start the conversation.

She finally asked, "Are you sure you were right about not having Guppy on deck?"

It wasn't a question he had expected from her but he had an answer all the same. "She's not in the right head space for it yet. She could barely stand watching through binoculars this morning," he replied, recalling the way her face had paled at the sight of a Great White breaching the water and capturing a seal in its mouth.

"I still think you should have let it be her choice. She might have surprised you and herself and been just fine. And she wouldn't have been alone. She'd be here with Gopher and me."

"We've got time, Lee. There's no need to rush her and risk a setback."

Instead of giving him more of an argument, she gave him a sly smile. "No need to rush her? Or no need to have her on deck without you at her side?"

Whit jumped in and answered for him. "Seventy-thirty split with the rushing being the thirty."

Masen looked crossly at Whit and then turned back to Lee. "No need to rush. Period. End of conversation."

Her smile widened as she leaned in and whispered in his ear. "You're gonna eat those words and I'm gonna enjoy every single bite."

He would have loved to tell her where to stick her prediction but there was a problem … There was a tiny, infinitesimal chance that she was right.

Fifteen minutes later, Masen and Whit were fully suited up with tanks, flippers, goggles, watches, and camera equipment. They both also wore special full face masks that allowed them to communicate with Gopher by radio.

The guys would have to enter the water from the platform at the back of the boat and then swim to the side to enter the cage. Masen looked up at Lee, waiting for her to signal the coast was clear for them to enter the water. While Masen was fairly confident the Great Whites wouldn't harm them, "fairly" wasn't good enough—not when his best friend's life could be at risk.

They finally got a thumbs-up and Masen was the first to drop beneath the surface, going from bright blue sky to greenish-blue depths. He loved the sensation diving gave him, that feeling of leaving one world for another—it had never been truer than it was now. While these murky depths were home to all kinds of marine life, they belonged to the Great Whites.

Once Whit and Masen were in with the trap door on top locked, Gopher slowly lowered the cage. The water had calmed some in the past half hour but even with the relative stillness, visibility was low from the murky quality of the water. Masen was surprised by their small area of sight since the view down into the water had been pretty clear from the crow's nest this morning. At current levels, they wouldn't see a shark until it was within ten feet of the cage.

_Then again_, Masen thought as he started taking pictures with the still camera. _Ten feet will make for some amazing photos if any do get curious enough to check us out. Hell, ten feet is the minimum length of Great Whites in this area so we might not even get a full frame shot today. Just so long as we see at least one, I'll be happy._

He smiled at his next thought. _Here fishy, fishy, fishy_.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Gopher and Edward weren't the only ones who had synchronized their watches. Bella's matched theirs to the exact second, though it would be hard to read the time on it with the way she was twisting it around her wrist.

"Here fishy, fishy, fishy," Gopher called out.

Bella bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from snapping at him. Her anxiety was off the charts, to the point where she hadn't even said a word about him straddling the side of the boat. If it were any other time, she'd be pleading with him to get down before something bad happened. But right now, her sole focus was on keeping her eyes on Edward to keep him safe.

She fully realized there was no way simply watching over him would protect him from a fifteen-foot long, two-thousand pound shark. It would take forty of those fifty pound dumbbells athletes lifted in gyms to reach that weight and the stare of a hundred plus pound woman was nothing in comparison.

But sometimes it didn't matter what the head knew. Sometimes the heart was in charge. Sometimes people just _knew_ things. And Bella knew she couldn't leave that spot until Edward was back on the boat. Until she could see with her own eyes that he was safe and unharmed, she wasn't going to let anyone send her away.

"It's good you came back out." Lee was standing right beside her, both of them slightly leaning over the side of the boat to keep watch on the top of the cage.

Bella barely heard her over all the worries shouting to be heard in her head. "The water looked clearer from up top."

"I wonder how murky it is for them being in it. I bet they can't see too far in front of them. Maybe fifteen or twenty feet if they're lucky."

"What's a safe distance?"

Lee shrugged. "We've never been in these waters before. The Great Whites we saw in the Farallon Islands acted completely different from the ones we've seen here so far."

"Different how?" She hoped her voice hadn't been as high-pitched out loud as it had been in her head.

"They don't breach at Farallon. Not like they do here. We don't know if it's because of the terrain or the prey, but they're just different. That's one of the things we want to try to find out."

While Bella struggled to absorb the new information, Lee continued talking. "We got really lucky in San Francisco and we were able to work with Dr. Wayne. He's brilliant and he's trying to develop ways for Great Whites to be tracked long term instead of just the twenty-four to seventy-two hours most researchers do now. If we can discover how these sharks spend their lives and where and when they breed, then we'll be in a better position to help keep them from extinction.

"But that's not why I brought him up. Dr. Wayne has been working out there for a long time and he's agreed to share his Farallon Islands data with us so we can compare it to our Western Cape data at the end of the summer."

Bella didn't care about data or about understanding sharks. She cared about the people in the water—her friends. _You care more for him_, her mind pointed out. _You would take it hard if Whit was hurt but you would be devastated if it was Edward. Why? How can you care that much for him when you don't really know him?_

_Because I do_, she answered herself. _I know he loves his family fiercely. He takes his job seriously and has a real passion for it. He's extremely smart when it comes to his work but not nearly as much about people. But he also knows it and wants to do better at it. And I know he cares about me. It doesn't matter if it's different. It just matters._

"Ladies, we have a shadow," Gopher announced. "Looks like a pretty nice size visitor from this angle."

Bella was positive her heart stopped completely for a moment before taking off at top speed—and she hadn't even spotted the shadow yet! _Calm down … Calm down … Calm down_, she chanted in her head. She attempted to convince herself everything was okay since she was still watching over him and he was still fine.

"Look at the size of her." The awe in Lee's voice was unmistakable. "I wonder what she looks like beneath the surface."

"Guppy, do you know why they assume it's a chick shark?" Gopher asked.

Lee answered immediately. "Because we assume they're all females unless we can confirm it's a male since the majority of the sharks researchers have tagged over the years have been female."

"Babe, you didn't give her time to guess."

"I don't think she cares about guessing right now, Em."

They must have been able to see the anxiety she was feeling because both of them put their hands on her back. Gopher leaned down and said, "They're safe, little fish. No worries."

"Worrying is natural," Lee told her. "Just don't let the worry stress you out. Masen and Whit both know what they're doing. And Masen will be the first to alert us if there's any trouble at all."

She found that hard to believe and said as much. "I think you meant Whit."

Lee chuckled. "No, I meant Masen. He has a sixth sense about sharks and he hasn't been wrong yet." She quickly wracked her knuckles against the side of the boat. "Knock on wood."

Bella would knock on wood, steel, plastic, glass … Whatever might have a chance of protecting Edward and Whit was worth it in her view.

"The guy comes off as shark-happy but he's actually shark-smart," Gopher stated. "That's why I don't mind him making me go over everything two and three times. Whatever keeps us safe is worth the hassle."

"You might want to tell him that some time," Lee commented. "I bet he'd take you a lot more seriously if you did."

"And let him know he's right? Are you crazy?" Gopher asked before snorting. "Besides, he takes me seriously on the things that matter most to me."

The sound of their conversation was a lot like having the television on in the background while doing homework—you could guess the overall gist of what was going on but not pick out any particulars. Not when you were deeply focused on something else the way Bella was with the dark shadow moving parallel to the boat and just a very short distance away from the cage.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Working with Gopher to get his near empty tank off, Masen thought of how quickly the two hours had seemed to fly by. At least it hadn't been for nothing—they'd had three large sharks swim over to check out the cage. None had come close enough to brush against it but one had been so near Masen could have easily reached out and touched her snout. She'd had a lot of scarring on her head and a badly healed gash that appeared to be from a hook, but she'd still been beautiful in his eyes.

"You look mighty happy," Lee joked, smiling as she passed by carrying Whit's tank.

"You've gotta come down next time, Lee," he said excitedly. "It's like nothing we've ever done before. It's amazing."

"Wait until you're out of your wetsuit to have your shark-gasm," Whit teased, getting laughs from Gopher and Masen.

"Speaking from experience?" Masen questioned, giving his best friend his best shitty grin.

"No. But I did nearly shit my pants when that second shark suddenly appeared on my side of the cage. One second there's only water and the next this big ass shark is swimming out of the murkiness."

Gopher chuckled. "Scared ya, huh?"

"Nah, just gave my heart a jump-start."

"Free at last," Gopher joked after finally getting the strap on Masen's tank to loosen enough to get it off his shoulder.

"Thanks, Gopher."

The three men worked together to get the cage onto the boat and then secured it against the far wall of the deck. There was no point in taking it apart now since they were going to use it again day after tomorrow. Their next task was to disassemble the winch, leaving only the base in place. Masen didn't trust leaving the pieces on deck even for a single day so he had Gopher return them to their crate stored in the engine room.

Now that the work was done, Masen quickly stripped his suit down to his waist and then picked his camera up from the deck. He couldn't wait to get it out of the waterproof case and pop the memory card into his laptop to review the photos he'd taken. He hoped the green cast of the murky water hadn't distorted the coloring of the sharks too much.

"Oh, no you don't," Lee scolded as she snatched the camera out of his hands. "Shower away the sweat and bay water first."

"Come on, Lee," he whined. "I can shower later."

"No way, Mase. Later won't happen, we'll get to the house and Esme will smell you, and then dinner will be late because we'll all be waiting on you to shower."

"She's right," Whit told him. "So go now before I decide I want first shower just to make you wait even longer."

Masen shook his head despite already having decided to listen to them. "You two suck."

"We love you too," Lee said, patting his cheek. "Now go shower."

His plan to listen to them and quickly shower was derailed as soon as he turned around and saw Bella standing in the corner near the ladder. She had been out here while he was in the water—he knew from the shine in her eyes and the twisting of the watch on her wrist. He had to bite down on the inside of his lip to keep from blurting out the curses dancing on the tip of his tongue.

"Aren't you proud of her?" Lee asked. "She stayed out here with Gopher and me the entire time you guys were in the water. She even spotted the last shark before Gopher did." From the smile on her face, he knew Lee genuinely believed it was a good thing.

_But Lee doesn't see what I do_, he thought even as he tried to figure out what to say. If he said he wasn't proud, then he was an asshole. If he said he was, then he was lying. He would have been more than happy to congratulate Bella on her accomplishment had it seemed to him that she really had succeeded. But from what he was seeing right now, she had only stressed herself out and probably set her progress back too.

He decided his only choice was to put the ball in Bella's court. "Think you did a good job, Guppy?"

Her hand clamped down on her watch and her eyes tightened at the corners; it seemed she could see things too and knew he was unhappy. "I did what I needed to."

Silence followed her comment and Masen would have sworn that the longer no one spoke, the more the air around them felt charged. Lee broke the feeling by walking past him and saying, "I'm just gonna get the cameras out of the cases."

Whit followed right behind her. "I better shower first so I can get us turned around and headed for Gordon's Bay."

Once they were at the door and out of Bella's line of sight, Lee gave Masen the hand sign for "careful".

_I'm being careful_, he argued in his head. _She's the one not being careful_. _Needed to. What in the hell could she have possibly been thinking? How many ways do I have to tell her to take her time? This is about a better life, not impressing anyone._

He couldn't say any of that out loud, though. At least not so bluntly. He decided the best place to start was with figuring out where her head was at. "Why did you come out here when you weren't ready?"

"I told you, I did what I needed to." Bella was no longer looking at him and he got the sense that she was hoping he would drop the conversation and go inside. She had zero chance of that happening.

"Listen, I get that you feel the need to prove yourself to everyone. I really do. But every time you put up a brave front and force yourself to do something you're not ready for, you only prove that you're not listening to me. I didn't give you the afternoon off to exclude you from anything. I did it because I believed it was the best thing for you."

"I know."

Her head was turned just enough that he could see a patch of skin she'd missed when putting on her sunscreen. He found himself wondering if she felt the sting of the sunburn yet and if she had something to put on it to cool the heat.

And then he realized the silence had been spinning out between them for too long. "Bella, I know it's not easy to be the new person on the ship and that you feel the need to prove yourself, to not let the team down. Maybe you're even worried that if you don't force yourself, you'll end up failing. But I promise you that if you'll just listen and do what I ask of you, you'll get everything you want. You'll be a full-fledged member of MMR, you'll be able to deal with sharks, and you'll get to enjoy the water again. All you need to do is trust me to lead you in the right direction."

He had hoped she would give some sign that she understood what he was saying, or that she'd at least look at him. Instead she continued to stare at her bare feet.

He wanted to grab her shoulders and shake an answer out of her as much as he wanted to put his arms around her and promise her that everything was going to be okay.

_That's not true_, he admitted. _You want to hold her a hell of a lot more than you want to lecture her_.

He should be inside right now looking at the pictures from his camera; he shouldn't have to be out here having another conversation with her about slowing down and taking her time. She was _interrupting_.

What really pissed him off in that moment was realizing that her feelings were ranking higher than his work. "Look, you've got two choices, Guppy. Listen to what I tell you to do or go home. You let me know which one you want to go with."

He didn't wait for a response this time and his anger was visible as he moved with his head down and his long legs striding as far and as fast as they could.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Want any help, Mom?" Masen asked, leaning his body against the counter next to Esme. He figured since she'd cooked for them all, he should at least offer to help with the dishes.

She took her eyes off the suds-covered pan she was washing and favored him with a loving smile. "Kid, I never pass up the chance to have you rinse for me."

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then moved around her to stand at the other half of the sink. "Thanks again for making dinner."

"Just doing my part to support the team."

They washed and rinsed the dishes in harmony and silence, both of them glad to be together no matter what the activity. Even pulling weeds in her garden back home was an alright time as long as she was kneeling right there beside him. She was the only one he ever felt at peace with in the silence. His mind was never quiet with the others, probably because they were often giving him new ideas for things.

_Until Bella_. Masen shoved that thought away, determined not to let her interrupt his world again. She had done enough of that this afternoon with her deck stunt.

When the dishes were done, Esme invited him to sit with her at the patio table on the balcony. It could seat all six of them and gave the most gorgeous view of the beach and the ocean.

"I know you've been busy, Kid, but have you thought at all about what you'd like to do tomorrow?" she asked.

He hadn't but only because he hadn't wanted to risk being distracted on the water. He quickly weighed what he wanted against what Esme might need in order to give her an answer. "Dinner tomorrow night would be nice. I'll get Lee to ask a local where the best place is for a family sit-down dinner."

"Do you think it will be weird for you with Bella there?"

He shrugged. "Why should it be? It's not like we have to provide her with a reason to go to dinner."

"I'm not saying it should be or that it will be. But we always toast Elizabeth and the natural reaction of someone who doesn't know us is to ask who she is to us."

He pushed against the leg of the chair across from him with his foot, making it slide across the floor a little. "I'm guessing I can't just tell her it's none of her business."

"Ha!" Her cry startled him and his head jerked her way to see what was wrong. "I knew there was something going on," she said, jabbing a finger into his chest.

He shook his head and turned his attention back to pushing the chair with his foot. "Nothing's going on. Why do you think something is going on?"

"How about I start with you, Kid? The last time I was in the same room with you and Bella, you couldn't take your eyes off of her. I would have almost sworn you'd never seen a pair of lips before with how hard you were staring at hers. But tonight you barely even glanced in her direction."

He grunted in response. "Mom, I think it's time you got your eyes checked. Reading all those romance novels has obviously affected your vision."

"What's that phrase Whit uses sometimes … You better check yourself before you wreck yourself? You might really want to consider the wisdom of that, Kid."

He rolled his eyes, acting as though there was no truth to anything she'd said.

Esme was undeterred. "And then there's Bella. She barely touched her food, she hardly spoke at all, and she's been out walking Lizzy for over an hour now."

He scowled and said, "Maybe she should have listened to me instead of doing the opposite of what I said."

"What did you ask of her?"

"I gave her the afternoon off to keep her away while we were in the water. The last thing she needed was to have her first up-close view of a shark happen while we were in the water. That's two triggers too many for her anxiety. And what do I find when I get out of the water? Bella standing on deck and fiddling with that damn watch."

"What did the watch ever do to you?"

Normally Esme's attempts to lighten the mood were welcomed but Masen's mood was too foul tonight. "This isn't funny. She's messing with her progress and interrupting my work."

"Did you ask her why she did it?"

He gave her an exasperated look. "Of course I did, Mom. She said she _needed_ to. What the hell is that?" He repeated it once more, practically spitting the words out, "She needed to."

Esme shrugged. "Maybe she did. Maybe she truly felt the only place she could be right then was on that deck, keeping watch over you."

"That doesn't make any sense," he argued, shaking his head.

"Why not? Are you _ever_ anywhere else but on deck when Lee and Whit get into the water?"

"No but that's different."

"Different how?"

He looked at her again, trying to gauge if she really didn't already know the answer or was just winding him up to lead him to some crazy conclusion of hers. "Because it's my responsibility to watch out for them."

"What if Bella felt it was her responsibility to watch out for you?"

"Why would she? Lee and Gopher were right there and they're infinitely more experienced than her. And honestly, what the hell would she have done if we had needed help? She damn sure wouldn't have gotten in the water."

Esme gave him a sweet smile as she leaned over and ruffled his hair. "Still so much to learn, Kid."

"Meaning?"

"Sometimes the best way to help is just to be vigilant. And when the only control we have over a situation is where we are, then we stand where the view is best." She stood and put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. "Maybe you should take a walk and think on that for a while."

She left him alone on the balcony and Masen replayed every moment he'd spent today with Bella, combing through his memories for a clear sign of whether or not Esme was right. He wasn't sure what he wanted to find. If she was right, then he had once again put his foot in his mouth and owed Bella yet another apology. If she was wrong, then he was right and it was Bella who needed to apologize.

He kept coming back to the expression on Bella's face when she'd first uttered those words … _I did what I needed to_. What if her nervousness and worry had nothing at all to do with sharks and everything to do with him?

Something else she'd said came to mind then … _The harder I try to focus on something else, the more you're in my thoughts_.

It was starting to look like his plan to keep things from getting complicated had seriously backfired. Not only had it not kept Bella from having feelings for him, it was giving the feelings she did have an importance that wasn't real—_couldn't_ be real. Just like his fascination with her was from her being the "one he couldn't have" for lack of a better term, her fascination with him was wrapped up in being unable to have him. It was circumstance and nothing more.

_But you don't believe that. You only think you believe it when she's not around. When she's not right beside you. And if yours for her are real, then so are hers for you._ He sighed and leaned forward in the chair, propping his arms on his knees and sinking his hands into his unruly hair.

He still believed it was wrong for him to have any kind of romantic relationship with her as long as he was head of MMR and she was an intern. _But maybe there are degrees. Maybe it might be okay as long as it doesn't go beyond kissing until our time in Africa is over. And if she has that, then she won't be fighting her feelings and she won't do crazy things like stay on deck after I tell her not to._

And maybe Esme was completely wrong and he was second guessing himself for nothing. He didn't see any sense in changing anything if there wasn't a problem.

Masen headed inside in search of his shoes. It was time for him to take a walk and find out exactly why Bella had been on deck today.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella was completely comfortable sitting in the sand as the day's light began to fade on her side of the world. Her knees were drawn toward her chest with her journal resting on them and there was a soft ball of fur asleep on her bare feet. The only sounds were the waves breaking against the shore and the occasional bird flying overhead.

She smiled from the pleasure of being in a peaceful place as she bowed her head and refocused on her journal entry, reading over what was already there.

_Sighted: Great White Shark – three shapes underwater_

_Where: South Atlantic, Near Seal Island in False Bay, Western Cape of South Africa_

_Conditions: Sunny day, light winds, mid-afternoon_

_Description: Large grayish shadow. Impossible to estimate size due to poor visual quality of the water._

_Side Note: Not my best day as intern._

She pulled in a deep breath to steady herself and then she began adding to her side note, doing her best to be completely honest.

_I understand completely his reaction to my doing the opposite of what was asked. In his position, I probably would have done the same. I don't completely understand why I did it myself. I don't understand how I could handle tracking those shadows across the surface of the water. I don't understand why he's so important. It's not something I've decided. I don't feel there's a choice at all really. He is and I do. But he doesn't in return. He made that clear. And that's fine. I just have to figure out how to explain it so he'll understand and I won't disappoint him. I want him to know this internship is just as important to me._

Just as she closed her journal, Lizzy woke up and stretched her little legs. Bella laughed as the puppy yawned loudly and her tongue curled inside of her mouth.

After putting her journal into her bag, she picked Lizzy up and cuddled her against her chest. "You are going to need a bath when we get back. First you rolled all over in the sand and then you napped in it. At least in what wasn't covered by my feet."

Lizzy licked Bella's chin in response.

"It's such a shame Alice has always been afraid of dogs. I bet she would have loved to have a puppy like you if she'd seen how sweet you are. I know I would have. Maybe once I'm on my own I'll get one. But until then, I'll just enjoy you. We'll watch the sunset together and then we'll head back to the house and you'll get a bath, sweet girl."

While Bella was laughing over Lizzy licking her on the lips, a shadow fell over them. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes so she could get a look at the person and was completely surprised when she realized who was standing there.

"Mind if I join you?" Edward asked.

"It's okay with me if it's okay with Lizzy," Bella said, laughing at how wriggly the puppy had become at the sound of Edward's voice. She waited until he was sitting beside her and then passed him his very excited pet.

"Hey, sweet girl," he cooed, rubbing his cheek against Lizzy's head. "Did you miss me?"

From the way Lizzy was licking every bit of him she could reach, Bella was positive he had been missed a lot.

"She's full of sand," he said as he rubbed both of his hands along the puppy's back and sides.

"Yeah, we were playing in the sand earlier. I'm going to give her a bath, I promise. I just wanted to watch the sun set first."

"It's okay. She gets herself covered in it back home all the time."

Bella remembered a comment he had made on her first day on the boat. "Does she really surf with you?"

A really sweet smile curled his lips as he looked down at his puppy and scratched behind her ears. "She gets right up on the front of my board, sticks her neck out as far as it will go, and closes her eyes. Rides in on the wave with a big smile on her face. You'll see it before we leave."

Bella nodded while digging her toes into the sand, enjoying the warmth and the feel of the grains sliding against her skin. She had always loved doing this and now in one summer she could say she'd done it in Hawaii and Africa. She could also say she'd seen a sunrise and sunset while here.

Edward interrupted her musings. "Bella, did you really need to be on deck?"

"I know it might help things if I could explain why I felt that way, but … If you could just trust me that I knew it was the right thing and it didn't ruin my progress."

"If you disagree with my assessment, the time to tell me is during the conversation. You have to be honest with me in order for me to help you."

Bella snorted, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "You don't want honesty. You want obedience."

"I want to help you."

She looked at him fully and the expression on his face confirmed her thoughts about his response—he really meant it. "I know and I appreciate it, Edward. I really do. I know you didn't anticipate just how big of a problem sharks are for me." She took a deep breath and then finished her thought, hoping she wasn't making yet another mistake. "And neither of us expected for there to be other feelings involved. But here we are."

"Here we are," he agreed with a nod.

The silence that followed was far too charged for her taste and she blamed it for the stupidity that came out of her mouth next. "If you could go back to that first night and change it …"

The heat coming from the way he was looking at her dwarfed the sunburn on her neck.

She smiled as she turned her head away and looked down at her sand covered feet. "Yeah, I wouldn't either." She freed her feet and then asked the only question she could, "So now what?"

He laughed and playfully pushed against her shoulder. "Why don't you come up with the answer for a change? At least then if you decide not to go along with it, it'll completely be your fault."

She pushed right back. "You just want to make sure you don't have to apologize. Not that you know how to do that right anyway."

"Hey, I've apologized to you when I've been wrong."

Bella laughed and then spoke in the lowest voice she could. ""I apologize your first night with us wasn't what you expected."

"What was wrong with it? That was a great apology."

She rolled her eyes both at his reply and the shitty grin on his face. "Except for you not taking any responsibility for your part in things, it was amazing. I can't image why Esme feels you need help with your people skills."

Edward snorted and reached out as if he was going to push her shoulder again. Instead, he curled his fingers around hers. "You can help with my people skills and I'll help with your shark ones. We'll keep each other from doing things that require apologies."

She managed to nod despite being awfully distracted by the feel of his hand holding hers. His fingers shifted against hers and then squeezed lightly, getting her to lift her head and look at him. The blue that had been visible in his eyes when he'd first sat down was completely gone, replaced by a green so vibrant that she worried for a second she'd fallen asleep and their entire conversation was nothing but a dream.

The more those green eyes looked her way, the more she felt overheated and parched—but it wasn't water her body was craving. It was the lips he was currently licking and the way he was slowly leaning in to her, getting closer with each passing second.

Before she had a chance to question what he was doing, his cell phone started ringing and the sound caused Lizzy to bark and jump. Edward couldn't keep hold of his puppy or his balance and Bella just barely managed to move out of his way as he fell sideways into the sand. She laughed while Lizzy jumped onto his legs.

He ignored them both and managed to get his phone out and answered before it stopped ringing. "What?"

He rolled his eyes at whatever he was hearing and said, "No, we're not lost. We'll be back soon."

His annoyed expression changed to curious. "What kind of ice cream?"

Now he was smiling and sounding pretty pleased. "Have I mentioned how much I love you?"

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Give me ice cream more often and you'll hear it more often."

Whatever was said on the other end caused his smile to widen even more. It also made him tilt his head back to look at Bella. "Yeah, we're on our way. Thanks, Whit."

Bella had completely expected Lee or Esme to be on the phone so hearing it was Whit sent her into a fit of giggles.

"Time to go, Guppy," Edward said, standing over her and holding his hand out. "Whit's got ice cream and we need to shower off this sand. And if you stop giggling and get up, I'll bathe Lizzy for you."

It was a really good thing her face was already red from the laughing because the vision that popped into her head of being in a shower with Edward definitely made her blush. She shook her head to clear the image and then took his offered hand.

They walked the whole way back with Lizzy running around and between their feet, making them both laugh and stumble along the way. They talked about what kind of ice cream made Edward love Whit. They also talked of how the team would be together tomorrow even though it was a day off and Edward filled her in on a few of the ideas Lee had come up with for them. The only thing they didn't talk about was the kiss that had almost happened. Bella was beginning to believe the only consistency she would ever know with him was to always expect the unexpected.

The genuine smile he gave her as he handed her the first bowl of ice cream from Whit made her feel like maybe that wasn't such a big thing to accept in exchange for more smiles like that one. There was something about him that pulled her in closer no matter how much she wanted to be wary. She wondered if it was the same for him, if that was the real reason he couldn't manage to be consistent. It was definitely an intriguing thought.

For now though, she would just enjoy her ice cream and her new friends.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** Hello, readers! We hope you all enjoyed this new chapter of BTS. Lots going on with Bella and her attempts to get a handle on her fear of sharks. We also got to see Lee getting along with Bella and even encouraging her. And of course one of my favorite things, Whit getting to give Masen a hard time!

We have another treat for you guys this week! EternallyAddicted has posted a blog over at the Sharkward site written by none other than Gopher! It's a fun, great read and includes some valuable types on staying safe near sharks.

Next time – We'll visit some amazing places in and around Gordon's Bay and we'll have pictures at the Sharkward site. And if that's not enough to have you excited for the next installment, try this … we learn Bella's story. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	17. 17 Course Correction

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 17 – Course Correction**

**Monday, June 16th**

The sound of the sliding glass door opening caused Masen to look up from the photo album he'd been slowly reviewing page by page. It was his morning ritual on Elizabeth's birthday and he preferred to do it alone, though he never complained if Esme wanted to join him.

"Sorry," Lee said as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just bringing you some coffee."

"It's fine," he assured her as she sat down on the arm of his chair.

She looked over the album pages and then laughed. "This is one of my favorites." She tapped the edge of the picture that had her tickled. "You were so cute with your toothless grin."

"It wasn't toothless," he corrected. "I was only missing my two front teeth."

She ignored his correction and tapped the other side of the photo. "Look at Elizabeth. She was so proud of her blue ribbon winning boy."

He grinned as he remembered Beth making a big deal of the ribbon and treating him to a special dinner out, just the two of them. "She didn't always get my love of science but she always encouraged it."

"She was very much like Esme that way. Or is it that Esme's like her since she's the younger sister?"

"Whichever it is, I'm glad for it," he said as he closed the photo album and set it on the patio table.

"How are you feeling?" Lee asked, folding herself into the chair next to him.

He shrugged before sipping at the coffee she'd brought him. "About the same as every other year, I guess."

She smiled but he could tell it was slightly forced; she always worried for him, afraid his mother's birthday would dredge up painful memories and make him miss her more. For him it was never about missing Elizabeth because that was an everyday occurrence. It was about celebrating her and acknowledging how lucky he was to have had her in his life.

"Lee, stop it. We go through this every year and every year I tell you that I'm fine."

"I know, I just … I never feel like I know what to do. I never know if you want us to talk to you about her or if you just want us to let you have the day to yourself."

He put an arm around her and asked, "Lee, what do I always say I want to do?"

"Spend the day with your family."

"Exactly." He set his chin on her head and hugged her as tight as he could, trying to erase her worries.

It seemed to work because when she pulled back she had a real smile on her face. "So I was hoping I could convince you to take a trip to the market with me—just the two of us since Esme's still sleeping. Gopher's got a few things he needs in order to make breakfast this morning. Plus, I want to ask around for a great place for dinner tonight."

"That actually sounds like a lot of fun," he said, giving her his shitty grin.

She playfully slapped his arm. "Don't sound so surprised. You know I always have the best ideas."

He snorted but didn't otherwise comment; she had clearly forgotten the epic fail that was her idea to bungee jump off an old bridge in Costa Rica a couple years ago. They'd taken one look at the bridge and turned around to head back to town. Instead of reminding her of that he asked, "When do you want to leave?"

"Five minutes?"

"Five it is." He took the photo album inside with him and put it back in its spot in his trunk. He then pulled on his sneakers and grabbed his watch, wallet, and keys.

The drive to Cape Town was an enjoyable forty minute ride in his Bronco with the windows down and Lee chattering away beside him about potential surfing spots. Next to being on the water, taking a scenic drive was his favorite thing to do. Masen was enjoying it so much that he didn't even care about Lee having her bare feet on his dashboard. Well, he did, but not enough to mention it this morning.

The two friends reveled in wandering around the town in search of the items on Gopher's list while also stopping frequently to check out whatever caught their eye. When they found a stand selling fresh olives, in addition to getting enough for Gopher's use, they got extra to share on the ride back to Gordon's Bay.

Masen had the opportunity to once again be impressed by Lee's ability to learn and speak different dialects when they stopped at a plum stand. Even though it had been a couple years since she'd had the chance to speak it, her Afrikaans was pretty fluent. Knowing her as well as he did, she'd probably found some way to practice it before they'd left Hawaii. All he knew about the language was that it was derived from Dutch—another language that had baffled him. ********

Lee smiled at the stand's owner. "Goeie more. Het jy dalk 'n oomblik om met ons te gesels?"

The woman came out from behind the counter and shook hands with both Lee and Masen before turning to Lee and answering her question. "Awe, my lanie."

"Kan jy dalk vir ons se waar die beste plek is om die walvisse te sien? Ons weet daar is 'n klomp plekke langs die kus af, maar ons soek regtig 'n plek met 'n goeie uitsig. Ons is 'n groot groep mense en wil so naby as moontlik aan die walvisse kom."

"Hermanus is waar jy wil wees, ne. Daar's 'n befokte plekkie daar, Bietangs Cave. Hy sit op die rotse waar die walvisse sommer tot teen jou swem."

After writing down whatever it was the woman had told her, Lee asked her something else. "Weet jy hoe ver dit is van Gordonsbaai af?"

"Soos die kraai vleig, seker 'n uur of so."

"Wonderlik! Is jy bekend met Gordonsbaai? Ons is opsoek na 'n plek waar ons kan eet vanaand."

"'n Lekker eetplek is Harbour Lights Seafood. Dis reg langs die dokke en het 'n moerse nice uitsig van die see."

Lee was smiling happily as she shook the woman's hand again. "Baie dankie. Jy was 'n groot hulp." She then turned around and showed Masen the notes she'd written in the pocket notebook she always kept with her. "We have a plan for today."

While he was really glad for that, he had a one-track mind at the moment and it was focused on the fresh fruit right in front of them. "Good, so we can get some plums now? And get a lot. Between Esme, Whit and me, we'll take out at least dozen."

After rolling her eyes at him, Lee turned back to the woman who owned the stand and spoke in Afrikaans again. "Kan ons asseblief twee dosyn pluime kry?"

Next to this stand was one selling grapes and the male owner waved Lee over to take a closer look. Masen figured he could handle paying for the plums on his own so he let her go while he dug out the money from his wallet.

"How much?" he asked, showing the money to the woman.

She gave him a big smile as she took the notes from his hand and he smiled right back, enjoying how friendly everyone seemed to be in the Western Cape area so far. The men who had helped them at the marina both times they'd docked Galeos had been just as nice and eager to help.

Before he could put his remaining money away, Lee snagged it. "Masen, do you have any idea how much you just paid for those plums?"

"Uh … Fair market price?" he guessed. "She seemed happy with the transaction," he added, discreetly pointing at the stand's owner.

Lee snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure she was. You basically paid three times what they're worth."

His grey eyes grew wide with shock. "Are you serious?"

She laughed and shook her head at him. "Mase, you really need to work on your language skills."

"No, you need to be in charge of the money from here on out."

"I can live with that," Lee said, grinning as she stuffed his money into the front pocket of her shorts.

By the time they were ready to head back to Gordon's Bay, they were loaded up with the items from Gopher's list, along with olives, plums, pears, and a good sized amount of fresh calamari that Masen planned to cook himself. He wanted to make sure Esme had some so he planned to freeze it for now and then make it when he was home with her for his birthday.

When they got back to the house, they found the others had woken so they put Gopher and Whit to work helping to unload the Bronco. Once the chore of unloading was complete, Masen headed off to do another task he'd assigned himself. While walking around the market, he'd passed a hand over cheeks and chin and he'd decided he would shave a bit. Not only would buzzing down the hairs make Esme happy, it would make his full face mask fit better when they got back in the water tomorrow.

He stripped off his t-shirt, grinned at the plum juice stains he'd gotten on it, and then tossed it into the pop-up hamper. Next he grabbed the plastic bin with his name on it and pulled out his electric shaver. He smiled as he remembered his first shaving lesson and how awkward both he and Esme had felt. She'd been determined to teach him, though. Of course, she'd also laughed over his face being covered in little dots of toilet paper marking the spots where he'd nicked himself.

Masen had just made the first pass with his shaver when Esme appeared in the mirror. "Mom," he greeted with a smile.

"Kid," she returned, her reflection smiling sweetly at him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, suddenly feeling very suspicious of her.

She pointed at herself. "Me? Nothing. Why would you think I was doing something other than standing here and looking at my kid?"

He snorted and turned to face her. "Drop the innocent act. What do you want?"

"Well I was hoping I could see that for just a quick second," she said, pointing at his hand.

"My shaver? Why?"

She held up a single finger. "I just want to see it for one little second."

Now he was really worried about her motives, but he still handed the electric shaver over. He watched it disappear into her back pocket and now she was holding out a regular razor.

He smiled as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter; she could give him all the sweet, motherly smiles she wanted but he wasn't going to use that razor. "You know this isn't happening."

"It could. There's shaving cream right here on the counter," she said as she set the razor down next to the can.

"I'm going to give you one chance. Hand over my shaver and I won't have to hurt you."

She smiled wickedly and challenged him, "You and what army?"

He took exactly one step toward her and she turned and ran, screaming for reinforcements. "Whit! Gopher! Lee!"

Masen grabbed Esme around the waist and lifted her feet from the floor. "They're not gonna help you. They know better," he assured her.

He brought her kicking, laughing, and screaming into the living room and dumped her on the sofa. "Last chance. Give it up," he warned, leaning over her.

"Never," she cried, laughing and trying to scoot away from him.

"You asked for it." He flipped her over as if she weighed nothing and grabbed for his shaver but she twisted her body and pinned his arm between her and the back of the couch.

By this point, they had a full audience that included a barking Lizzy who was also trying to jump up on the sofa. Lee was encouraging Esme to keep fighting … Gopher was trying to grab a hold of Lizzy … Whit was telling Esme to give up before she got hurt … And Bella was standing there staring wide-eyed at all of them.

Feeling that he'd let her have enough fun, Masen yanked the shaver out of Esme's pocket. She rolled over and blew her hair out of her face so she could see him. "Kid, you suck."

Smiling, he leaned down and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. "Love you too, Mom."

"Esme, I love your persistence, but you knew it wasn't going to end well," Whit said as he helped her to her feet.

"A girl can dream," she replied.

Masen had been on his way back to the bathroom but he stopped and turned to say, "In your case, a mother can nag."

Esme set her hands on her hips and gave him a dark look. "I might have lost this battle, but the war rages on. I'm not giving in, Edward Masen. I _will_ see you shaved before this year is over."

He snorted at her and then went back to the bathroom.

Lizzy followed right behind him and so did Whit. "That was pretty damn funny, bro," his friend said, standing in the doorway as Lizzy circled his feet.

Masen shook his head. "I don't know what I'm going to do with her. And the funny thing is that I was going to shave it down real close for her but now I'm just going to do a light buzz."

"Come on, bro. Make her day and be as stubble-free as you can honestly stand."

"You know, you are _my_ best friend and not hers."

"Yeah, and as your best friend I know you're gonna feel bad later on if you don't clean yourself up for her today." Whit had already convinced Masen but what he said next really sealed it up. "Make both your moms proud."

"Fine. But I need someone to walk Lizzy. That dance she's doing around your feet is her way of warning a puddle is imminent."

"Come on, Lizzy," Whit said before whistling to her. "Let's you and me take a walk. We'll see if Guppy wants to come too."

"Why do you want to take a walk with Guppy?"

Whit shrugged. "No reason. Just being friendly." He gave a wicked smile then. "And I'm curious to know what went on during her long walk last night that prompted you to give her your favorite ice cream before taking your own bowl."

"I'm standing right here. Ask me."

"I already know what you're gonna say. I want her side of the story." He left with Lizzy before Masen could come up with a response.

It was probably just as well since Whit had a way of turning everything Masen said into meaning something else; he left out the part about the majority of it being the truth. He decided instead to focus on getting himself presentable enough to get a big smile out of Esme.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I remember how much Beth loved to brag on you," Esme mentioned, smiling and stirring her drink with her straw. "When you were a baby, she would call me every time you hit a milestone. And then once you were in school, it was for every good grade and award you got."

Masen chuckled. "Yeah, she thought I was pretty special."

"Her special boy," she agreed with a nod.

He squirmed in his seat, hating that he could no longer remember how his mother's voice had sounded; these days it sounded exactly like Esme's. But he did remember the way Elizabeth had smiled every single time she'd ever called him "my special boy"—delighted and proud.

"I'll never forget your first day on the island. You were so bowled over by the color and clarity of the water and you couldn't wait to get in."

His grin matched hers. "And you were more than happy to toss me in the first chance you got."

"Oh, Beth was so mad at me." Esme laughed softly. "I was actually a little afraid of her."

It was Masen's turn to laugh. "She couldn't hurt a fly. Literally. She'd just shoo it out of the house."

"When it came to you, she would do anything to protect you, Kid."

He stopped twisting the napkin in his hand and lifted his eyes to meet Esme's. "It's harder to remember her each year. Do you think that's my fault for not talking about her much?"

She thought about it a moment before answering him. "I think it has much more to do with how young you were when she passed. And I happen to know that how often you talk of her is no indication of how often you think of her."

Before he could ask her how she knew that, he was distracted by Bella's laughter. Even with a crowd full of spectators it wasn't hard for him to find her. She was pushing against Whit's back while Lee and Gopher stood nearby laughing at them.

They were spending part of the day at Bientangs Cave, a restaurant in Hermanus that was situated right on the rocks, with tiered seating specifically for whale watching. There was also a pathway that led down to the rocks and so close to the water's edge that visitors were hit with the spray from the waves crashing against the edge. Masen and Esme were seated on the bottom tier while everyone else was down below on the rocks.

Esme leaned over to put herself directly in Masen's line of sight. "Why don't you go down and join her?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm spending the day with you."

"That doesn't mean you have to be at my side every single second. Besides, you're completely killing my chances of meeting a tall, handsome, mysterious man who will sweep me off my feet. The rule is you never let the guy meet your kid before the third date."

He snorted. "Whatever you say."

"I say go down there and have some fun. Elizabeth would want you to have fun on her birthday."

"What about you? She'd want the same for you."

"Trust me, Kid, being able to see you the way you are around Bella …" She tilted her head in the direction of his friends. "Go on."

He kissed Esme on the cheek and then headed down to his friends, his eyes focused on Bella the entire time. She was laughing again, this time using her hands to block the spray and keep it from completely wetting her face. From this distance he could already tell her nose was turning pink and he wondered how someone who lived year-round in Florida could be so bad with sunscreen application. Then again, Esme had been in Hawaii for decades and she still forgot to coat some part of her.

As soon as he was close enough, Masen snagged hold of her wrist and pulled Bella toward him. "Come here."

"Why?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Your nose is turning pink," he said, pulling off his navy blue hat with MMR in white lettering.

She had obviously caught on to what he was planning. "I have sunscreen in my bag."

"This is a quicker fix." He threaded her ponytail through the back and then settled the hat onto her head, making sure the bill was shading as much of her face as possible. From the corner of his eye he could see Whit and his one raised eyebrow. He could also hear Lee mumbling "first the shirt and now the hat". He ignored them both for now, caring more about Bella's smile than their smirks.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I keep forgetting to ask you, what did you think of Guppy's blog?" Whit and Masen were sitting on some rocks while Lee and Bella stood nearby taking turns with the camera. Gopher had just left them to head up to the restaurant to get waters for them all.

Whit elbowed Masen after not getting a response. "Mase, have you read her blog yet?"

"No," he answered, leaning down to pick up a small rock that had caught his eye. "I have zero interest in reading about how I'm a dick tater. That's why I left Lee completely in charge of reviewing the entry and posting it."

"You should read it. Guppy said some really positive things about MMR." Whit waited until he'd pulled up their website on his phone to add, "There are a few about you too."

Masen took the phone and started reading Bella's blog post. He started smiling as soon as he got to her mention of the orca pod they'd seen. They'd been such beautiful creatures to observe and photograph. And Bella had really been happy with him for bringing her to see them.

He continued reading, finding compliments about his photography skills, his marine knowledge, and his ability to make his own lens hoods. He'd known she was intrigued by it but certainly not to the point of writing about it like this.

In the next paragraph, the words "Maui Ocean Center" seemed to glare at him, reminding him of how horribly he'd handled her fear that first time. He read the section a couple times for two reasons … One, she remembered what he'd shared with her about hammerheads. Most people would have taken a bad day like that and completely pushed it out of their minds, but not Bella—she'd learned from that day instead.

The second reason he was in awe of what she'd written was that there was no hint at all of her fears about sharks. She even did the exact same in the following paragraph with the tiger sharks.

Overall, her words were informative and educational without being stuffy—and completely free of her own bias towards these creatures. And the fact that she'd taken the time to go through shark pictures and pick out some to go with her blog …

_She has a lot more strength than I've been giving her credit for_, he thought. This was not what he'd expected from her and he felt guilty for assuming Bella would run with Lee's idea to make the blog a joke on him.

"It's good, right?" Whit asked as Masen passed his phone back. "She made us sound professional, smart, and caring all at the same time. We didn't come off as some stuffy outfit or a group of shark-loving nuts."

"It's really good. Really generous too when you consider there's absolutely no mention of my failures as a mentor."

Whit snorted. "Bro, she knows this is your first rodeo as mentor, just like it's her first time being an intern. She's not going to publicly bust your balls over a few screw-ups that you honestly apologized about."

He glanced toward Bella and Lee and found them both laughing and tilting their heads so their hats could block the spray. It made him happy to see them getting along and becoming friends.

Whit suddenly stood and called out, "Hey, Guppy! Masen has a whale pop-quiz for you."

"What the hell, bro? What are you doing?" Masen hissed, looking between his best friend and the smiling brunette now heading his way.

He was grinning mischievously while taking a few steps backwards. "I'm nudging. I'm a nudger now."

Bella was too close for Masen to respond without her overhearing so he was stuck having to sit there and smile when what he really wanted to do was smack his best friend upside the head.

"What do I get if I pass the pop-quiz?" Bella asked, taking up the rock Whit had been sitting on.

"You won't have to write a formal report on southern right whales," Masen offered.

Her nose scrunched in dislike. "Can't it be more of that homemade chocolate milk?"

Masen snorted. "Yeah, sure, but you pilfer the chocolate this time."

"Deal."

He looked at her curiously, surprised by her answer. "Are you really going to steal Whit's chocolate?"

"Of course not," she said with a giggle. "I'm going to ask him for some."

"What if he says 'no'?"

"He won't."

He laughed at her certainty. "Alright, Guppy. Good luck with that."

"I have to pass the quiz first. So what's the first question?"

"What do you know about the southern right whale?"

Bella thought about it for a bit before saying, "I know it's a baleen whale because it has plates for filtering food from the water instead of teeth. Other than that, I haven't read much about them." She seemed like she was done but then she quickly added, "Oh, and I can see that they have callosities on their heads like the North Atlantic right whales we have off the coast of Florida."

"Very good, Guppy. The southern right whale also resembles the North Atlantic species in that it has a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a mouth that arches and begins above the eye. These right whales can be dark grey or black and some have white patches on the belly."

"Are they always here in such large numbers?" she questioned, looking out at the group of three swimming near the rocky edge and the six or so further out.

"Only from June to December. They spend the rest of the year in either Brazil or New Zealand," he informed her.

"Do they migrate any further?"

"No, they're pretty much stuck. The warm waters form a natural barrier between those in the northern hemisphere and the southern. Their blubber insulates them so well that they have no way to dissipate their internal body heat in tropical waters."

"So if they tried to cross, they'd burn up on the inside? That's pretty horrible."

"It would be if they weren't smart enough to realize it and steer clear."

Bella turned toward him and pushed the bill of her borrowed hat up to see him better. "How do you know so much about them? I thought you'd never been to this region before."

"I haven't. But I did read a lot of articles about the area before I brought it to the crew as a possible location."

She giggled. "You're like the boy scout of marine research. Doing your homework before it's even been assigned."

He shrugged. "That's my job. I won't go into any area blind and I damn sure won't let my crew do it."

"You know, you're really kind of awesome for that." Even though she was smiling, he could see in her pretty brown eyes that she meant her words as a compliment and not a joke. Just like last night, he was gripped with an overwhelming urge to be closer to her, to feel her lips on his and feel that rush of excitement that came with kissing her.

And just like last night, the moment was interrupted.

"Mase! Hey, Mase!" Gopher was waving his arm in the air in addition to yelling, making sure he wouldn't be missed. There were a couple of men standing next to him, along with Lee and Whit—Masen hoped the man hadn't gotten himself into any trouble.

"Let's go see what's up," Masen said to Bella, putting his hand on her lower back and giving a light push to get her on her feet. He didn't take his hand away once they were standing. Or as they walked. Or even when they reached the crew and the newcomers.

"Mase, this is Brett Irvine. He's the captain of the Colossus crew on the research vessel The Submarine," Lee introduced. "Brett, this is our captain, Edward Masen."

Brett shook hands with Masen. "It's good to finally meet you and your crew. We first discovered you guys through your photos and that led us to your research papers."

"And my shirt led them to you," Gopher proudly stated, pinching part of his shirt to make the MMR logo more visible.

Brett grinned and nodded in agreement. "We wanted to meet the crew that doesn't chum. It's pretty amazing what you guys have accomplished without baiting the sharks to come to you."

Lee cleared her throat and crossed her arms but she was also grinning.

"And gals," Brett added. He then turned his attention to Masen. "I have a proposition for you, if you're interested. We'd like you to come aboard The Submarine and spend a couple days watching how we do things. We'll trade you time with our crew and our scientists in exchange for some of those amazing photos you guys get."

Masen quickly weighed the pros and cons in his head, thinking of his team's safety first and foremost. He looked at his crew … Bella was nervously chewing on her lip, Lee was vibrating and giving him a pleading look to agree, Whit gave him a shrug, and Gopher was smiling as if he already knew what Masen would decide.

"It sounds like a good trade," Masen finally said. "But I have to warn you, we won't take any underwater shots near a chum slick. I've seen how aggressive sharks get around chum and I won't put my team at risk."

"We would never ask you guys to do that. We are completely fine with you taking photos from the deck of our research vessel and possibly also on our skiff," Brett assured him.

Masen had a huge grin on his face as he offered his hand for a shake. "We'd be honored."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

The drive to Hermanus had seen Esme sitting between Masen and Lee in the front with Gopher, Bella, and Whit in the back. The drive back to Gordon's Bay found Masen grumbling in the backseat with Whit chuckling and Gopher napping. Esme had commandeered his keys after finding out she'd somehow forgotten to tell Bella to pack a dressy outfit. He didn't understand why Bella couldn't just wear one of her many sundresses but he also knew better than to argue with his mom once she'd made her mind up about something. Not to mention that Lee was onboard for a trip to the mall so there really was no chance in hell of stopping them.

Esme dropped the guys off outside of the rental house with strict orders to shower and make sure their shirts were pressed and their shoes shined. She was definitely taking advantage of the day and the rare opportunity to boss Masen around without argument.

He smiled at the thought of how happy she'd been all day, from seeing him somewhat shaved, to watching the whales, to finding out about the invite from the Colossus crew. There was a small part of him that felt like making her happy and proud translated into Elizabeth feeling that way as well. But he would do anything to make Esme happy even if he didn't feel that way; he would do it simply because he loved her and considered her an amazing mom and friend.

He decided to spend his free time taking a run on the beach with Lizzy which inevitably led to him having to give his puppy a bath before he could take his own shower. Even with that he was still going to be done before the women since they'd only returned from the mall a few minutes before he'd come back to the house with Lizzy.

"Edward, are you almost ready?" Lee asked while knocking on his door. "Esme wants you to come to her room."

"I'll be right there." He pulled his dress shirt from the hanger and quickly slipped it on. Once he had it tucked in, he rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, finding it too warm for his taste to leave them down. He grabbed the last thing he needed to be ready and worked on closing the clasp of his watch while walking across the house to the room Esme had claimed as her own.

"Mom?" he called, knocking on her closed door.

"Come in, Kid." As soon as he was in the room, she turned her back to him. "Zip me up."

He did as he was told, careful not to catch her hair in the zipper. "Is this what you wanted me for?" he asked doubtfully.

"No," she said as she closed her door. She turned to face him while leaning against it. "I wanted to make absolute sure you're okay with toasting Elizabeth at dinner. I know her birthday isn't always an easy day for you and I need to make sure you're going to be okay."

He smiled and gave her a tight hug. "I love you for worrying but I'm really fine with it. I promise."

She pulled away enough to see his face. "This is your last chance to back out. No harm, no foul."

He ignored her comment and focused instead on what she was wearing. "This is a really great shade of blue for you."

Esme smiled and turned so she was in profile. "I found it a couple months ago and have been dying to wear it. And I love how well it goes with these pearl earrings Beth gave me for my birthday."

He smiled, remembering his mother and aunt hugging and squealing over a homemade pineapple upside down cake that he'd been desperate for them to cut into. He'd had to wait until Esme had put in her new earrings and his mom had taken about a dozen pictures.

"You look great," he complimented.

"You don't look too shabby yourself, Kid," Esme replied as she straightened out the shoulders of his dress shirt. "Beth's favorite shade of green. And you actually remembered to iron your black slacks without me asking."

"Actually, Whit did that," he admitted with a grin. "Is there anything else you need from me? I want to check Lizzy's dishes before we leave."

"No, I'll be right out and then we can go."

He kissed her cheek, careful not to mess up her makeup, and then left her to finish getting ready.

After making sure Lizzy's dishes were stocked with food and water, he decided he wanted to give her a treat since he would be leaving her for the second time today. He pulled out one of the rawhide bones she loved and took it into the living room, expecting her to be curled up in her bed.

She wasn't there so he called her name and whistled for her, getting one of her little barks in return immediately. She came racing out of Bella's room through the crack in the door and made a bee-line for him.

He laughed as he scooped her up and tucked her under his chin. "What were you doing in Bella's room? You better not have been chewing on one of her shoes. You remember how mad Lee got the one time you got hold of hers?"

Lizzy was busy trying to get her little mouth around the bone in his other hand.

"Alright, alright," he said, smiling as he set her down in her bed with the bone. He scratched behind her ear while she smiled around the piece of bone she'd managed to grip with her teeth. "Behave yourself while we're gone, sweet girl."

Whit chuckled from behind him. "Mase, that bone is almost as big as she is."

He stood and stepped back, taking a look at his puppy and her bone. "She's got a couple inches on it," he joked.

The door to Lee's room opened and she stepped out with Gopher right behind her, the both of them smiling. She looked radiant in a white dress with the pinkest shoes Masen had ever seen. She also had a pink purse and those dangly type earrings with pinks and blues and reds in it. She even had a matching boyfriend with Gopher dressed in a white button down with khaki slacks.

"You two trying out for the cutest couple award?" Whit joked. "And, Lee, may I just say that if your ass looked that good in the shorts you typically wear, I might have asked you out."

"Whitlock, she'd break your skinny ass." Gopher was smiling as he said it but there was a seriousness to his tone that caused Whit to lift his hands in a no-offense gesture.

"Don't worry about him," Lee said, rubbing a hand along Emmett's chest. "We all know it's Esme he really wants."

"If that woman would have me, damn straight," Whit replied, glancing at Masen who rolled his eyes in return.

"Did I hear my name?" Esme asked as she joined them in the living room.

Whit let out a whistle. "Esme, you're always a hot mom but _damn_!"

"Thank you, sweetheart," she replied, planting a kiss on his cheek. "We complement each other well with the light blue of my dress and the dark blue of your shirt. Did you plan this?"

"Totally," he joked, slipping an arm around her waist.

"Bro, hands off my mom," Masen ordered, giving him a fake glare.

Whit leaned in so he wouldn't be overheard. "You just worry about filling your own hands."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Whit's grin was one-hundred percent evil. "You'll see."

"We're missing a Guppy," Gopher said, looking around the room.

"Oh, I bet she needs help with the zipper." Lee handed her purse to him and then disappeared behind Bella's door.

The two women emerged from the room after a handful of minutes and just as many laughs. Lee had a pleased look on her face and Masen was pretty sure it meant she'd had a hand in Bella's outfit.

His blue eyes moved over to Bella and then immediately glazed over in lust and began the change to a green that would end up matching his shirt. The things her red bikini had done to him had nothing on what the red dress she was currently wearing was doing. The damn dress showed off every little curve she had and just to drive him extra crazy, it had ruffles from the one shoulder on the right all the way down to the bottom edge on the left. She'd pinned her hair back, revealing that long neck he'd gotten very intimate with one night in a dark corner. And her matching red shoes gave her enough height that he'd be able to kiss her shiny red lips without having to bend down.

He couldn't handle this much temptation from her and though he tried to be as discreet as possible in adjusting himself, Whit noticed. _Of course he did_, Masen thought as he grunted and tried again to make his slacks more comfortable. _Fucker must have seen her in the dress earlier_.

"Having some trouble there, Mase? Need a little extra room in your slacks all of a sudden?" Whit asked, talking just loud enough for him to hear.

Masen tried to force his eyes to look away from Bella but she started to blush and he just _had_ to find out if she would get as red as her dress. It was then that he noticed her finger and toe nails were a matching shade of red. "Fuck me," he muttered to himself.

Whit chuckled beside him. "It's not me you want fucking you, bro."

"Thank you all for dressing up," Esme gushed. "Oh! We have to take a picture. I've got the camera right here," she said as she pulled it from her purse.

"Want me to take the picture?" Bella offered.

"No, no!" Esme assured her with a pat to her arm. "This camera has a self-timer. I want you right next to Edward." She set the camera on the counter and then ran over to stand between Masen and Whit. "Everyone smile big!"

_Smile? Is she fucking serious?_

_Calm down, Mase. And definitely little Mase. What the fuck? I don't call it that. Fucking Whit. Fucking nudger._

_Is this fucking flash ever going to go off?_

_She smells incredible._

_She's Kapu. Forbidden. Off fucking limits. The damn apple from Eden._

The flash finally went off and Masen sighed in relief as he darted forward to retrieve the camera. A second more and he really might have forgotten all about the forbidden part and just focused on the incredible.

"I call shotgun," Esme announced as she took the camera from Masen. He was pretty sure she'd winked at him but not sure enough to mention it. The last thing he needed was to have to explain to her in front of everyone why he was suddenly twitchy and sweating.

"I get a window seat," Whit called, putting his arm in the air for good measure.

"Well I want to sit next to Gopher so I guess we're in the back," Lee said.

"Perfect. Bella can ride up front between Edward and me," Esme chirped as she put her arm around Bella's. As they walked past Masen, he heard his mom say, "Lee was right. This shade of red looks delicious on you."

_Kapu. Forbidden._

_Kapu. Forbidden._

_Kapu. Forbidden._

Repeating it three times didn't do that much for Masen's shaky self-control but he pretended it did. And to make matters worse, Whit's grin made it very clear he had a good idea of the feelings raging inside of Masen. Of course, it didn't help that Whit saw him trying and failing again to adjust himself so Bella's effect would be less obvious.

When it was only the two of them left standing outside of the Bronco, Whit proved just how much he knew. "The nudger says kiss de girl."

"You fucking sound like that damn crab from that mermaid movie Lee makes us watch on her birthday every year."

"Good 'cause that's exactly what I was going for. The movie had a boneheaded bro totally falling for the girl and pretending otherwise, just like our current real-life scenario."

"She's kapu, Whit."

"She's kekoa. And you should be too."

"This doesn't have a damn thing to do with being brave. It has to do with careers and MMR."

"Bro, you don't believe that shit any more than I do. You're just not ready to admit it yet. A word of advice, though … Don't wait too long. While you're busy pretending she doesn't light every single fiber of your being on fire, some other guy could swoop in and take up your slack."

Masen kept his eyes and mind strictly on the road during the short drive to Harbour Lights Seafood. He even managed to calm himself down as far as Bella was concerned—he was still slightly pissed at Whit for being such an annoying nudger. He was even more pissed that his best friend had a point.

But that all changed when Bella reached her hand out, silently asking for help getting out of the Bronco. His hold was both tight and careful, making sure she was stable on her feet in her high-heeled red shoes. The sun was just starting to set over the marina and restaurant and the golden light fell across her face, brightening the brown of her eyes to more of a caramel color.

"Thank you."

He only nodded as he let go of her hand and shoved his own in his pocket.

She frowned. "I know you said it was okay earlier, but are you upset about me staying behind on Galeos tomorrow while you're all onboard The Submarine? If you changed your mind—"

He silenced her by taking hold of her hand again. "I'm not upset."

"Are you sure? I'll stay in Gordon's Bay if you'd rather. I just don't want to be the reason you don't have fun at dinner tonight. Esme's so excited and you were too earlier."

He was definitely excited, it was just for a reason he couldn't do anything about. But that wasn't her burden and he wanted her to enjoy dinner just as much as he wanted that for everyone else. He forced himself to smile as if he didn't have a care in the world. "You're coming, Guppy. There's no getting out of it. Now let's go inside and enjoy dinner. No more shark talk tonight."

She answered him with her genuine smile and a squeeze of his hand.

He'd originally planned to make sure he didn't sit anywhere near her for this dinner but now he couldn't imagine sitting next to anyone but her. And it wasn't about the dress or how much he wanted to find out what was under the dress. It was because she honestly cared about him and wanted to see him happy. He probably shouldn't have liked that since she was kapu, but he couldn't seem to help it and for tonight he figured it was okay not to care. After all, Elizabeth would want him to be happy on her birthday.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Edward? Are you alright?" Bella asked, standing in the balcony doorway with the lamplight from the living room outlining her. She'd traded in her hot-as-hell red dress for a faded Sea World t-shirt and white pajama pants—and he wanted her near him just as much now as he had earlier tonight.

"Edward?"

"I'm fine. Why?" He was surprised she was still up since everyone else in the house had been asleep for at least a couple hours.

"It's just … Earlier Lizzy was scratching at the door for a while before I let her out and you didn't seem to hear her at all. You're always so attentive to her needs."

He made a split-second decision and extended his arm, waving her over. "Come here."

If she had hesitated, he would have changed his mind and made up some excuse for calling her over. But she didn't hesitate. She slid the door closed and came right over, fitting her fingers between his and allowing him to pull her down to sit on his leg.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, whispering the words.

"It just is." He knew that would confuse her but he didn't have a better way to put it. It had been a long time since he'd shared this with anyone and he'd never wanted someone to understand as badly as he did with her. "Do you remember the toast I made at dinner tonight?"

"Of course. To Elizabeth."

"To my mother on her birthday."

Confusion filled her eyes and caused her forehead to wrinkle. "But Esme …"

"Is my mother's younger sister. She's really my aunt."

Bella looked closely at him for a long moment and then she did something he had never expected; she put her arms around his neck and hugged him. She didn't offer an apology or try to console him by saying she knew it must be hard for him. She just hugged him. And made him feel completely understood.

They sat in silence for a long time before she quietly said, "If you want to tell me about her, I'd be happy to listen."

"She liked to go by Beth. Never Liza or Lizzy." He smiled as he remembered the one time he'd ever heard someone call her the latter. "She especially hated Lizzy. She said it was just waiting, biding its time to become Izzy and then Zee. It was a stealer of identities."

Bella giggled against him. "She sounds a lot like Esme."

"They definitely share a similar sense of humor." He took a breath and finally gave in to the urge to wrap his arms around Bella, not wanting to go any further without feeling anchored to her. "It helps that they were alike in a lot of ways. I don't feel like I lost every piece of her the day she died."

He had originally planned to only share pieces of his mother from her life so he had no idea why he was suddenly telling Bella about Beth's last day and her final words. "I was eleven and I didn't completely understand what was going on. I just knew it was really bad and my mom was getting sicker."

Masen closed his eyes, picturing her room along with the sights and sounds from that day …

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Fifteen Years Earlier -**

The sea-green curtains blowing back and forth in the warm breeze matched the ocean right outside. Edward wished he was in the water right now, letting the waves soothe away all the unwanted thoughts in his head. But he was here instead, shifting around in the chair beside his mother's bed, searching for a way to feel comfortable in her room. He loved his mother and he loved spending time with her, but he hated the antiseptic smell of her room. They almost always left the windows open but it never seemed to help with the smell.

"Edward." Her voice was thin, like her body and her hair. Even just a year ago, the first thing a person would have noticed about Elizabeth Masen was her hair; thick and shiny strands of reddish blond with natural streaks of brown and a slight curl at the ends. Now her hair was lax, thin, and brittle, and the curl was all gone. _She_ was nearly gone and the thought filled him with equal parts anger and fear. She didn't deserve to go like this, to be ripped apart from the inside out slowly and painfully. And he didn't want to face a life without her.

Elizabeth's thin and nearly weightless hand settled over his, the sickly heat of it shocking him and making him draw his own hand back. He gave her a meek smile as an apology and forced his hand to close over hers.

"Edward, I need you to listen to me. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded his head obediently though he wanted nothing more than to run from the room. But even at eleven he understood running from the room wouldn't take away her cancer.

"I have to leave you," she told him. "I don't want to and I would stay if I could, but I can't any longer."

He'd known this was coming just as he knew arguing over it wouldn't do either of them any good. He simply nodded and fought the tears trying to fall from his eyes.

"You have to promise to take good care of yourself. I don't want you filled with anger and doing silly things to get back at the world. It isn't the world's fault that the doctors haven't found a cure for cancer yet."

"Then whose fault is it?" he asked harshly, losing what little control he had over his anger.

"No one's, my special boy. It's no one's fault. It's just life. Someone is born and someone dies."

He blinked back his tears, trying to see her face clearly. "But why _you_? Why does it have to be you, Mom?"

"It's just my time. It's come much too soon in my opinion but it's here nonetheless. All I can do is make the most of it and make sure you know exactly how much you are loved."

He knew he shouldn't say it, but he couldn't stop himself. "If you love me so much, then stay."

"You know I can't. And I know you don't really want me to stay here like this. You want us both to be happy again as much as I do."

If he had been older, he could have been a better son and kept his own pain hidden to make the end easier on her. But he was only eleven and he couldn't help putting his head on her chest and crying into her nightgown, begging and pleading with her to stay.

She shushed him while running her fingers through his mess of reddish brown hair until she had him calmed enough to listen to her. "Have I ever told you how you came to be my very special boy?" she asked.

He nodded slowly, blinking a few more tears from his blue eyes.

"Tell me then so I know you have the story right," she urged.

"You were on vacation in London with Aunt Esme and Grandma and Grandpa Masen. You wanted to see the zoo but it was drizzling outside and no one else wanted to go with you. So you went by yourself. You were standing in front of your favorite exhibit—the lions—and this man came up beside you to look at them.

"He smiled and you smiled and before you knew what had happened, you were having lunch with him. He told you his name was Edward and that he lived nearby. And he asked you to dinner but you told him how you were there with your family and instead of taking 'no' for an answer, he had you invite everyone to dinner.

"You went on a date a day with him until you had to go home a week later and then he wrote you letters and called you on the phone. He even flew to Chicago to visit you. You guys were smitten which means you really, really loved each other. He wanted to marry you and even asked Grandpa for your hand before he asked you and gave you your ring."

Edward sat up and roughly passed his hands under his wet eyes. "I don't want to talk about this stupid story anymore."

His mother sighed and put her hand against his back. "He gave me his ring and I gave him my heart. Two days later, he boarded Grandpa Masen's plane to fly to London and pack. He was going to move to Chicago and take a position in Grandpa's company. But the small plane hit a terrible storm and I never saw your father again. Not until nine months had passed and my special boy was placed into my arms. From the very start, you had his face, his hair, and his long limbs. It seemed only right to name you after him, Edward Anthony. I lost him but I gained you, and I will always be so very grateful that I knew you and loved you."

Edward wiped at the fresh tears streaming down his reddened cheeks. "But I'm not gaining anything. I'm just losing you."

His mother found the strength to grip his face and turn it toward her. "That's where you're wrong, Edward. You are gaining a new life here in Hawaii with your Aunt Esme." She let go of his chin and reached under her pillow, pulling something out and dropping it into Edward's open palm. "And you are gaining this," she said as she closed his fingers over the small diamond and gold band.

"I don't want a new life or a ring," he said as he tried to make her take the ring back. He wanted her to take everything back. Her ring. Her goodbye. Her sickness.

"But I want you to have them, Edward. I want you to embrace life here in Hawaii with your aunt. And I want you to keep this ring with you until you find the young woman who was made to love you, the way I was made for your father and him for me. It may take a while for you to find her but I know you will."

"How will I know it's her?"

His mother smiled as she closed his fingers over the ring once more. "You won't want to let her go. You'll go to horribly embarrassing family dinners and want to move continents just to be with her."

"But I only want you."

"You'll always have me, Edward," she said as her hand and eyes moved to where his heart beat strongly in his chest. "I'll always be right here inside of you."

"That's not the same."

"I know. But it's all I can give you."

"Then I'm selfish because I want more."

His mother laughed weakly and he nearly cried for the loss of her soft, lilting laugh. "I'm just as selfish then because I want more too. But I know I can't have it so I'll focus the last of my energy on you, my special boy."

"Why do you call me that? What's so special about me?"

She gave him a real smile—the kind he used to see all the time before she got sick. "_Everything_."

Despite all of his hurt and anger, he laughed at her answer. "You're my mom. You have to say stuff like that."

"Maybe. But it's still true. You are bright and funny. You're outgoing and athletic. You love a challenge and you love to try new things. There is no doubt in my mind that you will be a fine young man and have a wonderful life."

"What if I don't? What if the only thing that makes me special is you?"

"That's where you're all wrong, Edward. It's _you_ who makes _me_ special."

Once again, he found himself laying against her and crying into her nightgown. "Don't go. Just stay here and love me."

Her arm weakly held him against her as she spoke softly to him. "Sweetheart, I will never stop loving you."

Edward stayed in her loose embrace listening to her heart slow until it reached its final beat and her last puff of breath blew into his hair.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Now -**

Masen left out the bit about the ring but he shared everything else with Bella, including his worries about whether or not Esme would really keep him. "It was three days after my mom had passed that I finally knew for sure Esme wanted me around. She came into my room and told me to get my shoes on, that there was food to be bought and cooked and she needed someone strong to push the cart around the store. To my eleven-year-old brain, it was proof because she wouldn't buy me food if she wasn't planning on keeping me around. Adults didn't waste money that way."

Bella once again did something he never would have imagined. "It was hers, wasn't it? The music box you couldn't put back together. It belonged to Beth."

"I still have it," he confided.

She pulled her arm between them and the watch on her wrist caught the light coming through the sliding glass door. "This is my dad's. He was wearing it that last day."

Masen held her against his chest as tightly as he dared, wishing that he'd been wrong about her losing someone she loved to a shark.

"It was just him and me and Uncle Carl on this trip." Her voice sounded far away, as if the wind was catching it and blowing it in the opposite direction. But the air was mostly still tonight and regardless he'd know from experience that it was being lost in her past that made her voice sound that way.

"Bella, you don't have to just because I did." As much as he wanted to know, he didn't want her to feel forced and end up regretting it later.

"I've wanted to tell you for days now but I just … But after hearing about your mom … Sharks were just animals in the ocean to me at the time. I didn't think about them at all really. And I certainly didn't have any idea they could be in the same water as us.

"I don't remember everything. I have big chunks of time missing … But sometimes … sometimes I dream and it feels _so_ real, like they're memories and not just nightmares.

"It was a bull shark. It was only in the area because some people were sport fishing just a few miles from our boat. The fishermen tried to warn people, putting out a call on the radio … If we'd only swam back to the boat the first time my uncle had called for us, maybe my dad would still be alive."

He hadn't been completely sure she was crying until right then when she hiccupped; Lee always got the hiccups when she tried to cry quietly.

"But he was distracted," Bella continued. "He was talking to me."

"Don't do that," Masen whispered into her ear. "Don't blame yourself."

"But it _was_ my fault. I begged to go on the trip and I was the one who wanted to swim that morning. And I was also the one distracting him, keeping him from listening to my uncle."

"You were just a kid spending time with her dad. You didn't _make_ it happen, Bella."

She didn't seem like she'd heard him at all—she was probably just as lost in her past as he'd been in his earlier. "I tried to save him, though. I really did. I pulled and pulled and didn't stop, no matter how much it hurt. But we couldn't get him out of the water. We couldn't save him. _I_ couldn't save him."

"You were what, fourteen? And probably weighed as much as a wet noodle. There's no way you could have hauled a full grown man out of the water. It's _not_ your fault, Bella."

"Someone has to be at fault. If it's not me and it's not the shark, then who is it?"

"It's like my mom's cancer. It just is. It sucks and it hurts but it's not anyone's fault. Nobody purposefully did anything to cause it."

"I want a real explanation. I want to be able to say _this_ is what caused it. I want proof it wasn't me, that I didn't destroy my family."

"You still have a family, just a different kind. You have your uncle and your little sister."

Bella shifted in his lap and although he allowed her to sit up, he kept his arms around her as much as he could. "My uncle was forced to become a surrogate father to his nieces because my mother pretty much lost her mind when she found out what happened. When she learned that my dad had chosen to save me instead of himself, it broke something in her. And when she found out a few months later that I still wanted to work with marine life, she had a complete mental breakdown. Now she lives in California at one of the family vineyards with one of my dad's second cousins. It's my fault that Alice has had to grow up without her parents."

Masen held her wet face in his hands and looked straight into her sad brown eyes, wanting more than anything for her to believe him. "You didn't kill your father, Bella. He lost his life in an unexpected shark attack. If your mom couldn't handle that loss, that's on her, not you. You haven't really told me anything about him and already I know you loved your dad with all your heart and would have done anything to save him."

She looked down at the watch and a tear splashed against the face of it. "I got my fingers on this band but they slipped before I could get a grip. And then my uncle pulled me away, made me leave and get on the deck of the boat."

Masen felt guilty for all the times he's cursed that watch, never thinking for a second that it could be so important to her—the last tie to her father. He used the end of his shirt to dry the face for her. "It's a good watch."

"I gave it to him for Christmas just months before. Uncle Carl had helped me get it for him, giving me an advance on my birthday money."

"I bet your uncle never stuck to that. I bet he still got you a birthday gift." Masen smiled, not really expecting a reaction in return; he was happily surprised when she returned it.

"Yeah, he did."

"Do you really think if you had done something to harm your dad that your uncle would take you in and raise you as his own?"

"No, not really. It's just … It's easier if I know why. If there's a reason for it. Wrong place at the wrong time just doesn't help me."

"Unfortunately, that's really what it was, Bella. It's the same with what happened to Whit."

She wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands until her cheeks were mostly dry and then took in a deep breath. "You didn't always believe that. Whit told me so himself."

"And he's right. I didn't. I felt like there must have been something one of us did to make the shark decide to go for Whit instead of me. But that changed once I started doing research and came to understand them. I sincerely hope it will be the same for you."

"Could we … Could you not tell the others yet? I just … I want to show some progress first and prove that I belong here."

"You don't have to prove anything to us. You're here so we can help you."

She lifted her eyes to his, already begging before her lips parted. "Please?"

He nodded in agreement and then gave her a tight hug. "Come on," he said as he tapped her on the leg. "You need to sleep. It's going to be a big, busy day with us joining up with the Colossus crew."

"I'm not really tired right now," she protested despite letting him lead her inside and toward her room.

"Then just lay down with me. Some rest is better for you than none."

He managed to coax her to lie down beside him but he couldn't get her to close her eyes. Not at first anyway. It took him coming up with a subject Bella would find boring and then talking about it. Twenty minutes of listening to him rattle on about engineering principles and Bella was out cold, curled up against him with Lizzy asleep in her arms.

As pleased as he was at getting her to go to sleep, he was no fool and he knew it wouldn't last. Not with how she felt about her father's death. It was why he had no intention of leaving her alone in her room. When she woke up disoriented and afraid, she would have more than a bedside lamp to help her. He would be there to let her know she wasn't alone.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella could feel her mind trying to pull her down far enough to dream but she fought it, using the rumble of Edward's voice and the warmth of Lizzy to keep her connected to the waking world. She didn't want to relive that day eight years ago and she knew that was exactly what would happen if she allowed herself to fall into a deep enough sleep for dreaming. She even considered once or twice rousing herself enough to ask Edward to stop talking. Even if he didn't agree, the arguing about it would help keep her awake.

In the end, it felt too good to be so close to him and having him watch over her, even if it was just so she wouldn't be tired tomorrow when they joined up with that other crew.

Her first few dreams centered on Edward and Lizzy. In the first, it was just Edward and herself sitting on the rocks and watching orcas and right whales. The second had her chasing Lizzy down the beach and laughing. The final enjoyable dream of her night had her watching a sunset on the beach with Edward and Lizzy sitting beside her.

And then the dream made up of her worst memories took over …

"Dad!" Bella squealed, lifting her hand in front of her face to block the spray.

"Gotcha." Her father laughed and splashed more water at her.

"This isn't swimming," she told him.

Her father stopped splashing her and swam a little closer to her. "Did you see those dolphins following the boat on the way out here yesterday afternoon, Bug?"

Bella nodded, her smile wide and infectious over the subject matter and her father's term of endearment for her. When she'd first learned to walk, she would follow her father all over their house, always close enough to get stepped on just like a bug—hence the nickname.

As for her marine life sightings, that had begun as a game with her father nearly a decade ago. At fourteen now, she'd filled an entire journal and was halfway done with a second. It was her father who had bought her the first journal, teaching her the alphabet and how to write so she could describe the animals she came across. She loved looking through her journals to see how her handwriting had changed and grown over the years, but she especially loved the early entries written in her father's large looping handwriting.

"How many dolphin sightings does that bring you up to?" her father asked.

"Close to three dozen now, Daddy."

He grinned at her and flicked a few drops of water her way. "You're going to have to count your summer camp as one encounter or we'll be looking for a new journal for you."

"Hey, you two! Breakfast is ready whenever you are!" Bella turned and looked toward the boat where the yell had come from, seeing her uncle standing at the edge and waving to them.

While her father yelled back to her uncle, Bella compared their physical features. Her father's hair was jet black and kept close to his head. Her uncle's hair was a slightly darker brown than her own; it was longer than her father's but always kept neatly trimmed so it never seemed overgrown. Her father had the same dark brown eyes she did while her uncle's eyes were the gray of a stormy sky. She knew if they stood side by side they'd be the same height just like she knew her uncle had a few pounds of lean muscle on her father. Uncle Carlisle had a home gym and personal trainer while her father had her mother's irresistible cooking.

Carlisle and Charles Cullen were born two years apart and raised in Santa Rosa, California. The two men were extremely close and even owned a company together that manufactured safety gear for police officers. They also shared a love of the outdoors, especially fishing. Unlike their father and grandfather before them, they'd chosen not to take part in the family vineyards and had instead struck out together to earn their own fortune in their own way. They had achieved their goal with over a decade of hard work and were now at a time in their lives where they could relax—and take weeklong fishing trips at the drop of a hat. Though, there was a lot more swimming than fishing this trip and Bella loved having her father's attention all to herself this way.

It wasn't like her father didn't pay attention to her when they were home in Chicago because he certainly did. But back home, he also had to give attention to her mother and her younger sister, Alice. Out here, though, she only had to compete with the fish and today they would only be fishing for dinner, not sport. She looked forward to meals on the boat, knowing once dinner was nearly through her father and uncle would start to tell outlandish and impossible stories of their journeys together. She wondered if she would ever travel with Alice the way her father and uncle did.

The sound of her name pulled her attention back to her father. "Bella, are you excited for summer camp?"

"Just a little," she said, giving a shrug to pretend it was no big deal.

But her father saw right through her. "Can't fool me, Bug," he said with a laugh. "I can see in your eyes how excited you are. My future marine biologist. Before I know it, you'll be traveling to study all the world's oceans."

Bella looked up at her father so she could gauge his reaction. "I might decide to be a marine veterinarian instead. Then I wouldn't just be studying marine life, I could save them."

Her father tapped his wet finger against her nose, making her giggle as the droplets of water slid down her cheeks and chin. "Whatever you choose to do, I know you'll make me proud."

Bella's cheeks reddened at the praise and her heart felt ready to burst from all the love she felt for her father. She had been a true daddy's girl from birth, always preferring to spend time with him over any other member of her family. Sometimes her sister got jealous that Bella was allowed to travel and she wasn't, but Bella considered it her perk for being the oldest.

"So your mom mentioned a boy …"

A nervous laugh escaped Bella and she dropped her eyes to the blue water directly in front of her. "Mom's exaggerating."

"Really? You're acting mighty shy, Bug."

Bella huffed as she brought her eyes up to meet her father's gaze. "He's only a friend and barely one at that. I only know him because we were math lab partners. It's not like I want to date him or anything."

"Not your type?"

"Not at all," Bella said, her words come out slow and firm.

"You seem pretty sure about that." From the grin on his face, Bella knew her father was teasing her.

"Yep. When I date a guy, he's going to be respectful and polite and he'll never tell me I can't do something just because I'm a girl."

"My daughter has standards." Her father was still smiling at her, but Bella could tell it had changed from teasing to proud and it made her heart swell with her own pride.

"Charles!" her uncle Carlisle yelled.

"Just a minute, Carl," her father called back without even looking at his brother. "There are too many women in this world who don't understand their value. It makes me proud to know you aren't one of them."

Bella let out a little laugh as she pictured her mother in her head. "Like Mom always says, you set the bar pretty high, Dad."

Her uncle's yell sounded off again, this time calling both of their names. "Charles! Bella!"

Bella looked toward the boat and noticed him waving at them. "Dad, I think Uncle Carlisle is feeling left out and wants us to wave to him."

"In a minute. I want to finish my conversation with you first. Someday, and much too soon for me, a young man is going to enter your life and turn your world upside down because that's just what young men do. I want you to remember your words from earlier and if that man isn't giving you respect and support along with his love, well then it isn't really love and he doesn't deserve you."

Before Bella could say anything, her uncle yelled out again. "Charles Cullen!"

"What?" her father yelled back, looking very annoyed with his brother.

"Get out of the water!"

"If you're bored, find a book. I'm not here to entertain you, big brother."

"There's been a shark sighting nearby."

Fear spiked through Bella and clutched at her heart, immediately making it race and pound in her ears. She'd only seen sharks at the aquariums she'd visited and although she knew there were plenty in the wild, she'd never dreamed she would swim where they did. What if one came close? What if it tried to bite her?

"Bella." Her father's authoritative tone sliced right through her panic. "There's no reason to worry. It's just a sighting and honestly, I'm surprised we didn't get one yesterday. So just stay calm and swim for the boat. I'll be right behind you."

Bella nodded to show she would do as he asked though she really doubted she could stop herself from worrying. She took in a breath and made her first few strokes toward the boat. She focused on her uncle waiting for her on the boat's platform as a way to keep her strokes even and steady, but quickly found the more she focused on him, the farther away he seemed.

"Dad, the boat's moving away," she said, her voice laced with pure panic.

"It's not, Bug. It's right where it's been this whole time. It's only your fear making it seem farther away. Just keep swimming and before you know it, we'll be on the boat having breakfast with Uncle Carl. The shark probably didn't even come this way. It's just a precaution."

"Just a precaution," Bella repeated. Her arms were already starting to feel heavy and she scolded herself for not taking those swim lessons with Alice this year all because she'd wanted to do things without her sister for once. So while Alice had become a better and stronger swimmer each afternoon, Bella had participated in a variety of afterschool clubs.

"Come on, Bug. Just a little farther," her father encouraged from right behind her.

She knew he was a strong swimmer and could have already been on the boat, but he was making sure she got there first. A desire to make him proud flooded her and she pushed her body harder, trying to make her strokes longer and more forceful.

"That's it, Bella," her uncle called out. "Almost here now, Sweetheart." He was slightly bent over and offering his hand to her. She focused on his fingers and swam straight for them.

"Gotcha!" Uncle Carlisle shouted as he gripped her hand.

Bella smiled as she reached her other hand out to him, feeling silly now for being so scared of nothing.

"Up you go," her father said from behind as he grabbed her foot and pushed her upwards toward her uncle.

With both men working to get Bella out of the water, neither saw the dark gray dorsal fin break the surface just a few feet from the boat. They didn't see the dark shadow in the water or the way it suddenly darted forward. One moment, they almost had Bella out of the water and the next she was screaming and being pulled between the two men.

Her father let go of her foot as soon as he could but it wasn't soon enough to keep her and her uncle from falling into the water. Bella hadn't been expecting to go under and her mouth and lungs filled with water, choking her and flooding her body with fear and adrenaline. She tried to calm herself and push up through the water but her limbs froze in terror as her eyes latched onto the large flat-nosed shark swimming straight for her.

Bubbles swarmed her head as she screamed underwater, and her arms and legs flailed about as she tried to swim upwards. Her eyes stayed on the shark during her struggle until finally she closed them so she wouldn't have to see the shark bite her.

She was suddenly grabbed but it didn't hurt the way she'd expected. And it didn't drag her down either. Bella was propelled upward so hard and fast that her upper body landed hard on the boat's small platform. Pain flared in her arm and shot back and forth between her elbow and fingertips but she ignored it, focusing instead on getting her legs and feet out of the water. No one would realize until late that night that she'd broken her wrist in the landing.

She also ignored her burning throat and the coughs shaking her thin frame, screaming one word over and over as loudly as she could. "Daddy!"

A hand came up out of the water and slapped against the platform, scaring Bella more than she'd thought was possible with the fear she'd already had clutching at her heart. She got up on her knees and grabbed hold of the wrist, trying to pull her father up without falling back into the water. Her own arm screamed with pain and she did her best to ignore.

"Daddy, get out of the water," she pleaded as she tugged with all her strength.

The head that broke the water had brown hair and Bella couldn't help herself from feeling upset that it wasn't her father. She didn't stop tugging, though—not until her uncle was out of the water and kneeling beside her on the platform. Blood was coming from his foot, staining the platform and the water but Bella didn't see it. She was already standing and screaming for her father again.

"Bella, get up on the boat," her uncle ordered. "Get away from the water."

Just as she reached the deck, a splash to her right had her head darting in that direction and she breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her father's black hair. He had an odd expression on his face and didn't seem to be in a hurry to get on the boat.

"Daddy, swim!" Bella screamed at him. She was certain it made him move a little faster so she took up a chant, encouraging him to hurry up and get out of the water.

Her uncle was still kneeling on the platform and it gave him the perfect and worst view of his brother—and the dorsal fin just a few feet behind him. "Charlie! Charlie, swim, damn it!" he yelled.

The fin disappeared and Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the animal had turned around. He ignored the pain in his foot and slipped back into the water, planning on grabbing his brother and helping him get safely onto the boat.

"Daddy, it's behind you!" Bella screamed from just above her uncle's head. Spray from her uncle swimming to her father splashed her hands but she barely felt it as she let go of the railing to run for the platform. She wanted to help her uncle get her father out of the water, her terror forgotten in her desire to protect her father.

She had to pay attention to her footing to get down from the deck to the platform and hated every second she had to look away from her father. As soon as her feet touched the wet wood, she lifted her head. She could see her uncle had her father by the arm and was towing him toward her. She could also see the fin poking out of the water and following right behind them.

"Swim! Swim! Swim!" she screamed, oblivious to the way she was clutching her hands and the pain radiating through her arm.

She suddenly remembered having heard something about hitting sharks and scrambled back up on deck. She started grabbing for things, tossing a half filled bucket of bait fish at the shadow trailing behind her father and uncle. She found one of her uncle's water shoes and tossed that too; she hit the shadow but not the thing making it. She tried once more, tossing the other shoe at it and must have hit it that time because the shadow turned and went under the boat.

Bella raced toward the platform, this time jumping down without even trying to be careful. Her uncle was already kneeling on it and trying to pull her father out of the water. She grabbed her father's arm at the elbow and tugged as hard as she could.

"Charlie, you've got to help us," her uncle pleaded. He noticed the way his brother's eyes were rolled back in his head and the deep purple bruises coloring his side.

"Daddy, come on. You're too heavy like this. Help us get you up," Bella begged. She could barely breathe with the way her chest and arms hurt, especially her wrist, but she didn't let that stop her.

Her father groaned as he struggled to get his knee up on the platform and help with his own rescue. His side was an ugly purple where the shark had initially rammed into him and he was having his own trouble breathing, much less moving.

Carlisle reached down and grabbed the waistband of his brother's swim trunks, bunching the fabric in his hand and preparing to haul his brother out of the water. Bella's cry pierced the air at the same moment the shark's teeth latched onto her father's leg just below the knee. Carlisle could feel the difference in his strength versus the shark's and knew if he continued to pull, he would send all three of them back into the water.

His brother knew it too. "Grab Bella," Charlie ordered seconds before he ripped his arm out of his daughter's grasp.

Bella saw the choice in her father's eyes just before he'd pulled his arm away. He was going to let that evil monster have him to protect her, but she didn't want that. She'd rather lose an arm or a leg or both than lose her father. She pitched herself forward to grab his arm again, her fingers raking over the metal of his watch seconds before her uncle grabbed hold of her.

Carlisle tried to hold onto his brother's trunks with one hand while keeping Bella out of the water with his other. But Bella had lost her footing and he either had to let go of his brother to keep her safe or let them all get pulled back in.

Charlie could see only two possible outcomes to the deadly situation he was in and there was only one he could live with. "Take care of Bella," he demanded, looking his brother right in the eyes. Charlie pushed himself away from Carlisle and let the shark pull him under in order to save his daughter. Bella screamed as her father's head was jerked beneath the surface; it was the last time she would see her father outside of her memories and nightmares.

For a moment, she was certain none of this was real and she was safe at home in her bed in Chicago. She'd wake up, go down the hall to her father's study, and crawl into his lap for a good long hug. But then she was falling backwards and she knew without a doubt this was all painfully real.

The way Charlie had pushed against Carlisle to free himself had caused his brother to fall backwards with Bella. Carlisle's back struck the ladder that led to the deck and the pain was so sudden and sharp it caused him to lose his hold on Bella's arm for one long, terrifying moment. If his arms wouldn't have been so long, he never would have got them around her waist and kept her from diving in after her father.

Bella screamed for her father and clawed at her uncle, her view completely blocked by her uncle's wet chest. She was frantic to get free and help her father and couldn't understand why her uncle was stopping her.

Carlisle's arms would have a few faint scars from her gouging and his foot would have a nasty scar from getting grazed by the shark's teeth. But that was for later. Right then, he had to do what his brother had told him and take care of Bella. He struggled to keep his kicking, scratching, screaming niece in his arms as he headed for the boat's radio to call for help, knowing in his heart it was already too late.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen rubbed at his sore jaw as he made his way out of Bella's room and toward the bathroom. She'd woken in a panic just as he'd expected—what he hadn't expected was for her to clock him in the jaw with her head when she'd jerked awake. She hadn't even realized she'd done it until she'd caught him rubbing his jaw after he'd gotten her calmed down. If there was anything positive to take from it, it was that having her concerned about his jaw had kept her mind off her father and that had kept her asleep for the rest of the night. Or at least what little had been left of it.

He'd expected to find it boring just lying there beside her but it had been oddly peaceful. And even though he'd waited for it and even searched for it, there never came a moment when he questioned what he was doing. Being there for her last night … holding her close and watching over her as she slept … It had been as easy as breathing. He wondered if that was how it had been for his father when he'd gone to that awkward family dinner just to spend time with his mother.

Masen shook his head to clear away that thought. Last night was over and done with and it was time now to focus on the day ahead. Part of him had to wonder if lack of sleep was involved in the decision Bella had made just before he'd left her room … She was going to come aboard the research ship with them instead of hanging back on Galeos.

Whatever the reason, he was glad she had changed her mind. While he had understood and respected her initial choice that didn't mean he'd liked it at all. She _should_ be there with the MMR team—with him. And it had much less to do with her being the intern than it probably should have. He wanted her there simply because spending time with her made him happy. Well, at least as long as they weren't arguing about sharks.

Something Whit had said days ago came to him then … _You're wasting your time and hers by acting this way. And the worst part is that on some level you know it. It's why you can't give me one true, logical reason why you can't commit to getting closer to her._

After last night, there was no need to worry about whether or not it was right to get closer to her. It had happened the second he'd told her about Elizabeth. It had been solidified the moment Bella had put her arms around his neck. Whatever happened from this moment on, it wouldn't involve him wasting any more of their time together.

* * *

><p>"<strong>~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"<strong>

**A/N:** Hello, readers! We know we threw a lot at you with this chapter, but it was time for some of the secrets to come out and it needed to be the ones big enough to change the dynamic between Masen and Guppy. It also needed to wait for a time when they truly felt they could trust the other with their past.

**We want to give a huge thanks to TheSaintsMistress.** She was a huge help with this chapter, supplying us with the Afrikaans that Lee speaks in Cape Town, as well as valuable logistical information. She also shared with us the amazing pictures we've put up on the blog. TSM, thank you again so very much! We truly appreciate your help!

******** For those interested, here is the translation of Lee's conversation with the fruit stand owner:

Lee smiled at the stand's owner. "Good morning. Would you have a moment to speak with us?"

The woman came out from behind the counter and shook hands with both Lee and Masen before turning to Lee and answering her question. "Sure."

"We were wondering if you might know the best place for watching whales? We know there a couple areas along the Western Cape but we really want the best view. We have a large group and would love to be close to the whales."

"In Hermanus you can watch the whales from the rocks. Go to Bientangs Cave, it's a restaurant close to the water."

After writing down whatever it was the woman had told her, Lee asked her something else. "Do you know how far that is from Gordon's Bay?"

"About an hour."

"Great! Are you familiar with Gordon's Bay at all? We would like to have a nice dinner there tonight."

"Harbour Lights Seafood is good. It's right near the marina and has a great view."

Lee was smiling happily as she shook the woman's hand again. "Thank you. You've been so helpful." She then turned around and showed Masen the notes she'd written in the pocket notebook she always kept with her. "We have a plan for today."

While he was really glad for that, he had a one-track mind at the moment and it was focused on the fresh fruit right in front of them. "Good so we can get some plums now? And get a lot. Between Esme, Whit and me, we'll take out at least dozen."

After rolling her eyes at him, Lee turned back to the woman who owned the stand and spoke in Afrikaans again. "We would like two dozen plums please."

'********'

- There you have it, readers! Another chapter of BTS has sailed off into the sunset. Next up is shark research with the Colossus crew and it's going to be a whole new ballgame for MMR.


	18. 18 Nudger Strikes Again

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 18 – The Nudger Strikes Again**

**Tuesday, June 17th**

Bella paused in putting on her shoes to turn and look at the right side of her bed—the side Edward had spent the night on, awake and watching. She knew he wasn't really big on sleeping but she still felt a little guilt over keeping him up. And there was a huge amount for knocking him in the jaw with her head. At least his jaw hadn't looked bruised when he'd left earlier.

She wondered where he would have ended up last night if she hadn't gone out to the balcony to check on him. Would he have stayed out there alone all night? Or was there a chance he would have stopped by to visit and then ended up staying? She wanted to believe he hadn't told her about his mother simply because she was the one to step outside that sliding glass door.

It was strange. Her feelings for him. Feelings that had never surfaced for anyone else and definitely not with anyone else. Her anger for his hot and cold behavior and then her quick and complete forgiveness of his mistakes. She'd always had a strong, independent personality—a trait she had inherited from her father. Not that she'd been able to show much of that here where she often felt crippled by her fear of sharks. Except that wasn't quite true. She did feel brave at times. Times when Edward was right there beside her, giving her strength in her moments of doubt and fear. He believed in her, in her ability to change her life for the better and let go of her fear, at least enough to have a happy, healthy life.

Bella blew out a breath; her thoughts and emotions were swirling in confusing patterns and that feeling of being tugged two ways was back stronger than ever. Professional versus personal and the idea that there was really no such thing as a choice and never had been. Not since she had placed her hand in his that first night in the bar.

And it wasn't as though she was unhappy about yesterday's events. No, what she was, was terrified today would be nothing like yesterday.

She really had tried to be dispassionate and impartial to him yesterday, thinking of him as just a colleague. She'd laughed at him putting his hat on her and had brushed it off as nothing more than him worrying she'd get sick from being sunburnt and somehow delay MMR's plans.

Then there had been that moment when he'd been talking to her about the right whales. She _knew_—knew with all the certainty that she knew the sky was blue and the ocean was deep—he had been leaning toward her the same way as he had the night before on the beach. That lean of his was incredibly distinct and she'd never seen it without a kiss following it. Well, not unless he was interrupted by a ringing phone or a yelling Gopher. Though, she had to wonder if he really would have gone through with it right there in the open in front of so many witnesses after all of his talk about perception and saving careers. In the end, she'd written it off as nothing more than a trick of her eyes, telling herself if he'd moved at all, it was only to get into a more comfortable position on the rocks.

It was easy enough to fool yourself into believing things meant nothing when it was a single item or two. Quick moments that came and went. But his hand on her lower back … Sure, at first, it had absolutely been to get her on her feet and moving toward Gopher and the others. But then his hand had stayed there. Not just for the walk over either. During the entire talk with Brett and then all the way up the slight slope of the land to the table where Esme was sitting in the shade. Friends—even best friends—they just didn't do things like that. A guiding hand on a lower back, that was something intimate, a connection between two people marking them separate from everyone else in the crowd. It was how men had been staking their claim on the women in their lives for centuries. Only, she knew the normal impression of a hand on a back couldn't possibly hold the same meaning as Edward's hand on her back—nothing had been normal about her relationship with him yet.

Still … She wondered …

Add in the fact that his eyes had remained a vibrant green last night from the house to the restaurant and back, and that he'd trusted her with memories of his mother, and then had spent the night making sure she was okay … Where did the brushing off end and the lying to herself begin? Bella considered that question as she lifted her father's watch from the dresser and fitted it over her wrist.

It was another set of fingers that closed the clasp for her. "I could have gotten it," she said, trying to gauge his mood from his expression.

"I know but I wanted to." Edward adjusted the watch so that the face sat perfectly in the middle of her wrist. She was surprised he'd come back into her room since she could hear Lee and Gopher's voices coming from the kitchen. On one level, it gave her hope that today would be very much like yesterday. On another, she worried this was the calm before the storm.

"How's that?" he asked, lifting his eyes to hers. They were a stormy blue this morning and she wondered if he was feeling anxious about what they'd shared with each other last night, if he was somehow regretting it. She certainly hoped that wasn't the case, that she wasn't the only one feeling they had reached a new level of trust with each other.

The way he'd been so honest and open about his mother and how losing her had felt … She wanted him to know it meant a lot to her but she wasn't quite sure how to say it. She tried what seemed the simplest route first. "Thank you for last night."

"Don't worry about it. It was no big deal. You only woke up a couple times and my jaw doesn't even hurt anymore."

"No, that's not … Well, I _do_ want to thank you for that, too, but what I really wanted to thank you for is sharing with me about your mother. I know how hard it can be to share, to open yourself up to thinking of what you've lost."

His hands brushed her hair away from her shoulders and then one of them gently gripped the back of her neck. She was so busy relishing in how good it felt to have his warm skin against hers that she nearly missed what he said. "You're kapu."

"I'm what?"

A smirk curled his lips up and to the left so she figured whatever it was he'd called her couldn't be that bad. "Kapu. Hawaiian for forbidden. You're like that apple in Eden."

She grinned at what she believed to be his teasing and joked right back. "Oh yeah? What's the word for shark? I need to call you that since you're definitely a predator."

"Mano." His smile faltered and his eyes darkened, making her worry she'd hurt his feelings.

"I didn't mean predator in a bad way. Okay, I did a little but not completely."

He used his hold on her neck to draw her closer, looking every bit the predator about to devour his prey. "Mano has two meanings and I was thinking of the other."

"What … What's the other?" she asked with a worried gulp.

He brushed the edge of his nose against her neck just below her ear and sent shivers racing down her spine. "Passionate lover."

The spell he'd been weaving over her broke with the first loud guffaw that spilled out of her. "Seriously?" she asked, giggling and pushing against his chest. "You couldn't have really expected me to believe that. I might not know a lot about sharks but I know when my leg's being pulled."

He caught her by the wrist before she got too far away. "Come here."

She laughed and made a half-hearted attempt to pull away. "I'm standing right in front of you."

"Yeah and it's too far away. Come here." He gave a tug, pulling her into his arms and against his body. She couldn't tell if it was her heart or his that was beating like crazy against her chest. She was going to ask him what he was doing but it became clear when he leaned in to her and slid his tongue along his bottom lip, moistening it and drawing her eyes to it.

"Don't. Not unless you truly mean it." It was both a warning and a plea—no matter how much she wanted to feel his lips on hers again, she didn't want it if there was any chance he would regret it.

"I can't think of anything I mean more right now."

His lips covered hers, softly at first, as if he might be worried she would refuse his kiss. She pushed forward just enough to show she wanted this as much as he did and his arms immediately tightened around her, pressing her into his body. She sighed at how good it felt and he took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue against hers. Her whole body warmed from the sensation as if he was the sun and she was the sand soaking up his heat. She held him to her with one hand in his hair and the other pressed against the stubble covering his jaw, desperate for more of the passion and want fueling their kiss. She was also a little afraid he would change his mind once they were no longer stuck like glue to each other.

No matter how tightly she held on, the kiss came to an end simply because that was what kisses did. They ended and for the very lucky, new ones began. Bella wasn't that lucky this morning, though Edward didn't unlink them in any other way.

His eyes had changed during their kiss to the vibrant green she'd seen before, only this time they were softer in a way she couldn't pinpoint. He spoke in hardly more than a whisper, "I want you to know, I really did mean it when I said I was worried for our careers. I still am. But I'm tired of fighting what I feel when I'm with you."

"What if we draw a line? What if we don't hide what we feel but we don't act on it either?"

He snorted and then pressed his mouth to hers for what had to be the world's shortest kiss in her opinion. "Do you honestly believe we can keep our lips off each other?"

"I figured kissing would be allowed, just nothing else until the internship is over. It's only a couple of months."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not. I'm offering." She could tell from his intense gaze that he wasn't convinced so she figured she'd try teasing to lighten his mood. "As long as I can kiss you whenever I want, I don't mind having to do it in private."

Her joke left him looking even more serious. "I'm sorry," he said, pressing his hand against the back of her neck again. "I never meant—"

She put her finger over his lips to stop him. "All I want to hear from you is that you're sticking with this decision. You want more than a friendship with me and you're not going to change your mind in five minutes or five hours or five days."

He finally cracked a smile. "I don't know. Five days is a _really_ long time."

Bella smacked Edward in the chest and tried to push away from him but he easily kept her right there in his arms.

"I won't change my mind, kapu."

She blushed at the nickname, but it wasn't because of the meaning. It was how he said it, all the feeling he put into such a small word.

A knock on her door had them both turning toward the sound. "Yes?" Bella called out.

"It's Whit. Is Masen in there with you?"

Edward let her go but not without one last, quick kiss and a cocky grin that made her roll her eyes and shake her head. He pulled the door open quickly and Whit stumbled in—she was pretty sure he'd had his ear pressed against the door.

"You alright there, Whit? You seem a little unsteady on your feet," Edward joked while slapping his friend on the back of the shoulder.

Whit's eyes flickered between Bella and Edward. "I'm fine. Are you fine, Mase?"

"Perfect. Bella and I were just discussing her change of heart. She's going to come aboard The Submarine with us after all."

Whit smiled at her. "Glad to hear it, Guppy. And don't worry—you'll do great."

"That's exactly what I was telling her," Edward said, winking at her from his spot behind Whit.

"Come on, you guys," Lee called from the doorway. "You're holding up breakfast and I'm starving."

Bella scooted past the guys and over to Lee. "What are we having?"

It felt a little weird to just walk away from Edward after sharing so much with him but this time she carried the knowledge that there would be more with him. She could handle a couple months of stolen moments as long as she was assured there was more to come once the internship was over. And after the kiss they'd shared just minutes ago, she was convinced Edward wanted there to be more as much as she did.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Hi."

Masen was smiling even before he turned his head to see Bella. But one look at her worried expression had his smile faltering. "What's wrong?"

She fidgeted, twisting her watch and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Can we talk or do you need to focus on driving the boat?"

"I can do both." What he really wanted to say was for her not to change her mind because that was the first thought that had jumped into his head. It would serve him right with as many times as he'd done it to her but he really hoped that wasn't it.

"I'll just wait. You need to focus."

"Come here," he said, waving her over. There was no way in hell he was letting her walk away without talking to him first.

She gave him a wary look but still walked over to him.

"I want you to give driving Galeos another shot," he said, moving her to stand between him and the steering wheel. "The water isn't as choppy as last time so there's no excuse for you to not enjoy it."

She looked over her shoulder at him and he couldn't help grinning at the unsure look on her face. She had a lot to learn if she thought he'd really let her put his boat in any kind of danger.

He gently held her head between his hands and turned it forward. "Eyes on the water, Guppy."

"If we end up not making it to Mossel Bay, it's going to be your fault, not mine," she warned.

He slipped his left arm around her waist, holding her steady between his body and the steering wheel. "Relax and trust me. You'll do fine."

She leaned into him and he felt some of his anxiety dissipate. She wouldn't be so comfortable with him holding her if she was about to change her mind. At least he didn't think so. Then again, he'd never spent this much time with the same girl—he didn't count Lee since she had never been more than his friend.

Bella's next words brought back all of his anxiety and then some. "Edward, I think I made the wrong choice."

He couldn't remember his throat ever feeling so dry and tight. "About what?"

"Working with this other crew. I feel so unprepared and I don't want to make a fool of myself and have that reflect badly on MMR."

He let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding and held her tighter. "You scared me, kapu," he whispered, his lips right next to her ear. "For a minute there, I thought _I_ was the wrong choice."

She turned her pretty brown eyes his way and the intensity of her gaze made him want to hold her even closer. "If you want me enough to be scared I'd reject you, why did you fight so hard for us to just be friends?"

It took him a second to process her question since his attention was focused on her lips and how very close they were to his. As much as he wanted to kiss her again, he had a job to do as captain. "Eyes back on the water, Guppy."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm being serious."

He gave her his best stern leader look. "So am I. Focus on driving and I'll answer you."

She seemed for a moment as though she wasn't going to trust him but then she did as he'd asked, even going so far as to stand up straight instead of leaning against him. "I didn't turn us off-course, did I?"

He leaned around her to see the gauges better. "Still straight as an arrow." When he was standing directly behind her again, he rested his head against hers and tried his best to answer her question. "First and foremost, I felt and still feel personally responsible for your safety and well-being. I'm the one who wanted an intern program and I'm the one who picked your application. That's a responsibility I can't take lightly.

"Then there's the really personal side of all this … I've never had anyone distract me before. It's always been easy to put work first and leave everything else behind until I wanted to deal with it.

"But from that first moment with you, it was like you were an eclipse, blocking out everything but yourself. I didn't know what to do with that and I didn't think I wanted it. To be perfectly honest, I'm still not sure I do. But that doesn't matter.

"What matters is that I never have any doubts when I'm with you, Bella. It always feels relaxed and right. Like last night. The other times I've talked about my mom with someone, it's been hard to pick out what to say and share. With you, I just opened my mouth and there it all was. And your reaction to it was so different from anyone else's. You understood before I'd even really said anything."

"What about those times when you're not with me? Like later today when you're working with the other crew and I'm just standing back and observing?"

"Trust me, there won't be anything on my mind but sharks and safety."

"Well what about when you're alone? What's to keep you from changing your mind?"

He edged forward and pressed his body to hers again then put his lips right at her ear, saying the words with as much feeling as he could put into them. "You, kapu."

After placing a tender kiss on her neck he added, "The way I feel when I'm with you is so much louder than the doubts I have. And those doubts are about if I'm doing the right thing for my company and your career, not you directly. You have to understand how new this is for me—allowing there to be a distraction much less wanting it."

"I don't want to be a distraction. I know how important your company is to you, what it's done for you."

"Again, it's not you directly. Just … Just be patient and give me some time to adjust."

She nodded her head in response.

"Now about this silly worry you have of making a fool of yourself."

"It's not silly," she argued, glancing at him just long enough for him to see he'd annoyed her.

"It is in my view. You keep mistaking your anxiety towards sharks as some kind of personal failure and that's not what it is, Bella. It's a natural reaction to a traumatic event in your life. You never seem to see that just being aboard Galeos is a huge daily victory. You know we are going to see sharks. You know we are going to photograph them and document what they do. You know we are going to get in the water with them. And you still get on this boat.

"So you get anxious and you twist your watch? So what?" He brought his right arm around her so she could see his wrist. "See that scar?"

"Yes." She gently traced the small, slightly raised, jagged line with her finger, making him feel like she was setting his skin on fire.

He did his best to ignore the sensation and focus on helping her. "After Whit was hurt, I used to twist my watch to keep from pacing around his room. I didn't want my agitation and nervousness to affect his health and I knew he wouldn't be able to stand it if he had to watch me pace. So I'd twist my watch. Until one day I caught my skin between the links and sliced into it. Now I only wear my watch to dive or for special occasions like last night."

"You're not just saying that? That's really how you got this scar?"

"You can ask Whit if you want. I'm sure he'll even tell you how annoyed he was with the watch thing even though he didn't say a word to me until he saw the stitches."

Masen could hear the smile in Bella's voice as she said, "He let you have your outlet despite his annoyance."

"He knew it was a coping thing, just like I know that's what your watch is for you. Coping is an indication of trying to move forward, not a sign of being a fool."

"But you know about my dad. I can't tell total strangers about that. I can't even tell the rest of our team yet and I already consider them my friends."

"Then I guess I'll just have to give you an assignment that won't allow you to have idle hands." He heard her breath catch and wondered what was she was thinking; he would get it out of her later but for right now he wanted to keep her focus on work. "Guppy, you are going to photograph the MMR crew at work for use on our website and blog."

"But you need your camera to get the shark photos."

He laughed quietly and placed a tender kiss on her neck. "Nice try but we both know you've seen there are multiple cameras aboard this boat. I've got a Canon T1 that'll be perfect for you to use."

"But those just came out in March. And they're crazy expensive." If Bella thought she was hiding her excitement in her practical words, she was dead wrong. Not only could Masen hear it in her voice, he could feel the excited energy coming from her body.

This time when he kissed her neck, he let his lips linger there while he spoke. "Then be really careful with MMR's property."

"Mase, I think you better look at these weather—" Whit had a huge grin on his face as he looked between his best friend and Bella. "Okay, then. I'll just leave and you two can get back to whatever you were doing."

"Get over here and show me what you have," Masen ordered, reluctantly stepping away from Bella. "I'm just teaching Guppy to drive Galeos."

"I told him if we don't make it to Mossel Bay it's his fault," Bella announced.

"Eyes on the water, Guppy," Masen demanded while taking the weather report from Whit.

"The newest information shows a storm coming into Mossel Bay around ten-thirty tonight," Whit explained as the two men looked over the pages together. "It's not going to be particularly strong but it is expected to stall out and stay over the area for a couple hours."

Masen quickly went over every scenario he could think of, looking for any possible ways a storm could cause damage to their boat. "Get with Gopher and put some extra ropes around the shark cage. If we can't lock it down to where it can't move at all, we'll have to take it apart, but let's try more ropes first."

"What about the winch base?"

"It should be fine since it's only the base but go ahead and check the bolts on it just to be sure they're as tight as possible. And then get Lee and Gopher to help you bring all the loose furniture inside. Let's not leave out anything that could blow away in a strong wind just in case this storm decides to develop more before it hits."

"I can help you guys," Bella offered.

It was Whit who answered her. "Thanks, Guppy. But I'd hate to interrupt your driving lesson." He lowered his voice so only Masen could hear this next part. "You and me, we're talking about this later."

"Shut the fuck up, you nudger."

Whit had the biggest smile on his face as he replied, "I'm just getting started, bro."

Masen raised his voice to a normal level. "Go prep for the storm. We'll have to wait and see what assignments we get with the Colossus Crew to put someone in charge of keeping an eye on the weather reports."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Whit said with a grin and a salute. "Have fun driving, Guppy."

Masen looked down the hallway to make sure his best friend actually left and didn't try to eavesdrop. When he was sure Whit had gone outside, he once again stood right behind Bella and put his arm around her like before.

With a nervous glance at him she said, "I don't think Whit believed we were just driving the boat."

Masen snorted first and then chuckled a few times. "Not even a little."

"Is that going to be a problem? I know you didn't want anyone to know right now."

"Whit isn't just anyone, though. He's not going to say anything to anyone but me. It's more fun for him that way."

"Are you sure?"

"Completely positive so relax." He reached his arm over her shoulder and silenced the alarm that sounded.

"What's that?" Bella asked, leaning forward to read the text alarm on the digital screen.

"We've reentered the South Atlantic. Now we just make our way around the cape and in about five hours, we'll enter Mossel Bay."

"We should get there at noon then. How long do you think you'll be able to work?"

"If the weather stays on its current path, we should be able to work right up until sunset. So make sure you use your sunscreen."

"Can I borrow your hat again?"

He smiled and held her just a little tighter. "Anytime you want, kapu."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Welcome aboard The Submarine," Brett greeted, shaking hands with Masen.

"We're glad to be here," Masen replied.

"This is some boat," Whit said as he looked all around them. Masen grinned at the amazed look on his friend's face. They'd never seen so much equipment on a single ship before outside of photos in magazines. The Submarine was easily twice as long and three times as wide as Galeos, allowing it to hold tons of equipment and personnel.

"She's ready to work," Brett replied with a proud smile, laying a hand on the railing.

Lee grinned and rubbed her hands together. "Then let's oblige her."

"Right down to business then," Brett said with a laugh. "I figure the best way to do this is to explain our teams and then take volunteers for each. First up is our fishing team. That's usually me, my first-mate Chad, and my deckhand Sean. Our job is to hook a shark and tow it here to the research ship."

"That's me!" Gopher excitedly yelled, sticking his massive arm up in the air for good measure. "Please pick me!"

Whit laughed and jerked a thumb at Gopher. "Yeah, what he said, but with slightly less scary jubilance."

Brett grinned. "Good deal. Due to limited space on the skiff, we'll take one of you with us this morning and the other this afternoon."

Gopher and Whit immediately played a round of Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock for the right to "fish" first. For those unfamiliar with the game, it was a play on the traditional with two slots added for Lizard and Spock. The terms were as follows: rock crushed lizard and scissors … scissors could cut paper and take off lizard's head … paper covered rock and disproved Spock … lizard poisoned Spock and ate paper … and finally, Spock vaporized rock and smashed scissors.

Gopher won by having Scissors cut off Lizard's head—Whit congratulated him with a single finger salute that had them both laughing.

"Alright, Gopher. You're first up on the skiff," Brett stated. "Let's see if we can't find something to keep Whit busy until his turn.

"Our next team is the cradle team and we can take more than one volunteer for it. Now this is a fast-paced environment and whoever signs up for it needs to pay attention to time and detail—cradle team actions are directly related to the well-being of the sharks. When you're on the cradle team, you're responsible for securing the shark, hydrating its gills, and helping the science team attach tags and draw samples. Does that sound interesting to anyone?"

Lee was the first to answer. "I'd love to help tag and draw samples, find out more about what you guys are using and what kind of data you're hoping to get."

"I think I'll assign you directly to the Science Team then," Brett replied. "That way, you can see both sides of the coin—the collection and the interpretation. Let me introduce you to the heads of that team." He whistled and waved his arm over his head.

A tall, pretty, dark-haired woman and a nearly foot shorter brown-haired guy with glasses joined them and Brett introduced them. "This is my head of science, Angela, and our head of research, Ben. They're the brains behind the entire science section of what we do. They're also husband and wife. These two couldn't get enough of working together so they went ahead and got themselves married a couple weeks ago."

Masen looked between the man and woman, searching their faces for answers. He wanted to know how they could possibly make something like that work. How did they balance wanting their significant other with wanting to work? And did being married increase the frequency of work being interrupted by thinking or worrying about the other person? It seemed too much to deal with to him—too much of a complicated risk to take.

Lee didn't seem to have any questions or hesitation about it. She immediately shook hands with the couple and happily congratulated them. "Work and marriage while on a boat for most of the year. That's a challenge right there."

What would it mean for them all if Lee decided to marry Gopher someday? Would she need to leave their crew behind in order to be his wife? Masen was definitely not in a hurry to find out.

"It is," Angela agreed.

"But it was the only thing that seemed logical," Ben added. "We love our jobs and we love each other so might as well combine them."

"Guys, Lee here wants to see both sides of our science and research so I'm going to let you give her some cradle and deck duties today," Brett explained.

"We're always glad to have help," Angela replied, smiling at Lee.

"Guppy, why don't you stick with me?" Lee offered, calling attention to Bella. She was standing between Whit and Gopher with her arms wrapped protectively around the camera bag Masen had given her just before they'd boarded The Submarine.

"She's already got an assignment," Masen said to Lee while giving Bella a reassuring smile. He turned his attention to Brett, "I thought it would be a good idea if we got action shots of our crews working in addition to the shark photos. We plan on using ours for our website and our marketing material for our new intern program."

"An intern program, huh?" Brett questioned.

"A big obstacle to saving sharks is their bad reputation," Masen explained. "People don't have any sympathy for a four thousand pound apex predator with razor sharp teeth, and we want to show that sharks are important to the ecosystem and worthy of our protection. We came up with a summer intern program and Bella is the first. She's not a real shark fan and we're hoping that working with us and the sharks will help to change her view by the end of the summer."

Brett glanced at Bella and then said, "That's pretty risky. If she still doesn't like them when the internship is over, then you could have some mighty bad publicity on your hands."

"True," Masen agreed. "But _when_ she sees them differently, we'll have some great publicity. Bella is set to work at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta this fall, home to one of the largest shark exhibits in the United States. Having her promoting MMR and shark conservation on a daily basis is going to do a lot of good for our field."

Brett grinned. "You are definitely forward-thinking. I'm excited to see what other ideas you have for our field. But for now, let's get everyone assigned and start the day's work. Cradle team—securing the sharks and helping the scientists. Who's up for that?"

"Whit and I will take that post," Masen answered, looking to his friend for confirmation of what he already knew.

"Oh hells yeah," Whit agreed with a wide smile.

"We'll take turns so that I have plenty of opportunities to photograph the sharks coming into the cradle," Masen assured Brett.

"Good deal. Since Guppy already has an assignment, that means we're ready to get to work." Brett turned and addressed everyone on deck. "We've only got a few days left to our permit and a lot of sharks to catch, tag, and safely release. I want everyone working quickly, safely, and thoughtfully. Let's not harm any humans or sharks, people."

The crowd dispersed and everyone seemed to know exactly what they were supposed to be doing and how to get it done. It all appeared organized and streamlined and Masen was impressed.

Gopher grabbed Masen's attention when he slipped an arm around Lee's waist and pulled her to him, getting her to laugh. He smiled at her and then kissed her soundly on the lips. "Be safe. I don't want to come back from fishing and find even a scratch on you, you hear me?"

She held his face in his hands and tilted it down until she could kiss his forehead. "I'll be safe if you be safe."

He kissed her once more and hugged her tight. "Always, babe."

Masen looked over at Guppy who was watching the couple closely with a small smile on her lips. He wondered what she was thinking, if their public display was making her rethink her private decision.

She must have felt his eyes on her because she suddenly looked directly at him and gave him a genuine smile. He walked the few feet to her and took the camera bag from her arms.

"Guppy, you have to actually use the camera inside and not just hug the bag like it's Lizzy."

"Shush you," she said, giving him a great scowl that was only proved fake by the brightness of her pretty brown eyes. "I'm just waiting for you to actually do some work."

"They have to fish me a shark first."

"Yesterday when Brett explained how they pull sharks into the cradle and lift them out of the water to tag them, I knew that was going to be your pick."

"Are you worried for me?"

She shrugged. "No more than usual. This is what you do, who you are. It's as non-negotiable as you having blue eyes when you're excited or frustrated."

Masen stood very still, only able to look at her. Sure, he'd known that she knew his eyes changed color but he'd never dreamed for a single second that she would know what it meant.

Bella giggled. "Oh, did I forget to mention Whit explained all about your eyes and what each of the three colors mean?" She proceeded to take the camera out of the bag he was holding as if this was a conversation about something trivial, like chocolate milk. Only not even chocolate milk was trivial where Bella was concerned.

She smiled and said, "I'm going to go take pictures now." After zipping up the camera bag and slipping it over her head to rest across her body, she put her hand on his chest and gave it a pat. "You have fun but don't forget you have your own pictures to take."

She walked past him and he quickly turned and called out to her. "Bella?"

Even with her face shaded by his hat, he could tell her cheeks had gone pink. "Green. I like green the best."

He had no idea if that was what he was going to ask her because he couldn't remember that far back. He could only think of what she'd said and what it meant and how close he had come to never knowing it because of his stupid idea to not get any closer to her. He shook his head, struggling to center himself and get his mind on sharks and safety.

Whit set his hand on Masen's shoulder. "Let's hope Gopher is better at fishing for sharks than he is at fishing for dinner," he joked. "I want to see this cradle business in action something fierce."

Masen's head was full of sharks and Bella and stolen kisses—and the man standing next to him shouldered a big part of the blame for it. "Whit?"

"Yeah, Mase."

"You're a fucking nudger."

Whit chuckled darkly. "Love you too, bro. Now let's go get a look at the tools these guys have for tagging."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella pivoted on her foot to change the view in the camera lens and found herself watching Edward approach with his hands full of gear, the muscles in his arms stretched taught by the weight of it all. His head was slightly bent, just enough to hide his eyes but not the way his lips were moving. She was pretty sure he was going over a plan in his head.

He stopped a few feet in front of her, put the gear down, and then kicked off his water shoes. She wondered how long he'd been wanting to do that—she figured it must have been annoying with him being so used to going barefoot and now having to wear shoes here on The Submarine. He hid it well, though; she hadn't heard him complaining. Then again, maybe he was so hungry to work with this Colossus Crew that he didn't even notice the inconvenience.

She noticed something else while he was busy pulling things out of his bag and setting them down on the deck—he'd changed out of his jeans and into wetsuit pants that only went to his knees. She felt troubled by so much of his legs being visible even though she knew perfectly well that a wetsuit couldn't stop the teeth of a shark, especially a Great White.

Of course, knowing something didn't always translate into complete belief. "Why aren't you wearing the full wetsuit you normally do?"

Edward's head jerked up as if he'd forgotten there was a boat full of people around him. "Sorry, I was concentrating on this. What did you ask?"

She felt self-conscious now that he was looking at her and her blush started to creep across her cheeks. "Why aren't you wearing the full wetsuit you normally do?"

"Since I want to take turns in the cradle, I need to be able to change quickly. These wetsuit shorts won't get in my way and I can quickly exchange my rash-guard shirt for a t-shirt. Why?"

"Just curious. I haven't seen you in anything else."

"I typically keep this for my surfing but it also comes in handy for days like today and when I go snorkeling."

She was so excited to find out he liked snorkeling that she forget all about the wetsuit issue in her head and went to sit beside him. "You snorkel? Really? I would have thought you'd be bored by that."

He smiled at her and then went back to checking over the air canister in his hand. "Why? Because it's slow and quiet?"

She blushed a little at being caught but she mostly smiled at finally finding something in common with him. "Yeah, actually, that's exactly why."

"I do slow down and enjoy life, Guppy. It's just not while I'm working."

"Maybe I can see that some time. You not working." She hadn't meant to actually say those words to him but now that she had, she wasn't going to take them back.

He didn't seem to mind her comment, not with the toothy smile he was sporting. "Count on it, Guppy. But for now, I need you to be my gopher since the real one is out fishing." He opened an interior pocket in the bag and pulled out a folded piece of fabric. Inside was his watch and he handed it to her. "Set this to match yours, down to the second."

"And then what?" she asked as she compared his watch with the one on her wrist. His had a bluish-purple face with fairly large squares marking off each hour. There were three gears to measure 60 seconds, 30 minutes, and 1/10th of a second, collectively called chronograph subdials. There were also spots for the day of the week and the day of the month. The band was made out of steel and some other metal material, and had a buckle style clasp to it. There was a cleanness to the style of it and she found it very fitting for Edward's orderly personality.

Edward had noticed her checking out his watch. "Nice, huh? Has a mother of pearl face and the band is a mix of stainless steel and polyurethane."

"It looks just like a black metal."

He grinned. "Yeah, that's one of my favorite things about it."

In comparison, her father's watch was a shiny attention-getter. It was meant to look good no matter what he was wearing and to be a conversation starter. Edward's watch was all about having the information necessary to do his job. Not that she loved her dad's watch any less—it was just different.

It had a bold blue face with three smaller dials located within the main dial. The smaller dials held similar functions as those on Edward's watch, only these were for 12 hour, 30 minute, and 1/10 of a second measurements. Her watch could also tell you the month, the day of the month, and the day of the week. As nice as those bells and whistles were, the true reason she'd been so set on this watch for her father was that it was NASA approved for astronauts to wear into space. At the time, she'd thought that was the coolest thing ever, to be able to say you wore the same kind of watch as astronauts. And with her dad having loved stars so much, it had seemed perfect to her teenage mind.

"You're going to be my time spotter, Guppy."

Bella looked up and found Edward in the middle of removing his t-shirt, baring his chest up to his pecks and covering his face with the grey fabric. He was all tan skin and defined muscles with just a light patch of hair that looked almost golden starting at his navel and disappearing into his wetsuit. With as flushed as she felt, she was sure her cheeks had skipped right over pink and gone straight for fire engine red.

"Did you put _any_ sunscreen on?" Edward asked, sounding a little annoyed to her ears.

"Of course. But I probably need more. With the heat. And the sweating." She wanted to face-palm herself for her blathering but knew that would absolutely give her away if her silly response hadn't already.

"The heat and the sweat, huh?" Edward's cocky grin told her just how busted she was.

"Whatever," she said, tugging the hat's bill lower over her face. "Just tell me what a time spotter does."

Edward's hand came into view and pushed the bill of the hat up to a normal level. "My canister has fifty-five minutes of air. I want to keep a fifteen minute window open just in case. Your job is to make sure that I come out of the water at forty minutes. You'll need to keep track of how much air I use each time I go in."

"How will I do that?" she blurted out, suddenly afraid he meant for her to get in the water. "I mean, how will I signal you from up here on deck when your time is up?"

"Brett's assigned a deckhand to be in the cradle watching my back so you'll tell him and he'll signal me."

She breathed a sigh of relief and then immediately scolded herself for jumping to conclusions. Of course he wouldn't have her in the water without talking to her about it first. It was just her nerves making her jittery and silly.

He twisted his t-shirt up and then stuffed one end into the front pocket of her shorts. "Hang on to this for me."

While Bella blushed and quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching them, he pulled out a rash-guard shirt that matched the grey of his shorts. She wondered if he wore muted colors as camouflage—Jacob's and Leah's surfing suits were always full of vibrant blues and oranges. She didn't want to risk interrupting his ready routine so she would have to remember to ask him later.

"Watch me, Guppy," Edward said a few minutes later, offering his arm to her and laughing at his own joke.

"That was awful. Really awful," Bella confided after she stopped giggling.

"I could tell from your giggling." Edward moved her fingers aside and closed the clasp, having seen that she was struggling with it. "Alright. Watch is on, camera's ready, and air's good to go."

"Now you just need Brett and Gopher to tow a shark in."

"They're working on that right now."

Bella could feel her eyes widening with her anxiety. "Really? Another so soon?"

The first shark had been fished, cradled, tagged, and released only an hour ago. That didn't seem like much time at all to Bella, especially after forcing herself to stand at the railing and look down at the shark in the cradle. She'd also had to force herself to pretend she didn't know Lee, Whit, and Edward were down there, but she'd looked. The size of it had been scary enough but then she'd seen it moving with men as large as Gopher holding it down … the power of it was truly terrifying. And then to hear the crew call it a small female … She didn't want to imagine what it would take for them to call a shark large.

She'd been so focused on the thoughts in her head that she'd completely missed Edward moving closer—one second she'd been thinking of sharks and the next she was fixated on his hand holding hers.

"This is going to be just like before, Bella. The shark is hooked on a line and will only go where Brett's team leads. It's not even going to notice me in the water. And I'll only be in open water long enough to photograph it coming into the cradle and back out again. I'll be on the cradle with everyone else the rest of the time."

"Just promise you'll care more about your safety than getting the shot of the shark."

He lowered his voice to ensure only she could hear him. "I don't need to promise, kapu. Safety always comes first for me. I know you remember how I called off the dive that first day with the tiger sharks."

"It's just … You made such a big deal out of using the shark cage and now you're getting in the water with no cage and Whit's not going to be with you."

"Bella, every setup has its own circumstances and needs. Our small crew on Galeos has to take precautions that The Submarine doesn't because it's full of personnel and equipment. Trust me, if I thought for a second that it was necessary, I'd insist on having a cage. But with the fairly calm and clear water conditions today and the way the shark is pulled into the cradle, I'm confident I'm fine without it."

Gopher's words from the other day came to Bella … _The guy comes off as shark-happy but he's actually shark-smart_. If those who knew him so well trusted Edward to make the right call, then she had no right second-guessing him.

"Well then you don't have any excuse for not getting some really awesome shots," she told him, even managing a mostly real smile.

He snorted. "Don't take this the wrong way, Guppy, but how will you know they're awesome? You still hate looking at pictures of sharks."

This time, her smile was completely genuine as she stared up into his blue eyes. "I'll know because you'll be happy."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella huffed at the ceiling, tired of staring at it after three fruitless hours of trying to fall asleep on the storm-rocked boat. There should be no way for her to be awake, not after the long day on The Submarine and coming back to Galeos and having kitchen duty with Lee. Yet here she was, wide awake and staring at the ceiling. She doubted even having Edward beside her could get her to relax enough to sleep but there was no way to know since he'd gone to bed right after dinner, along with Whit and Gopher. She wished she was brave enough to sneak into his room but the certainty she felt that someone would catch her was too strong.

That only left her one option. But she wasn't about to try it empty-handed. She slipped into the kitchen and made a fresh pot of coffee. She was careful to put the exact same items and quantities she'd seen Gopher use, and then she brought the cup of coffee to the helm where Lee was on duty.

"Care to trade coffee for company?" Bella questioned, trying not to fidget under Lee's sharp gaze.

Lee replied with a question of her own. "What in the world are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep with the storm. It's rocking the boat too much."

Lee thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Come on. Hand over the coffee and grab a seat."

Bella happily complied with both requests. "How much longer until the storm moves out of our area?"

At first, Bella only heard the hum coming from within the coffee cup since Lee was happily enjoying her drink. But after a few gulps, Lee emerged to answer her question. "Last weather report was a half hour ago and it said the storm would dissipate in this area around one. So we've got another hour left of rain and rocking."

Bella let out a frustrated sigh. She was so tired and wanted so badly to sleep.

"You look exhausted. You know Masen is going to have a shit fit if you don't get any sleep tonight. No way will he let you come on The Submarine if you're not a hundred percent. Hell, _I_ won't let you."

"I know. I just … I've never been on a boat during a storm like this and the rocking is making me feel sick and that's making it impossible to fall asleep. And the last thing I want is to be left behind because I really did enjoy today." And she meant that completely. Even with the times she'd been anxious seeing her friends on that cradle kneeling right next to sharks, she'd enjoyed seeing them all in their element and loving their work.

Lee smiled and patted her leg. "Alright, Guppy. Calm down. Tell you what … I'm going to run down to Whit's medic room and get you some Dramamine. Then we'll talk until it kicks in or the storm moves on, whichever comes first."

Bella nodded, already having figured out it was better not to argue. Lee and Edward were really similar in that regard; once they got an idea into their head, it was nearly impossible to change their minds. So while Lee went after the Dramamine, Bella looked over all the gauges Edward had taught her how to read this morning on their way to Mossel Bay.

When Lee came back, she was snorting and giggling to herself. She came to a dead stop, took one look at Bella, and then started laughing openly and loudly. "It's just so ridiculous," she said, wiping away a laughter tear with the back of her hand.

Bella grinned, infected by Lee's mirth. "What happened?" she asked after she'd swallowed down the pill and water Lee had handed her.

"All three of them … They're just sleeping so damn _hard_. They never do that. Whit's laid out on his back, mouth wide open, and the most god-awful snores coming out of him. Gopher is passed out on his stomach, one arm dangling off the bed, and his face stuck to his pillow with drool. And Masen … I'm not sure what he was trying to do beforehand, but he's passed out at the foot of his bed wearing only a towel with his arms curled up under his head like a pillow. I think he meant to get dressed and just didn't make it because there's a pile of clothes next to his head."

Bella couldn't help but giggle at the images. "Guess the Colossus Crew really wore them out today."

"After two more days of this, even Masen will want all three days off for his birthday."

Bella sat up straight in her chair. "Birthday? When?"

"On the twentieth. That's why we're scheduled to have off the twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second. He doesn't know it yet, but Esme and I arranged for us all to camp on a beach in the Table Mountain National Park. We'll be able to surf and snorkel, and just have a good time."

"That sounds lovely. I'm sure he'll like that." She hoped she sounded honest because she certainly meant her words. But she couldn't help but feel bad that she had no way to get him a present. Not that he wanted one from her or needed one but … But she really would have liked to get him something. It had to be hard to have his birthday so close to Elizabeth's and it would have been nice to get him something that could make him smile.

"You know …" Lee said as she studied Bella, "… if you wanted, you could come into town with me Thursday night. I've gotta pick up a few supplies and you could look for a gift if you wanted."

Bella declined, worried that wanting to get him a gift would seem like an odd thing for an intern to do.

"Bella, I hope you're not just saying 'no' because of me. We got off on the wrong foot, you and me, but I hope you know that's past us. I'm not going to be mad if you want to get Masen a gift. In fact, I think he'd really like to get a present from you."

"Does he even like celebrating his birthday?" she asked, definitely not wanting to buy him anything if he didn't like celebrating.

Lee cocked her head to the side and looked closely at Bella. "You _know_. He told you about Elizabeth." She suddenly jumped up from her chair, ran a hand through her wavy, brown hair, and started pacing and ranting. "Holy shit. This is huge for him. Esme's going to have puppies when she hears! I just thought it was a crush sort of thing but if he told you …"

She whirled around and took Bella by the shoulders. "He told you, didn't he? Be honest."

"Yes, but you can't tell him I told you. He asked me not to talk about it." That wasn't quite what she'd agreed to keep private, but it was close enough.

"As if I'd say anything to him," Lee replied while rolling her eyes. "Listen, though … You like him, right?" Before Bella could answer, Lee interrupted to add, "Ten words or less."

"I really do, but it's complicated."

Lee snorted. "That's a given with him. Just … If you like him, and you really want to get to know him, then you have to give him space and be patient. He's so logical and methodical all the time that he's not really good at just being and feeling. Not that I'm the best at it either, but I manage way more than he does. I think that's why it took us so long to admit we sucked at being more than friends."

"He told me a little about that."

More snorting from Lee was followed by something Bella had desperately wanted to know but had never been brave enough to ask. "Did he tell you we never even really kissed? Sure, he'd kiss me on the lips but it was the same kind of kiss he'd give to my cheek before. It was a complete sister kiss.

"At first I thought his dating skills were just so awful that he was on a middle school level where hand-holding was equivalent to feeling a girl up. And then I thought it was because his head was so full of ideas and tasks for MMR. But then I met Gopher and the way I felt about him was so far above and beyond anything I'd felt for Masen … Love isn't logical and you can't make it conform to your plans. I think that might be what bothers him most about you."

Bella was too stunned to respond which was just as well since Lee wasn't done yet.

"I'm not saying he loves you, just that he _feels_ around you. You're actually able to steal his focus away from his work. When I told him to either accept you'd be in the way or to assign Whit to be your mentor, I already knew which option he was going to take. I'd known since the day before when he'd stopped everything to pry your hand off the doorframe and ease your fears over Whit and him being in the water with the tiger sharks. He's done a few other things since then that have shown me just how much you affect him. And his telling you about Elizabeth …" Lee smiled as she said, "Guppy, you damn well better tag along with me and get that man a birthday gift."

Bella smiled in return. "If you're sure he won't mind, then I'd really like that."

"I'm one hundred percent positive." Lee looked past Bella and out of the large window. "I'm also positive the rain's letting up and you need to get to bed."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Bella said as she stood. "Thank you for letting me keep you company."

"I do like you, Bella, and I consider you a new friend."

She smiled wide and before she could talk herself out of it, she gave Lee a tight hug. "I think of you as my friend too."

Lee chuckled. "Go on, little fish. Get yourself downstairs and get some sleep before you end up pissing off the mano in charge."

Bella giggled since she knew what the word meant. "Yeah, shark in charge is kind of appropriate." She smiled once more at Lee, wished her goodnight, and then headed down to her room.

Standing outside of her room, she could actually hear Whit's snores coming from behind his door. She wondered if he'd have a sore throat in the morning from those loud rumbles coming out of his throat. And then she was looking at Edward's closed door and imagining what Lee had described to her. It didn't take long for her blush to start creeping across her cheeks and she quickly ducked into her room, suddenly positive she was going to get caught.

And she almost was because no sooner than she was nestled under her covers, Edward slipped into her room. He must have been listening for her door with how quickly he'd appeared—and the fact that he was dressed in basketball shorts and a white t-shirt instead of the towel Lee had seen.

"Have a nice chat with Lee?" he asked as he put an arm around Bella and towed her back until her body was fitted tightly against his.

"How do you know that's where I was?"

He hummed into her hair and then pressed his lips against the back of her head. "Logical guess."

"Yes, actually, I had a really nice time with her. I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd keep her company until the storm passed." She turned in his arms so she could see him. "But what are you doing up? Lee checked on you earlier and you were sound asleep."

He kissed her softly on the lips before answering. "Why? Do you want me to go back to my room?"

"Of course not. I was just curious."

"I woke up, that's all. I rarely sleep the whole way through the night. And since I was up, I figured I'd check on you but you weren't in your room."

She found it sweet that he wanted to check on her and thanked him with a kiss to his jaw.

He let out a groan and tucked her head under his chin. "Go to sleep, kapu. Before you tempt me to keep you up."

She slipped her arm from between them and put it around his side, hugging him as best she could and thinking about her talk with Lee. He had checked on her because he felt for her and he was here in her bed holding her close because he felt for her. That was certainly some unexpected and important information to have. And it made it easier to believe all the things he'd confided to her this morning about wanting more with not knowing the right way to deal with it.

With that surety in her heart, the boat no longer rocking harshly, and Edward holding her close, Bella fell asleep quickly and with her lips curled up in a happy smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** We hope you guys enjoyed this very different side of Masen as much as we did! And that Bella's attempts to be an asset to the team and a friend to Lee made you smile. We've put some pictures up on the blog to go along with this chapter. Thank you all so much for your love and support for this story. We wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas with friends and family.


	19. 19 Diving Deep

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

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**A/N:**

**EternallyAddicted and I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas with your loved ones. We thought a chapter would be a great gift to you all.**

**We also wish everyone a Happy New Year. We hope 2013 brings loving moments and fond memories for all!**

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**Chapter 19 – Diving Deep**

**Wednesday, June 18th**

Masen groaned while stretching his arms and legs, careful not to wake Bella just yet. He'd thought he was done sleeping when he'd come into her room last night but after reading a little of the book on her nightstand he'd drifted back off. He wasn't necessarily bored by her book about an alternate look at _The Wizard of Oz_—it just wasn't stimulating enough to keep him up. He'd put away the book, slipped both arms around Bella, and let himself fall into a surprisingly deep and restful sleep. He yawned now as he rolled onto his side and then he watched her slumber for a bit before attempting to wake her.

A couple minutes later found him letting out a quiet laugh, unable to hold it back anymore. Bella was proving to be a very hard person to wake this morning. He'd already tried using his name for her, using her actual name, and shaking her shoulder. He'd thought about giving up on waking her nicely and just yelling her name but then he'd decided to try kissing her awake. It wasn't producing his intended result but it was cute as hell to watch her lips curl up into a smile with every soft kiss he gave her.

While this was a fun way to spend his morning, he couldn't put off waking her any longer. He whispered into her ear while rubbing her back. "Kapu, wake up for just a minute."

She groaned and rolled onto her back before slowly opening her pretty brown eyes.

He smiled and leaned in, tenderly pressing his lips to hers. "Morning, kapu."

"Is it really time to get up?" she croaked, her voice rough with sleep.

"For me, yes. I've got breakfast duty this morning and I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye. But you can go back to sleep until it's ready. I'll come down and wake you up or I can set your alarm." He didn't need to ask if she'd showered last night since he already knew—the guys had let the ladies have the first showers.

She gave a sleepy smile and patted his chest. "You, if you can."

He was sporting a huge grin when he kissed her forehead. "See you in an hour. Enjoy your sleep, kapu."

She was so tired and drifted off so quickly that she was still smiling as she slept. He couldn't understand how something as small as this moment with her was making him feel exceedingly happy but maybe this was one of those things that didn't have an explanation like Lee was always telling him. Whatever it was, he liked it and wanted more of it.

Unfortunately he couldn't stay here any longer—he had work to do upstairs. He was careful not to wake her as he gave Bella one last kiss on the mouth and then he pulled himself out of her bed. He headed upstairs expecting to find Whit in the kitchen, but found Lee there instead.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she greeted with a kiss to his cheek. "Does it feel weird to have slept for an entire night? You haven't done that in a long time."

"No, it's fine," he answered as he watched her pull out a couple of skillets. "What are you doing up? You're supposed to be sleeping since you had helm duty most of the night. Didn't Whit relieve you at two this morning?"

Lee chuckled. "Of course he did. Not even his snoring could drown out the sound of his alarm. And I did get some sleep, but after a couple hours I just wasn't tired anymore. I figured I'd let Gopher sleep in and have the morning off while I help you make breakfast."

He was grinning, already having a pretty good idea of the answer he was going to get. He grabbed her hip and turned her to face him. "How many cups of coffee have you had so far?"

"Two." She poked her tongue at him before saying, "So it's not a caffeine-induced state like you think. And besides, one cup was at midnight last night when your protégé came to visit me."

Masen faked surprise. "Really? What did Guppy want?"

"She hadn't been on a boat in a storm before so she was feeling sick and unable to fall asleep. I gave her some Dramamine and talked with her until she felt like she could sleep."

"What did you two talk about?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" Lee replied, laughing and handing him a carton of eggs. "You make the scrambled eggs. I'll handle the bacon and toast. Oh, and do that cinnamon and sugar thing Esme taught you."

"Make you a deal … I'll make the eggs _and_ the bacon if you tell me what you two talked about."

"Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna sell my friend Guppy out for some bacon." Even though she'd said it jokingly, he could tell she meant the friend part and that had him feeling happy and smiling.

"Alright, how about this? If she said anything in relation to yesterday's work on The Submarine, you share it with me."

"I can do that deal," she answered with a nod. "She said she enjoyed yesterday."

Masen huffed, expecting so much more detail from Lee. "That's it? That's all?"

"Yep." Lee slapped the pack of bacon against his chest while giving him a self-satisfied grin.

He narrowed his eyes in annoyance but rather than get her to divulge details, it had her laughing.

When she was done laughing at him, she told him, "So I was thinking about today and I really think you should have Bella work with me a little so she can get some experience with the science and research part of things. And you should really do it too. Angela and Ben are phenomenal and the ideas they have … Mase, you will _really_ like them."

He hadn't planned to say anything but his curiosity won out. "How was working with them? Was it weird being around a married couple working together like that?"

Lee considered it for a moment. "No, not at all. They're both extremely professional when it's time to work. Angela leans more toward the methodical type and Ben is a definite outside-the-box thinker. They complement each other really well. It's only when they're on break that you see they're more to each other. He'll have his hand on her back and she'll be leaning in and speaking so that only he can hear her. It's sweet. And you should definitely spend some time working with them."

"Tomorrow," he promised. "Today I want back in that cradle between shots."

"You just want to feel up more sharks," Lee teased.

"Hell, yeah! Did you ever for a second think we would get to be so close to a Great White?" In his excitement, he nearly bopped her in the nose with the palm of his hand. "This hand was on the dorsal fin of a Great White yesterday, Lee. That's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, right there."

Lee rolled her eyes even as she grinned. "You need to get out more, Mase. You're far too excited about having your hand on a shark. You need to get that hand on a flesh and blood woman."

He almost committed a major act of stupidity and immaturity. He nearly told her exactly where his hand had been earlier this morning—resting low on Bella's back and holding her close to him.

But he managed to keep his mouth shut, and to ensure it stayed that way he busied himself with making scrambled eggs and bacon for his crew.

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Bella wore a genuinely happy smile as she viewed the pictures she'd taken of the two crews this morning aboard The Submarine on the camera's small display. She couldn't wait to get the memory card into a laptop to see them properly, especially the one she'd gotten of Whit. They had just locked down the shark Whit had pulled into the cradle and he had his arms thrown up in the air with a huge smile covering his face.

"Guppy." She'd been so focused on what she was doing that she'd completely missed Edward sitting beside her until he'd spoken. He laughed and nudged her knee with his own. "Don't get any ideas. That camera is MMR property."

"I won't." She giggled to herself. "I at least won't act on my ideas."

He grinned and rolled his eyes—and then he put on his serious face. She should have known his sitting beside her like this in front of everyone on the deck of The Submarine would be work related but she had been too busy thinking about this morning and the wonderful way he'd woken her up. Both times.

She shook her head to clear it and then asked, "Am I getting a new assignment?"

"That depends. Bella, I really want you to think about what I'm asking before you answer. Think you can do that for me?"

If he promised to wake her with sweet kisses and warm embraces every morning, she'd do whatever he asked. Well … Almost anything. It would all depend on how much sharks were involved in his request. And from the way he was looking at her, equal parts hopeful and skeptical, she had a feeling his current request definitely involved the toothy beasts.

"I'll give it my best shot," she promised.

He nodded. And then he looked up at the sky and squinted. And then he looked down at his feet which made her look at them and she wondered once again if he hated having to wear his water shoes all day since he typically went barefoot on Galeos. That in turn made her realize he was stalling which made her anxiety kick in because he was never nervous about his work. Ever.

_What could make Edward nervous that involves sharks and me?_

_Oh no! What if he's changed his mind and he doesn't think I should be here anymore?_

_But yesterday …_

_Then he must be thinking of asking me to get in the water._

_I can't get in the water! It has sharks in it!_

The anxiety started to meld into panic and _that_ caused her to blurt things out in the same style and speed as her little sister. "Should I be nervous that you're so nervous? I should, shouldn't I? I should definitely be nervous. Actually, I'm all past nervous and speeding straight along into panic so if you could say—"

His hand felt wonderful against her mouth, mostly because it stopped her panicked rambling. He was looking straight at her, keeping her eyes locked on his blue ones. "Did I cause that? Nod if I did."

She nodded.

He sighed.

She giggled nervously behind his hand.

He cracked a smile as he took his hand away. "Sorry about that. I was trying to think of how to word this without scaring you."

"For future reference, never ever, ever, say to someone that you want to ask them something and then go silent for a long time. It gives their brain time to come up with lots of ideas about what you're going to ask and why."

"Noted," he said with a nod. "Sorry."

She waved his apology off, desperate to find out what he wanted so her mind would stop guessing. "Can you please just ask me?"

"Will you take photos on the cradle?"

Bella smiled and playfully smacked Edward on the knee. "See? That wasn't hard, was it? You had a question and you asked it without hesitation. That's a very important people skill to remem—" Realization of just what he'd asked settled on her and stopped her cold.

Edward covered her lax hand resting on his knee with his much larger one. "Objectively consider my question, Bella. Don't let your fear decide for you. You saw how smoothly things went yesterday and you've seen they're going the same this morning. It's a meticulous and timed process. The cradle would be out of the water and you'd have the entire cradle team surrounding you, including Lee and me. You don't have to get close to the shark if you don't want. You can stand back and use the zoom lens."

"Why?" The question came out garbled and she coughed to clear her throat. "Why would you ask me that?"

He moved his hand to her lower back and started rubbing a wide circle there. "I think it could be good for you. Your fear has built sharks up to be these unstoppable monsters in your head and I think being close to one, seeing that it's just an animal, would be beneficial. You'll be on your turf, out of the water, and the shark will be immobilized. It's likely the most controlled circumstances you'll ever have the opportunity to be in. And probably the safest too.

"But the choice is yours, Bella. I want you to really think about it and answer honestly. There's no right or wrong answer here. There's just the truth. No one is going to think any less of you if you turn this down, especially not me. And if you do agree, you are always free to change your mind at any point if it gets to be too much for you."

She closed her eyes and focused all of her attention on his hand and the circular pattern he was rubbing. She waited until she could feel the muscles in her shoulders relaxing before attempting to consider his request.

_Cons … I'll be on that cradle with a shark. A small space with a big predator. Just because something hasn't gone wrong yet doesn't mean it couldn't. But mostly it's a con because sharks cause my anxiety and my anxiety causes trouble, like that day at the ocean center. I don't want to cause trouble in a confined space and I definitely don't want my issues having any kind of impact on MMR._

_Pros … I'll be on that cradle with a shark. If that's not a sign of conquering my fear, I don't know what is. Edward and Lee will be there with me. I could take some amazing pictures of something very few people ever see—humans next to a live Great White without being in mortal danger. Just being on that cradle shows how dedicated MMR is to changing shark views and that the internship is working._

_I'm excited. I'm actually, honestly excited_, she admitted to herself. _But I'm more anxious than excited._

Bella opened her eyes and raised them to meet Edward's, confident in her decision. "I admit that it's really tempting. Thinking of the types of photos I could get is exciting. But the excitement just isn't stronger than the anxiety and I can't risk putting anyone in danger by having a bad reaction in a confined space."

He started to lean toward her but suddenly sat up straight. He shook his head and grinned at her, then spoke in a low voice. "I'm proud of you, kapu. So proud I nearly forgot where we are."

She was so thrilled he wasn't upset by her refusal that she wouldn't realize until much later what he meant by his second comment.

"Thank you for being honest, Bella. You told me the truth and not what you thought I wanted to hear. That shows trust between us."

"I do trust you." She smiled and made an attempt at a joke, "At least as my mentor."

"You trust me as more and you know it," he replied, sounding and looking completely confident in his belief. "So since you're not going to come into the cradle, I want you to spend some time working on deck with the science and research team. It'll give you a better understanding of the data we're collecting and why we're doing it."

"Which will help me care more about the sharks, right?" she guessed.

"Right." He was smiling again as he tapped the bill of her borrowed hat, making it fall down just a little. "Now, finish whatever you were doing with the camera and then go check in with Lee. She'll introduce you to the team and she'll make sure you're comfortable with whatever tasks they want to give you."

Bella didn't really think Edward would without telling her, but she had to be sure all the same. "She doesn't … I mean, you didn't tell her?"

He sounded as shocked as he looked. "No, of course not."

"I didn't really think so, I just wanted to make sure."

"Bella, it's your story to tell when you're ready. And when you are, I'm going to be right there beside you."

She smiled in thanks and nodded.

"All Lee knows is that you aren't getting in the cradle." He shrugged in response to Bella's questioning look. "I had a feeling you wouldn't be ready."

She smiled at his use of "feeling" because it brought to mind her talk with Lee last night.

"You might not see it, but you are making progress, Bella. You used 'excited' and 'anxious' in relation to my offer instead of 'afraid' and 'unable'."

"Those are just words, though."

"Not every improvement you make is going to have a visible result," he said as he got to his feet. "And sometimes, changing what we believe is the biggest battle of all."

She nodded, reminded by his words of something similar her uncle had once told her. Something about stubborn, steadfast beliefs being more detrimental to progress than a lack of knowledge.

"I'm going to leave you to your camera enjoyment for now," Edward told her. "Just make sure you get a couple hours in working with Lee."

"I promise."

He smiled and then he was gone, rejoining the group of men standing around and waiting for the fishing team to bring them another shark. They'd gotten five yesterday and two already this morning. Seven sharks seemed like a lot to her but it must not have been if they were still trying to catch more.

Bella waited until they'd gotten word of a shark being caught to head over to Lee. She was introduced to Angela and Ben, the married couple in charge of science and research for the Colossus Crew.

"Bella is our intern this summer," Lee explained. "She's going to work at the Atlanta Aquarium this fall and needed some experience with sharks."

"You picked an amazing species to start with," Ben said, smiling at Bella. "Though, you won't find any Great Whites in your aquarium. It's believed their electroreceptors are too sensitive for captivity and that's why no team has ever successfully kept one."

"What does being in a tank have to do with their receptors?" Bella questioned, finding that she was really curious to know.

"We don't know for sure," Angela answered. "Most of what we know about Great Whites is still just theories."

Ben picked up right up where she stopped. "The theory with captivity is that the electrical pulses from filtration systems, cameras, and other electrical devices get picked up by the shark's electroreceptors. With so many signals coming in at once, the shark suffers sensory overload and can't function."

"If they're so sensitive, why can't they tell the difference between the signals of seals and humans?" Bella questioned, wondering if they would have the answers Edward didn't.

"Again, we can only theorize," Angela said, pausing to push her windblown hair away from her face. Ben reached into a pocket of his cargo shorts and handed her a clip and once she had it secured, she continued with her reply. "But we believe the electrical signals produced by our bodies and those of seals are such a low level hum as to be indistinguishable."

Bella marveled at the seamless way they worked together and wondered if that could ever be her with Edward. But then her frustration over not having a clear-cut answer took over and her irritation was a little too clear in her voice. "So either they don't get enough signal to differentiate or they get too much and basically fail? Great Whites don't seem that great right now."

Ben and Angela exchanged smiles and then Ben said, "Let's see if we can't change your mind on that. We'll watch Angela and Lee collect samples down in the cradle. Then you'll come with me and I'll show you what we do with them."

A half hour later, Bella found herself in what was quite possibly the messiest office she'd ever seen. The one clear spot was directly in front of her where Ben was meticulously labeling the test tubes of samples from the third shark of the day. It had been a female and Lee had been given the honor of naming it—she'd chosen Marie. When asked about it, she'd confided it was actually for Gopher as Marie was the real name of Rogue, one of his favorite female comic book characters.

"So, Bella—Can I call you Bella?" Ben asked, simultaneously spinning his chair to face her and pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Guppy just sounds weird. I feel like there should be one of those tiny desk aquariums in front of me while I tap on the glass and talk to a Beta fish." Ben smiled shyly and shrugged. "Sorry. I ramble when I'm around new people."

"It's fine. And yes, you can call me Bella."

"Great! So, Bella, how is a shark like a golf ball?"

She shrugged. "It's unhealthy for anyone to be hit by either?"

"Good guess. And it is true." He waved his hand in front of her face while saying, "But it's not the answer you are looking for."

Bella only blinked.

Ben shrugged. "Not a _Star Wars_ fan then. Moving on!" He opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out a golf ball, holding it up for her inspection. "A golf ball has a dimpled outside. Do you know why?"

"No, sorry," Bella said with a shake of her head.

"It's because it allows it to fly faster and further. See, a smooth ball clears a path through the air, leaving a low pressure wake behind it that sucks the ball backwards and slows it down," he explained, demonstrating the backwards motion with the ball in his hand.

"The little divots in this golf ball create pockets of turbulence, causing the air to swirl around the ball and creating a much smaller wake. It doesn't pull on the ball so much and that allows it fly faster and farther.

"Now sharks …" he said as he pulled a toy shark out of the same drawer, "Sharks look smooth but when you get close enough to touch them, you realize they're covered with tiny curving spikes called dermal denticles. Imagine a bunch of small, flattened coat hooks, all on top of each other, and all curving towards the back of the shark. These denticles do for sharks what dimples do for golf balls. They let the shark fulfill his need for speed.

"So next time anyone asks you how is a shark like a golf ball, you can say they both are masters of fluid dynamics. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Very cool," Bella agreed with a quick nod. She had the image of a shark covered in coat hooks in her head and was trying very hard not to laugh.

Her attempt became a wasted effort with Ben's next comment. "Also, if you're alone with either, it's not a bad idea to hit it with the golf club first and ask questions later."

Bella put her hand over her mouth to try to help stop her giggles. "Sorry."

"No worries. That's actually exactly what you were supposed to do. Laughter makes the world a better place and our lives a little less stressful. I do my best to get Ange to laugh at least a couple times a day."

"Is it hard to find time to be happy with such serious careers?"

"It's not the careers so much as the hours. But we make time. A relationship is a lot like any other job—you have to prioritize and remain dedicated to be successful at it. Not that I need to tell you. I'm sure you and Masen know all about it."

"What makes you say that?" Bella asked, hoping she was the only one who could hear the nervous shake to her voice. This was exactly the kind of thing Edward had been worried about.

Ben shrugged and smiled. "I've done my fair share of conspiratorial whispering and leaning. And definitely staring at my better half with a goofy smile on my face. Although, Masen hides it pretty well. His smile is just barely this side of goofy. He seems the type to want to be professional in front of others."

Something in her expression had him reaching out to comfort her. "It's not a big deal, Bella. Heck, I probably wouldn't have even noticed if I hadn't gone through a similar stage of keeping things quiet with Angela. I just happened to see you two sitting together this morning and the way he was looking at you … Well, it's how I look at Angela. She's all there is in the world when we're together."

The radio on the end of the desk crackled and then spurted out an odd imitation of Angela's voice. "Ben, the shark coming in is bigger than the others. We're going to need a couple extra hands."

Ben scrambled out of his chair and practically dove for the radio. "Got an estimate on the size?"

"Possibly sixteen feet. Better grab the thick set of needles on your way here."

"Be there in five. Over and out." Ben grinned wide as he set the radio down. "If they're right, this is the biggest one to-date."

"Why is that a big deal?"

Ben answered while rifling through drawers and stacks of supplies. He might be a brilliant thinker but that obviously didn't translate into great organizational skills. "The larger the shark, the longer it's been alive, and the more it has to tell us. And if we manage a male that size, well then who knows what kind of data we could get."

He eventually found what he was looking for and then they headed over to the staging area for the cradle team. He handed his find to Angela and took a pair of gloves from Lee.

Bella craned her neck to see around them, wanting to know if Edward was still with the cradle team or if he'd gone back in the water for more photos. There were more guys standing around than before and it was difficult to pick any one person out of the bustling, talkative group. But then she saw a flash of reddish-brown that she knew could only be coming from Edward's hair.

She moved closer to the railing so that she'd have a good vantage point to take in everything the cradle team would be doing and she spotted the skiff heading toward the boat with the fourth shark of the day. She wondered if Whit and Gopher had exchanged spots yet and which one of them was hauling in the big behemoth. Whichever one it was, the other was sure to be jealous. All during dinner last night they'd argued over who was the better fisherman and why. It had all been playful but she'd also sensed a competitive streak lying just beneath the surface.

The skiff simultaneously came closer and slowed, making it easier for the "fisherman" to guide the hooked shark into the cradle. The man in charge of this particular beast was The Submarine's captain, Brett. He looked harassed and sweaty and Bella couldn't even begin to imagine the strength it took for him to control a massive shark with just a rope.

Just as they had yesterday and earlier today, the crewmen were yelling out instructions left and right and the group on deck had become jittery, ready to move and get down to business. And just like yesterday, Bella told herself this was just like watching a documentary from the safety of her couch back home with its many protective cushions. These were trained individuals in controlled circumstances and there was no reason to worry. They knew what they were doing and she was safe up here on deck, far from the water and the shark they would be pulling out of it.

She focused on the skiff again and saw Brett standing on the edge of it with Whit and another man right behind him, preparing for the jump that made Bella's skin grow cold and her throat tighten every single time she saw it. In the time it would take the cradle to rise up out of the water, the fisherman and the shark would be in the water together, all those teeth right next to the feet of the man.

This particular shark, however, seemed to have plans of its own and it turned at the last second, avoiding the cradle and nearly bumping right into the skiff. Now the air was full of curses only slightly drowned by the skiff's engine being revved.

The boat and the shark circled around and then came in for a second try. Brett jumped, clearing the skiff and the arm of the cradle, and landed on the wooden bottom in water up to his knees—and he was as tall as Gopher.

Brett quickly jumped back from the shark while pulling on the rope to clear the tail. "Up, up, up," he shouted.

The shark thrashed in futility, unable to back away into the water it had just come from. _Welcome to Oz, Dorothy_, Bella thought as she watched the scene below her.

Brett yelled out his next command, "Tail! Get the tail!"

Edward, Gopher, and another man jumped down into the cradle with thick corded ropes in their hands. Edward reached the tail first and leaned in to grab hold of it just as he had yesterday afternoon. But unlike yesterday, he didn't get his or his rope around the tail.

Bella watched in horror as the shark reared its tail back and then jerked it forward again, sliding right under Edward's arm and slamming into his side with a thunderous, meaty thwack. There was half a second of perfect, stunned silence and then Edward was falling. He disappeared under the swirling water since the cradle had only just started to rise. She would have screamed if her throat hadn't been locked up tight.

The cradle rose higher and the water began pouring off the sides but still she couldn't see Edward. He was going to drown down there and she was absolutely helpless to stop it. For a moment, the only sound she could hear resided in her head, her own teenage voice screaming for her father.

She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to five, praying she was having an anxiety-induced daydream instead of a real life moment. There was no way life or fate or whatever it was called would force her to lose another person she loved to a shark. Shitty timing for that kind of realization without a doubt, but true all the same. She loved Edward.

When she opened her eyes, she found Gopher standing near where Edward had disappeared. He bent over and thrust his arm into the swirling water. When he pulled it back, he had a fistful of Edward's shirt but there was still no sign of Edward's head.

Gopher grunted and pulled and finally hauled Edward up into a standing position. He swayed on his feet but quickly found his balance and grabbed on to Gopher's shoulder to keep it.

She had no idea how long she stood there watching Edward cough and Gopher thump him on the back but it couldn't have been nearly long enough to explain what happened next. The two of them went right back to work as if nothing at all had occurred. Edward grabbed for the tail again, this time getting hold of it, and Gopher tossed a rope around it. They secured the tail with the help of the other guy down there and held it steady while a second group of guys covered the shark's face with a long, dark towel and inserted a water hose into its mouth. Bella helplessly watched it all, wanting to turn away yet needing to see.

"Bella," Lee called, waving her hand right in front of Bella's face. "Guppy, look at me."

Bella blinked and tried to focus her eyes but the world swayed and swirled in front of her. She was having an anxiety attack and she knew from past ones that if she didn't find a way to stop it, she was going to end up fainting on the deck of this boat and that was not something she could allow to happen. She bit down on her lower lip until her body was able to focus on the pain and her eyes focused on Lee.

"There you are," Lee said softly. "I was starting to worry I was going to have to slap you."

"I'm fine. I just … I'm going to the restroom."

"I'll come with you."

Bella barely even heard her over the ringing in her ears. She needed to splash some water on her face and then imagine the gazebo back home with her uncle and her sister. She needed to clear her mind of everything she'd just seen and felt. Edward was fine. She was fine. Everyone and everything was fine. She just needed a moment to convince herself of that.

And at some point, she was going to need to let go of the feelings she had in regards to Edward Masen because there was no future with him. For the same reason there had been no future with Jacob. She couldn't be with someone who spent half their life in the water with those monsters. She couldn't handle the worry and the fear that came with being with a person like that. She just couldn't—no matter how much she wanted to, or even felt she needed to.

That was her feeling and it was highly unlikely for it to change.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen was distracted. He kept trying to still his shaking leg and focus his mind on the information in front of him, but instead of seeing the screen he kept seeing Bella's face from earlier when she'd asked to talk with him. He had no idea what she wanted to talk about, only that she'd given him that damn fake smile he hated so much. It was driving him to distraction and making him frustrated with himself for worrying about it. He had no reason to think so, but he was positive it wasn't good news she wanted to share.

Unable to contain himself any longer, he looked away from his laptop and toward his best friend sitting on the other side of the desk. "Hey, do you have any idea what Bella wants to talk to me about?"

"How should I know?" Whit replied with a shrug, his focus on the stack of papers in front of him.

"I just figured since you and Lee spent the afternoon with her, you might have some idea."

Whit didn't respond in any way.

"Alright, fine," he gruffly said. "I'm worried about her, okay? If this is something really important and I need to be talking to her instead of working, I want to know."

Whit leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms along the sides of it and looking at Masen as if he was the canary and Whit was the cat. "You want my help? Then I want no bullshit or smart ass comments or self-denial, Mase. Just level with me."

For a second, Masen was tempted to fake ignorance just to frustrate Whit the way he'd been getting frustrated for weeks now. But he knew that wouldn't be fair since he was actually asking for help this time.

He moved his laptop to the side so he could face his friend—and the truth he'd been denying until yesterday. "I want her in ways I don't even understand."

Whit grinned and said, "No shit, Captain Obvious. Give me more than that. You _owe_ me more than that."

"I don't owe you shit, you nudger. But I'll tell you because I want your help." He took a breath and a moment to arrange his jumbled thoughts in regards to the woman turning his world upside down. "There's the physical attraction, obviously. But then there are all these little things about her that make me want to spend time with her just as much."

He tried to come up with some way to explain it without sounding like a damn fourteen year old with his first crush. The trouble was that was exactly how she made him feel. He loved the sound of her giggles and the way her eyes lit up when she was happy, becoming more caramel than brown. He enjoyed watching her play with Lizzy and laugh with his family. He really liked that he could relax with her and have his mind clear out enough for sleep. He even liked the way she challenged him, making him dive deep to find the right words to help her with her shark fears. If he was forced to find a single sentence to explain himself, he'd have to say he loved her presence in his life.

And that was exactly what he told his best friend, though not in such specific terms. "My life is different with her in it. There are some really good things about it, and then there are some drawbacks, like her ability to distract me from my work. And yet I still want her around." The words of his mother came to him and where he normally would have silenced himself, he shared them with Whit. "I don't want to let her go."

"Have you done anything to let her know that?" Whit asked.

Masen scratched at the bridge of his nose, feeling self-conscious for reasons he couldn't explain, not even to himself. "I told her yesterday I wanted more than a friendship. That when I'm with her, what I feel for her is louder than any doubts I have about if it's right or wrong."

"About fucking time!" Whit exclaimed, sitting forward and leaning against the desk. "You had me worried you weren't going to pull your head out of your ass."

"Yeah, well …" He looked straight at Whit, knowing his friend would understand the gravity of his next words. "I told her about Elizabeth."

Whit silently and patiently waited for more information.

"I …" He paused, still unsure of why he'd trusted her so much. "I told her about that last day with my mom. I don't know exactly what I was expecting from her but it definitely wasn't what I got. She didn't say all the typical stuff people tend to say, the useless apologizes and the untrue commiserations. They didn't know Beth so they have no idea what I lost. Bella didn't do that. She just … She just listened."

Whit smiled and reached across to grip Masen's wrist. "She gave you what you wanted when you didn't even know what that was. That's a good thing, Mase."

"I know and that's why I told her I want more. I don't really know what more is right now, but I want it."

"I can promise you she's just as confused," Whit replied, taking his hand back and then setting his chin on his folded arms. "She didn't share the how, but she confided in Lee and me that she lost her dad. She also admitted what happened with you today scared the shit out of her and was making her rethink everything. The internship. Her future in Atlanta. _You_."

Masen licked his suddenly dry lips and grimaced at the sour taste in his mouth. "She said that specifically? About me?"

"Well you're not a total lost cause," Whit said, letting out a sigh of relief. "You focused on your relationship with her first and everything else second."

Masen ran a hand through his hair as if that would somehow rid him of his frustration. "Yeah, well, I know I can convince her to stay for MMR and her career. I'm not so sure about me personally."

"You can do it. As long as you're honest with her and yourself about how much you want her. And make sure she understands you're talking about caring for her in a truly deep way, not just wanting her physically. It's completely clear to everyone around that you two are wildly attracted to each other, but I seriously doubt she has any idea of how much you care for her. She doesn't know you like we do, Mase. You can't just expect her to know that you stopping everything to talk to her is not a normal occurrence and means something more."

He gave his friend a weary look. "She's distracting me and I'm not only allowing it, I want more of it. I'm pretty fucking sure that proves how much I care about her."

His response was followed by the memory his mother's voice—and it was really hers this time. _You won't want to let her go._ He couldn't say whether or not that meant he was in love with Bella, but it definitely meant he felt more for her than for any other woman he'd allowed into his life. And there weren't many of those. Actually, if he didn't count Lee—and he shouldn't—there was exactly zero. No girls from high school or college. No chance meetings that had turned into more. Just a dozen or so one time encounters over the years.

Whit's voice distracted him from his thoughts. "You're damn lucky Lee and I know you and can see that you do care for Bella. We've already laid the groundwork for you. Lee talked to her about her own fears after my attack and the choice between living our lives and hiding in fear. She asked Bella to think hard about if she was really willing to give you up.

"For my part, I told her that everything anyone ever does is a risk. That any of us can be hurt in any way at any moment. And then I told her my pop's favorite saying about life—No risk, no reward."

Masen grinned. "Poppa Whitlock and his short and sweet life rules. I've always been partial to his 'If you want it, get it and stop talking about it'."

"That's a good one," Whit agreed with a nod. "But I didn't think it would be beneficial to Bella in her state at the time."

Masen sighed, hating all over again that as much as he'd wanted to go up and check on her, his priority in that moment had been the team and the shark—all of their lives had depended on him getting the job done. He had hoped she would understand but it sounded like her fear was stronger than her reasoning right now.

Whit lifted his head and sat up straight. "You're probably gonna wanna kill me for this next bit, but she deserved the truth. I told her there hasn't been a woman in your life and it's a huge step for you to let her in. She had the right to know she isn't the only one taking risks."

He groaned and hung his head. "Great. Now she probably thinks I'm dysfunctional or something."

"Mase, I love you, bro, but you _are_ dysfunctional. Work is easier for you to understand and relate to so you've always buried yourself in it. The reason I've been a 'fucking nudger' as you put it, is because right from the start Bella was pulling you away from work and into your life. You were supposed to be touring the boat for work and yet you ended up at your park sharing your favorite treat. We were working with the tigers and you stopped to help with her anxiety. For fuck's sake, bro, you stole my chocolate to make her chocolate milk. If a woman can get you to do all of that and you still want her, then I'm going to help you make sure you keep her."

Masen lifted his head, his face set with the determination he felt inside. "So tell me how. Tell me what I need to do to convince her to want me just as much."

"You have to be honest. You have to tell her and show her what she means to you."

"Okay, but I don't know. I mean, I know I want her in my life but beyond that … This is out of my scope of knowledge, bro."

"Tell her what you do know and how you feel. Try explaining it to her just the way you did with me. As long as she can see you're being honest with her and yourself, things will work out."

Masen rarely doubted Whit's advice and this was definitely a time when he wanted to trust his best friend. He just wasn't sure if Whit had learned enough about Bella to know for sure that she'd give Masen a chance to convince her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella sat on her bed with her knees drawn up and her forehead resting on them, her focus on the music coming from her laptop. She was waiting for Edward; she'd asked to talk with him earlier and he'd promised to come after he finished some reports he was working on with Whit.

She clenched her eyes shut, forcing herself to keep her mind clear of anything but the music. She slowly realized the song she'd been listening to had changed and one she couldn't recall having heard before was now playing.

_Your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine …_

Bella fumbled with the remote in her hand, desperate to change the song so she wouldn't have to hear any more of the too-appropriate lyrics. She normally wasn't so emotional but then again she normally didn't realize she loved someone on the same day she watched them get injured by a shark and nearly drown.

_Ooh, I don't love you. But I always will._

_No, I don't love you. But I always will._

Her laptop finally blessedly shuffled and began playing a song with really cheerful intro music. Music like that couldn't go with lyrics that would make her think of Edward and the impossible choice she was facing.

_I've got this friend._

_I don't think you know him._

_He's not much for words._

_He's hidden his heart away._

_Oh, I've got this friend._

_A loveless romantic._

_All that he really wants_

_Is someone to want him back._

"Seriously!" she cried, twisting to look at her laptop screen in disbelief. She wondered if Whit had somehow gotten hold of it and programmed it to remind her of their talk earlier. It should have made her feel special that she was the only woman Edward had let into his life, but right now it only served to make deciding what to do harder. She'd gone from only having one possible choice to having two improbable ones.

With a deep sigh she wondered if there was a chance the silly song might have an answer for her. Even though she snorted at such a crazy idea, she still pressed "play" to let the song continue.

_Oh, I've got this friend_

_Holding onto her heart_

_Like it's a little secret._

_Like it's all she's got to give._

_It'd be such a shame_

_If they never meet._

_She sounds lovely._

_He sounds right out of a dream._

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. If the right one came._

_If the right one came along._

Was Edward the right one? Even though he worked with sharks and was at risk every second he was in the water with those creatures, was he the right one?

She didn't know.

Her father's voice came to her as clear as if he was sitting beside her. _Someday, and much too soon for me, a young man is going to enter your life and turn your world upside down because that's just what young men do._

Edward had definitely turned her world on its head. He was bold and brazen and more confident than anyone she'd ever met. But he was also sweet and gentle and loved his family deeply. He took responsibility for his crew and gave all he had to ensuring their safety. And he had feelings for her. She didn't know what kind and she highly doubted they were anywhere near as strong as hers for him, but he still had them.

But what if she was wrong? What if Edward's feelings were just as strong?

… _the way he was looking at you…it's how I look at Angela. She's all there is in the world when we're together._ Ben was basically a complete stranger so for him to know there was more to Bella and Edward's relationship from just seeing them together …

Then again, Ben was a stranger. He didn't know Edward. He hadn't seen his hot and cold behavior. But wasn't that in itself a significant sign? Why act two ways if you only felt one? Even more importantly, could Bella be satisfied with going home now and never having the answer to that question or any of her others about Edward?

Lee's words from earlier passed through her mind. _Sometimes in life you have to take a big risk to get a big return. It would have been so easy to give up on surfing. I could have sold my board and that would have been the end of it. But when I really thought about what I was giving up … Early mornings with Whit and Masen, the three of us laughing and having a great time, building memories worth cherishing … Bella, I couldn't give that up. It was a daily struggle in those first few weeks to force ourselves into the water but then one morning Whit and Masen were laughing like old times and I was teasing Mase about me being the better surfer and it all just felt right again. I don't know what kind of memories you've made with him so far, but are they really so easy to give up? Is he?_

Whit's logic had been profound and undeniably true. _Life is a constant risk. You could get hit by a car crossing the street. A dolphin could drag you down and drown you. A ray could pierce your heart with its barb. There are risks every second of every day. No risk, no reward. It's that simple._

He'd also shared the kind of risk Edward was taking … _You won't be the only one taking a risk, Bella. Masen is putting everything on the line for you, to have a relationship with you. His work. His life as he's known it. His heart. He's never done this before. Not once. You are the only woman he's made an attempt to let in and I'm sure he's fucked it up more than once already but that's just because he has no idea what he's doing and no experience with caring about someone the way he does for you._

Bella's thoughts turned toward Jacob. She'd spent almost a year as his girlfriend, spending time together and having fun and even talking about the future. He'd seemed so stable with his job at an accounting firm and his suits and his clean, modern apartment. She'd thought he was practically perfect minus a few disgusting boy-behaviors. She'd had no idea at the time of his hobby and his true passion in life. One minute, everything was going smoothly and they were on track to move in together. The next, he was quitting his full-time job to become a part-time motorcycle mechanic so he could surf competitively. She'd known he was originally from Washington but she'd had no idea he'd grown up surfing and she'd never heard him talk about heading to any beach in Florida to do it. Not until she'd gone over to his apartment one afternoon and found the surfboard leaning against the wall next to his television.

She'd begged him not to do it, not to put his life at risk by being on the water, but he'd told her she was worrying for nothing, that what had happened to her father was a freak accident and could never happen to him. Even now she didn't completely understand how they'd managed to salvage their friendship out of the mess they'd made and all the things they'd said to each other out of hurt and fear and anger. She knew she was grateful to have him as a friend, though, even if he made her worry like crazy about him at times.

She wondered if what she'd learned so far about sharks would have made a difference with Jacob. It didn't take her long to decide it wouldn't. The only life she could picture with Jake was the safe one she'd expected before finding out about his love of surfing. There was nothing in his personality or in the way she felt for him that was a strong enough pull to make the risk of losing him on the water an acceptable trade for time spent with him.

The real question she had to ask herself was if what she felt for Edward was strong enough. She loved him. That much she knew without question or hesitation. She cared as much for his safety as his happiness. She enjoyed so much about being with him and was completely willing to put up with the parts of him that frustrated her. She could even accept that his passion in life was sharks and shark conservation. But could she have a happy life with him and not be worried sick every second of every minute he was in the water?

She thought about how she'd felt this morning when she'd woken up to his kisses—it seemed impossible that it had really been just this morning and not a week ago with how long her day felt to her now. Looking up into his green eyes and seeing the carefree smile on his face … There had been no worries or fears or thoughts of anything outside of that moment with him. She'd felt only happiness and something warm deep inside her. She knew now that warmth was her love for him.

But was it enough? Was it so precious and rare that it deserved to be put before every rational thought that screamed for her to ignore her feelings and forget about having more with Edward? She was going to have to dive deep within herself to answer that honestly.

Her bedroom door opened and there he stood, a hopeful smile on his face and a nervous hand mussing his hair.

And she knew.

Just like that.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen staggered backwards and fought gravity. The door was still open so he had nothing to lean against to help absorb the impact of Bella slamming into him. He had no idea if this was a good sign or a bad one, only a sense that it meant she'd made a choice. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to assume it was in his favor. He wouldn't know how to handle the let-down if he was wrong.

He let her keep her death grip hold on him and slowly walked her forward until he could close her bedroom door. He could feel her shaking and assumed she was just overwhelmed until he heard her hiccup—she was crying. He'd heard Lee cry and he'd seen Esme do it more than once but the sound had never hurt him the way it was doing right now.

He wrapped his arms around Bella as tight as he dared, trying to comfort her in action and words. "Don't cry, kapu. Whatever's wrong, we can fix it. I _want_ to fix it."

He could only make out a few phrases over the sound of her crying. "So scared … The tail … the sound … _hitting_ you … You were underwater … And Gopher … And then you just …"

"It's alright," he assured her, holding her tighter and resting his head against hers. "_I'm_ alright. That's exactly why they have teams setup to do this kind of work, so that everyone is as safe as possible."

She somehow managed to cry harder.

"Bella, please. I'm alright."

There was only more crying on her end.

"Listen, if you're upset with me that I didn't come up on deck to talk to you about it … Bella, you have to know you were in my thoughts and if there had been anyway to do it, I would have gone to you. But there were lives at stake—all of the team members and the shark. You are a priority for me but so is safety and in that one moment, safety had to come first. I really hope you can understand that because I would hate to know that one scary moment ruined this for us."

A mumbled "this" came out of her.

"Yes, this. This relationship that's part friendship, part work, and something more, something very important to me and I think to you too. I care for you, Bella, so much. And you've made a ton of progress already with overcoming your fear. I won't let you give up on your dreams just because of one small incident. Bella, I … I can't let you give up on _me_ that easily. It's not an option for so many reasons. If I let you just call it quits now and go home, I'd be failing you as your friend, and your mentor, and as … as more."

She lifted her head, revealing sad brown eyes with silent tears falling from the corners. "What's more mean to you?" she asked through trembling lips.

He framed her face with his hands, both to feel her skin against his and to ensure she could see he was being completely honest. "More of your smiles. More of your kisses. Your giggles. Your fighting me on sharks as much as needing me to help. More of the way spending time with you feels, like it's just as important and fulfilling as my work."

Her shaking hands held tightly to his wrists. "But your work is starting to scare me more than the sharks."

"Bella, you know I'm careful. You've seen safety comes first for me every single second. If I hadn't felt one hundred percent certain I was okay to continue down on that cradle, I would never have stayed. I would never put myself or anyone else at risk like that. Part of respecting sharks is knowing they can turn on me at any moment. That's why I check and recheck every single thing before I let myself or anyone else get into the water. I'm not out here seeking thrills, Bella. I'm searching for ways to save the lives of creatures that are vital to our ecosystem, to our own futures."

She had stopped crying but there was still so much fear in her eyes.

"Bella, please. Please let me help you so you won't be afraid like this anymore. I can't stand the thought of you holding it inside and spending your life afraid for everyone you know who gets into the water. You belong on the water as much as I do and I want to help you enjoy it again."

She didn't say anything. She just looked at him, waiting for something from him.

Masen swallowed down the unease he felt, the worry that he was somehow fucking this up even more, and forced himself to follow Whit's instructions to be clear and honest about his feelings. "I care for you. I care if you're happy or you're sad or even annoyed with me. Especially when you're annoyed with me because I like it when you're happy. I like that seeing you happy makes me feel the same.

"I wish I could tell you I know exactly what wanting more with you means but I'm still trying to figure it out myself. One thing I do know for certain is that if you were to leave, I'd miss you. And I'd always wonder what could have happened if you'd stayed."

Her throat must have felt raw from the crying because her voice was hardly more than a gruff whisper. "Do you want me to stay for the internship or for you?"

"Both. But mostly for me."

The silence that followed unnerved him and left him feeling like he hadn't done enough yet, hadn't said the right words yet. He dove deep and found that the truest words he could say to her had been given to him by his mother. "I don't want to let you go, Bella. Please don't make me do that."

She pressed her hands against his neck and drew his lips down to hers, kissing him so softly that he hardly felt it at all. He panicked and assumed this was her idea of a goodbye and he was absolutely ready to beg her to stay, something he'd never done with anyone.

Before he could try begging, she pulled him closer and kissed him hard enough to cause him to groan against her lips.

And he knew.

Just like that.

She would stay and he would do everything he could to make it the best summer of her life. And if he felt this damn strongly about her now, he couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be in love with her, to feel for her what his mother had felt for his father.

He knew one other thing … Bella was no longer his kapu because she felt forbidden. She was his kapu because she was sacred to him, so very special and worth risking changing everything he'd ever known.


	20. 20 Sunken Shark & Parachute Jump

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 20 – A Sunken Shark & A Parachute Jump**

**Thursday, June 19th**

Bella woke up to the sound of her alarm and an empty bed. Or so she thought until she noticed a note and her journal lying on Edward's pillow. She was beyond curious as to what her journal was doing out but she forced herself to read the note first.

_Kapu –_

_Wanted to get some work thoughts out of my head. Down in my project room if you need me._

There was some squiggle underneath that she assumed was supposed to be his name and she smiled as she ran her finger over it. She could picture his hand jerking across the page in his impatience—wanting to be downstairs already while also wanting her to know why he'd left.

She reached for her journal next, remembering how excited he'd been last night when she'd pulled it out and finally shared it with him. He'd read every word she'd written so far and then he'd gotten her to promise to show him the other journals sometime. He'd asked about a few entries and questioned things in others, showing a true interest in her sightings. He'd also thanked her. He'd thanked her for staying, for trusting him with her journal, and for believing he was serious about wanting more with her.

Bella let go of those thoughts with her next breath and gripped the white ribbon that marked where she was in her book. She pulled back the pages and just below her neat, well-spaced script she found Edward's tight lettering with its sharp corners.

_Sighted: Kapu_

_Where: In bed with me_

_Description: Beautiful_

_Side Note: Being around you comes with random knowledge. When I was seven Beth let me rescue a cat from the local shelter. I named him Jolly after the Jolly Roger pirate ship from Peter Pan. I went through a pirate phase and wanted to be one when I grew up. (Don't judge - You told me last night you once believed smurfs were real)_

Whenever Jolly was tired he would come lay beside me and rub his head against me until he found a spot he liked and then he'd fall asleep. When you lay down at night you rub your forehead against your pillow in that same way. See my point? It's random to know you do that before you go to sleep. Random knowledge and I'm glad I have it.

She was smiling as she hugged the book to her chest, wondering what to make of what he'd written. He'd shared something new about his mom and a piece of his childhood but he'd also compared her to a cat. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or sock him in the shoulder. She did know that, like him, she was glad to have this random knowledge.

Last night … The things he'd said … And he had _meant_ them. She'd never once felt that worry that he'd think back and end up regretting them. The honesty in his voice and his touch … That couldn't be forced or felt on a whim. There had to be true feelings driving that kind of emotion. Even now she believed him completely. He wanted _more_. With _her_. And he truly believed it was possible to overcome her anxieties to make the internship successful—and to figure out together what "more" meant for them.

She slid her journal back under her pillow and considered going down to his project room to see him; surely she wasn't still banned from it for eternity. Unfortunately she couldn't test her theory because the hour showing on her clock made it all too clear she didn't have time. She needed to get dressed and head up to the kitchen—she had breakfast duty with Gopher this morning.

When Bella walked into the kitchen, Gopher was already halfway through with cooking. There was a tall stack of pancakes on the plate beside him and four more on the griddle in front of him. She checked the time on her watch to make sure she wasn't somehow late and found that she still had a few minutes to spare.

She was just about to ask him why he'd started without her when she realized he was singing to himself.

"_Scotty doesn't know-oh. So don't tell Scotty_."

Bella snorted, knowing this song very well and the movie it had come from. It was a favorite of Jacob's and she'd easily watched it a couple dozen times with him.

Her snorting caused Gopher to spin around and face her. He looked embarrassed at being caught for all of two seconds and then he wiggled his eyebrows and used his spatula as a microphone.

"_Scotty doesn't know,_

_That Fionna and me,_

_Do it in my van every Sunday._"

For a quick second she worried she might pee her pants laughing at his antics. Here was this large, muscled man in a small kitchen, swaying his hips and belting out lyrics as if he had a huge empty stage to fill with his personality.

Gopher held the spatula toward Bella but she shook her head at him. "Come on, little fish," he sang sweetly. "I know you know the words."

"I can't," she said, shaking her head again while her cheeks pinked up.

"You know you want to," Gopher replied with a wide grin.

Bella bit on her lower lip, conflicted between having fun with him and making a complete ass of herself. She'd technically already thrown caution to the wind by deciding Edward was worth putting everything she had into this shark thing so what was a little karaoke in the kitchen compared to that?

With a smile to match Gopher's, she leaned toward the spatula and sang the next few lines of the song.

"_She tells him she's in church,_

_But she doesn't go,_

_Still she's on her knees, and..._"

Together, they sang the refrain, both of them bopping their heads to the beat. At least for part of it—it didn't take long before Bella was doing more giggling than singing.

"_Scotty doesn't know._

_Oh, Scotty doesn't know-oh._

_So don't tell Scotty!_

_Scotty doesn't know,_

_Scotty doesn't know._

_SO DON'T TELL SCOTTY!_"

Gopher wrapped Bella's fingers around the handle of the spatula, forcing her to take it. "Phone call verse."

"No, no, no," Bella chanted while trying to give back the utensil.

"Yes! It's all you, little fish. Do it! You know you want to."

As much as she knew she would regret it for all the teasing that was most definitely going to come her way, she did want to. And besides, it was only Gopher. She knew if she asked him not to, he wouldn't tell anyone else about this little song fest.

"Do it!" Gopher encouraged. "And put some feeling into the 'nothing' when you get to it."

Bella snorted, took a deep breath, and then gave Gopher exactly what he'd asked for.

"_Fionna's got him on the phone,  
>and she's trying not to moan.<br>It's a three way call,  
>and he knows … <em>Noth-ing."

She sang the last note and instantly felt ridiculous and embarrassed which prompted her to start giggling nervously. It didn't last long, though—Whit made sure of that.

"This is either really hot or really fucked up," he announced loudly. "I can't decide which. Mase?"

Bella was frozen, rooted to the floor, and stuck staring at a guffawing Gopher because she was absolutely positive she would literally die of embarrassment if she turned to face Whit. She was also busy pretending Edward was not in the room since he hadn't spoken yet and that allowed her deniability.

"Mase?" Whit questioned. "Fuck, bro! Breathe!" Whit's command was followed by an audible thump and then Edward coughing.

She mustered up all the courage she could, straightened her spine, and walked right past Gopher, then proceeded to flip the pancakes on the griddle as if nothing at all out of the ordinary had just happened in this kitchen. She prayed that acting as if it hadn't happened would keep them from talking about it. If it wasn't acknowledged, it didn't happen—at least in her mind.

Edward's coughing turned to groaning and though she was sorely tempted to look and see if he was alright, she knew it would draw more attention to her so she kept her eyes on the pancakes.

"Here. Drink some water," Gopher suggested. "It'll help cool your throat off from the coughing."

"It's not his throat. And water won't help his ribs," Whit replied.

"How bad is the bruising?" Gopher asked.

"Enough to hurt but not enough to wrap," Whit told him. "Not that I could wrap him since he's planning on getting some final underwater shots for Brett."

"Really? I thought there was supposed to be some more bad weather coming in today."

"Let's go check the weather reports and find out."

Bella had been paying so much attention to their conversation that she hadn't heard the footsteps behind her and she jumped when Edward put his hand on her hip. He chuckled, his warm breath sliding over her neck and causing her to shiver. "You okay?"

She took a quick peek at him. "Are you?"

"Other than you nearly making me swallow my tongue, yeah, I'm fine."

She could feel the heat of her blush climbing and was pretty sure she'd gone from pink to red. "You weren't supposed to see that. No one else was ever supposed to see that or know about it."

"That's a shame, kapu," he whispered against her skin before pressing his lips to her neck. "'Cause it was really kinda hot. Maybe you can sing for me in private later?"

"I really don't like you right now."

"If you're not up to singing, I'll settle for that tongue-flick thing you did."

_Burgundy. Yep. Burgundy has to be the color of my face right now. Can't let him think he's getting to me, though, or he'll never let me live this down._ "I'm pushing you off the boat later."

He snorted and squeezed her hip. "Liar."

She was ready to argue with him but then he coughed and all she could think about was his side. She glanced quickly at him, afraid if she looked too long she'd forget to check the pancakes and burn them. "How's your side? Be honest."

"It's sore and it hurts like a bitch when I bend over but it's not anything to worry about. I'll be completely fine in a couple days."

"Are you sure you're okay to go in the water today?"

"Positive. If I wasn't, I'd ask Whit to do it."

She nodded while replaying his speech about safety last night. It was an area where she was going to have to have faith and trust that he meant everything he'd said. It was likely to be the hardest information to force her brain to digest and accept.

"What about you?" He lifted a loose strand of hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. "Are you okay to come back on The Submarine with us?"

She looked him in right in his blue eyes while answering firmly and confidently, bolstered by his belief in her abilities. "It's where I belong."

"Just wanted to hear you say it." He gave her lips a barely-there kiss and then left her to finish the pancakes.

She smiled to herself, feeling lucky to have his confidence and support. He wasn't hovering and treating her as if she was fragile and about to break at any second. He had said he believed in her abilities and he was showing it by acting as if it was just another day with the team. Well accept for the way he'd touched her and kissed her—that had definitely been new.

_I think I like this more with him_, she thought, smiling as she moved the pancakes from the griddle to the plate.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"How are we on time?" Brett asked, frowning at his watch. Masen found himself frowning right along with him, worried for the first time that they would surpass the time limit. They technically had a few minutes after the official limit but it was always best not to push things when dealing with live animals. Seconds had a way of making huge differences, especially when the animal in question was out of its usual realm.

"Ninety seconds left," one of Brett's crewmen called out.

"Angela, light a fire under your team," Brett ordered. "Let's go!"

"We're moving as quickly as we can," she assured him. "Almost done stitching the cut for her acoustic tag."

"Masen!"

Masen quickly crossed the platform to Brett. "What's up?"

Brett relaxed his face into a grin as he gripped Masen's shoulder. "Finally your turn. Give her a name."

Masen looked as excited as any lucky little boy on Christmas receiving the gift he'd wanted all year long. "Athena."

"A warrior goddess. Nice."

"Done!" Angela called out, standing and taking a step back from the shark.

"I want you all off my cradle," Brett yelled. He clapped his hands together as he called out, "Let's go, let's go! Off my cradle. Athena's ready to get back in the water and you're holding her up."

Masen took a few pictures of the crew scrambling off the cradle and then he jumped onto the ladder and clung to the lower rungs, hoping for a couple shots of Athena heading off to her next adventure.

"Cradle down!" Brett ordered.

There was a loud whine from the mechanism overhead and then the cradle started to sink into the water until Brett was knee-deep. "Come on, Athena," he coaxed, holding the shark just above the tail and pushing her forward a couple steps.

"She looks a little sluggish," Ben called down from the deck. "Walk her a little before you let her off the cradle. See if she improves."

"She doesn't seem sluggish to me," Brett replied. "She's slapping me pretty damn hard with her tail. Angela?"

Masen looked up, finding her checking her watch. "We've only got a few hours left and we need two more sharks," she said. "Brett, if you say she's fine, then let her off the cradle."

"Alright, Athena. Let's show them what you've got," Brett said, walking the shark toward the front of the cradle.

Masen saw her tail twitch and smack Brett which was good, but it also looked off, like there wasn't enough power behind it. He almost said something but then she swam out of Brett's hands on her own and gave his leg a good whack, shooting a spray of water up into the air. Masen relaxed and smiled as his shark swam past him, headed for the cradle's entrance.

She seemed okay right up until she was halfway off the cradle and then something went wrong.

"Catch her!" Masen yelled. "Catch her now! She's sinking!"

Brett was already running for the shark as fast as he could and Masen jumped off the ladder to try and help.

They weren't quick enough—they missed grabbing her tail by about an arm's length.

"Fuck," Masen cursed, grabbing his hair with both hands.

"She's probably fine," Brett told him. "I'm sure once she got going good she came back up."

"We need to go after her."

Brett shook his head. "If—and it's a big if—if she's not okay, it'll take a lot more manpower than you and me to get her back on the cradle. Plus, today's the last day for our permit and we have to make our quota."

Masen nodded; he understood needing to put the greater good of the species and the entire research mission ahead of a single shark. But that didn't mean he liked it.

When he got on deck, Angela called him over. "I'm sorry, Masen. She looked fine from up here."

He shrugged, trying to stay positive and ignore his gut feeling. "I thought she was okay too. And Brett still thinks she's alright."

"Still …" It was clear she was upset over the circumstances; it helped to know he wasn't the only one that would feel Athena's loss if she was gone.

"Angela, I know how it is. Sometimes you have to make hard choices. With the info you had and your deadline, letting her go seemed the right call. If you'd seen anything wrong with her, you would have kept her on the cradle."

"I really would have," she assured him. "While we try to get the two sharks we need, I'll get Ben to run her blood and look for any abnormalities to explain her behavior. The satellite tag won't be able to give us anything until tomorrow. But maybe when we're done for the day, Ben can go out with the acoustic mike and look for her."

"Thanks, Angela," Masen sincerely replied. "Let me know what you find?"

"Of course."

Masen sighed heavily as he walked away, hoping the gut feeling he had was wrong. Maybe what he'd seen was just a trick of the sun reflecting off the water and Athena hadn't sunk at all. Maybe it was just like Brett had suggested—she dove down to go under the cradle or the boat and she was now fine and swimming freely. He didn't want to worry needlessly so he decided a distraction was in order and went in search of Guppy.

He found her with Ben in the research office, her face hidden behind the camera as she documented Ben's work. He snuck up behind her and whispered into her ear, "Sing any good songs lately?"

Bella jumped slightly and then landed on his foot, making him wince—he was pretty sure it had been done on purpose. He liked that she wasn't letting yesterday's scare completely affect her behavior today. She had stayed away from the railing most of the day, spending her time with Ben instead, but all that really mattered was that she'd still come back aboard this ship. She was still enjoying working with the Colossus Crew and still committed to the internship. The heart and courage she showed by being here—he respected the hell out of her for pushing through and moving forward.

"Guys, standing around won't make this go any faster," Ben declared, his eyes still firmly set against the lenses of the microscope in front of him. "Besides, you're making me feel crowded. Out with the both of you. I'll come find you when I know something."

Masen quickly towed Bella out of the room, not wanting her to have time to come up with a reason to stay. Having a few minutes alone with her would be an excellent distraction. He took the camera from her and slipped it around his neck, letting it hang against his back with the one in the waterproof casing he'd been using today.

He brought her up to the front of the boat, away from all of the commotion going on at the back. "So how's your day going, Guppy?"

She turned to face him, a smile on her lips and mischief in her caramel eyes. "It was going fine until a few minutes ago."

He reached for her but she stepped back, her smile growing wider when she noticed his pout. "Don't be like that. I was only teasing," he told her.

"Brat."

"Come here." He managed to get hold of her hand and gave it a gentle tug—she didn't budge.

"No way. Not this time."

"What? I was serious," he said as he finally got her to move her feet and come closer. "I like your singing voice."

"I've got a song for you. Wanna hear it?" The way she was grinning had him feeling pretty sure he wouldn't agree with her choice.

"Maybe later. Right now, I want something else."

"What's that?"

"Come here and let me show you."

Bella laughed as she allowed him to pull her against his chest and encase her in his arms. "Don't you want to hear your song? It's a really good one."

"What's it called?"

"_Cowboy Casanova_."

Masen snorted. "Just what I thought. Some goofy song that's not going to be anything like me."

Bella's grin turned cocky and seeing her so confident blew him away just as it gave him an infusion of determination to see her like this as often as possible. The anxious side of her made him feel protective, made him want to fix everything for her. But this confident side … He wanted to know this woman in every possible way.

She brought him out of his head by wrapping her arms around his neck and lifting up on her toes so they were almost at a level kissing height. At least he hoped she was going to kiss him.

She didn't kiss him but he couldn't say he was completely disappointed by what she did give …

"_He's a devil in disguise,_

_A snake with blue eyes,_

_And he only comes out at night._

_Gives you feelings that you don't wanna fight._

_You better run for your life._"

He growled and pulled her tighter against him while grinning just enough to show he was playing. "You aren't going anywhere, kapu. And for the record, the guy in those lyrics is nothing like me."

She snorted and tried to wiggle out of his hold. "Edward, you seem to have forgotten we are on a boat full of people."

"Oh, now that you're done teasing me, the boat's full of people."

"It was full before." She gave up on getting away and laughed against his chest instead. "But I really wanted to get you back for your teasing."

He smiled against her temple and then kissed it. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to see you on the cradle again. I just kept thinking about what you said, that safety comes first and everyone is watching out for everyone else."

"That's right. It's a team effort."

She lifted her head, her pretty brown eyes full of some emotion he couldn't quite name. "Edward, do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"

He had to laugh at that. "Sorry but you're going to have to be a hell of a lot more specific. Yesterday was a long day with a lot of conversations."

She chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds and then spoke up and shocked the hell out of him. "I want to go on the cradle."

While the idea thrilled him, he had to put aside his excitement and determine where her head was at and if she was truly ready for the experience. "Explain to me why I should let you do that."

"I've been thinking a lot about what you said, about how it could be good for me and help me to see them as predators—not unstoppable nightmare monsters. I could go my whole life and never have this kind of opportunity again, to be on my turf with a shark instead of the other way around."

She looked off into the distance, as if she was searching for something. Almost too quietly to hear, she said, "To be perfectly honest, I'm getting sick and tired of being afraid."

She was silent for a long moment and then her brown eyes once again found his blue ones. "I know if I do this it won't take away all of my fears but it will be something I can hold onto, to remind myself that I'm stronger than my fear."

"Are those your only reasons?" he asked, sensing she was holding something back.

"Why? Those not good enough?" she replied with a smile that was off but not exactly fake. More like it was a nervous smile.

He brought a hand up to the back of her neck and softly caressed her skin, hoping to relax her. "Those are great. I just get the feeling there's something else driving you."

"I want to know if I can do it … If I can push aside the anxiety and work beside you."

He looked deep into her eyes, searching for any sign she was pushing too fast. All he found was a healthy level of caution and a ton of curiosity. "Then let's go tell Whit you'll be taking his spot on the cradle team."

Her brown eyes widened and her voice went up about two octaves. "Really?" She quickly cleared her throat and brought her voice back down, "You trust me to be able to do it? Just like that?"

"Yes. You were completely confident just now when you explained yourself. There wasn't any hesitation on your part and everything you said was sensible and smart. Besides, I'm going to be right there with you, watching your back and keeping you safe."

Her face filled with her smile and then she threw her arms around his chest, hugging him tightly. Even though it hurt like a bitch to have his side squeezed, he wouldn't have dared to ask her to stop. Whatever pain there was, it was so minimal to the overall _good_ he felt whenever she held on to him.

She suddenly jerked away and smiled shyly. "Sorry."

"It's alright. It was just a hug."

Her shy smiled turned cocky. "Yeah, well, that's only because I realized. You'll have to remind me later of what I had planned next."

He smirked and arched his eyebrows at her. "Which is?"

"I'll tell you later."

He continued to hold her gaze.

She blushed. "I was going to kiss you."

"I'm definitely going to remember that later." He slipped his fingers through hers while saying, "Come on, Guppy. Let's go tell Whit he's gotta sit one out."

Holding her hand and walking with her toward the back of the boat, Masen felt proud of his work with Bella and excited that she was really starting to push through her fear. He also felt incredibly lucky that she was here to make this choice with as close as he'd come to losing her to those fears yesterday.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Again," Edward demanded.

For the third time, Bella used her fingers to tick off the things she had to do. "Keep a firm footing. Stay close to you. Don't force myself. Keep my eye out for any and all movement from the shark. Be aware of those around me. Obey Brett's orders as quickly and safely as possible. If for any reason I fall and go underwater, do not panic. Do my best to get to my feet and know that if I can't, someone will help me up."

"I'm so proud of our little Guppy," Lee exclaimed, giving Bella a tight one-armed hug that made them both laugh.

"Lee, this is serious time," Edward reminded her, using his stern leader face on her.

"Aye, aye, Captain," she replied with a grin and a salute, his expression having little to no effect on her that Bella could see.

He turned his blue eyes back to Bella. "Once more."

"Really? Three's not enough for you?" she asked. She was all for safety and precaution but she really didn't see how repeating the rules over and over was going to prepare her for this experience.

He acted as if he hadn't heard her. "Once more, Guppy."

"Number four then," she said with a sigh. "Keep a firm footing. Stay close to you. Don't force myself. Keep my eye out for any and all movement from the shark. Be aware of those around me. Obey Brett's orders as quickly and safely as possible. If for any reason I fall and go underwater, do not panic. Do my best to get to my feet and know that if I can't, someone will help me up."

"Alright. I think you're ready," he said, allowing just a hint of a smile.

Whit held his hands out to her. "Empty your pockets. Don't want any electrical devices or pieces of paper becoming useless."

"I only have this," she said as she handed him the extra memory card for Edward's camera. She'd had it in her pocket so she wouldn't have to lug the camera bag with her all around the boat since The Submarine was _much_ bigger than Galeos.

"Whit, make sure you get pictures of our intern being bad ass," Lee told him.

"I've got it covered." He grinned at Edward and poked him in the chest with his finger. "You keep a close eye on Guppy or you'll be answering to me."

Edward snorted and pushed his hand away. "You just worry about what you need to do."

"The skiff's coming in," one of the crewmen announced.

"We're up." Edward locked eyes with Bella and gave her an encouraging smile. "Ready?"

She nodded, still feeling completely confident in her ability to do this. _This will work_, she promised herself. She wanted this and she was going to fight her anxiety and make it happen. She would follow the rules Edward had given her and in return she would end up having the experience of a lifetime.

They joined the people huddled near the ladders and then waited until the shark was immobilized and everyone else was in place. Once all three were standing on the cradle, Lee gave Bella's hand a quick squeeze and then she joined up with Angela's team. Edward stayed at Bella's side, waiting for her to make a move toward the shark.

"Thirteen feet, four inches," someone yelled out.

"Male," another person shouted.

"Roll on three," Angela called out. "One. Two. Three."

Bella had watched this part enough times to know the shark was rolled onto its side so Angela's team could make an incision and install an acoustic tag inside of it. They would also take blood and semen samples since this one was a male, only the second out of all the sharks they'd tagged so far.

"We're three minutes in," Brett yelled out. "Let's keep up the pace."

Edward squeezed her hand to get her attention. "Bella, I'm not pushing, but I need to know if this is as close as you want to get."

She looked deep inside to answer honestly, weighing her anxiety against her curiosity. "I want to get closer if we can without getting in anyone's way."

He smiled and lifted his chin toward the back of the cradle. "That way."

She took a deep breath and then stepped toward the tail of a Great White, toward her future, and toward a life with less fear. And Edward was at her side for every second of it.

It took a couple false starts but she finally got her hand to touch the shark's skin. It felt so foreign under her palm, leaving her struggling to find something in her daily life to compare it to. Her conversation with Ben about dermal denticles came to mind and she increased the pressure of her hand on the shark until she could feel them.

_I'm touching a shark._

_My hand is on a shark._

_And I'm not freaking out. Well I am, but not in an uncontrolled way._

Bella looked up at Edward, suddenly needing to make sure he was watching this, that he was seeing her do this.

His smile was one she couldn't recall having seen before—at least not as one expression. It was a mix of his proud smile from the day he and Whit had gone into the water with the tiger sharks, and the excited grin he'd worn the night she had shared her chocolate milk with him. The way he was looking at her right now … she hoped she'd never forget the beauty and the power of it or the way it made her feel accomplished and strong.

He squatted beside her. "See how it's white on the bottom and fades into grey as you get closer to the top of the shark? That's good camouflage because the white blends in with the sky when you're a fish looking up. When the shark's below the fish, it blends in with the sea floor."

He stood and offered his hand and she took it without hesitation, following him to the front of the cradle. The shark's eyes were covered with what looked like a dark, wet beach towel and a large hose was wedged into its mouth, forcing water through its gills.

Edward went around to the nose and after releasing Bella's hand, he put his own on the snout of the shark. "Compared to other sharks, the Great White's snout is fairly short and a little cone-shaped. Paired with its torpedo-shaped body and symmetrical tail, this species of shark is built for fast swimming. It allows them to reach a top speed of twenty-five miles per hour, a necessity for chasing seals."

Her legs were shaking as much as her hand but Bella wasn't about to stop now. She took strength from Edward's presence and his belief in her and reached out, her fingers touching both man and shark.

"In comparison, tigers have a longer top lobe and can only get up to nineteen miles per hour. They generally swim slowly and then once they have prey in sight, they'll use a quick burst of speed to catch their meal. They aren't capable of the sustained chase the team witnessed near Seal Island on Saturday."

Bella looked up at him, squinting to cut the glare from the sun. "I saw a little of that. Not a lot, but enough."

Edward nodded. "I suspected as much. Thank you for admitting it."

"We're getting down to the wire, folks," Brett announced. "It's time for all non-essential cradle personnel to get on deck. The rest of you, pick up the pace and finish up! We need to get this shark back in the water pronto."

"Thank you," Bella said to Edward as he helped her stand up straight on her still shaky legs.

"This was all you, Guppy. Be proud. I know I am."

They went to pass Brett but he stopped them and looking only at Bella he said, "Name him."

She said the first thing that came to mind. "Bruiser."

Brett smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Bruiser it is. Now get up on deck."

Edward towed her to the ladder and made her go up first. Lee and Whit were waiting at the top and as soon as she cleared the ladder they started hugging her and congratulating her.

"Alright, let her breathe," Edward ordered, gripping her shoulders and pulling her back until she bumped into him. "So proud of you, kapu," he whispered into her ear.

"You had your hand on a shark, Guppy. How do you feel?" Whit asked.

"Um …" She tried to pick just a few words out of the jumble of emotions in her head and heart.

"Ten words or less," Lee teased, winking at her.

"Weird. Oh and accomplished. So … weirdly accomplished?"

Edward moved to her side and grinned at her. "You did great."

"Thanks. I really doubt I could have done it without your help."

"Of course not," he teased, bumping her shoulder with his.

"Ha, ha," she said, rolling her eyes at him.

"So why Bruiser?" he questioned.

"Yeah, how'd you come up with that?" Whit asked.

Bella shrugged. "It just came to me. My dad was a baseball pitcher in high school and that was his nickname."

She had expected more smiles or at least a nod from them but what she got was all three of them being very still and silent.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked, looking to Edward for the answer.

He set his hands on her shoulders and fixed his blue eyes on her. "Bella, do you realize what you did?"

"Um … Named a shark?" she replied, fidgeting nervously under his sharp gaze.

"You associated your father with a shark in a positive way. Bella, that's a _huge_ step forward. For the rest of this shark's life, every time he appears in research papers or data reports, he'll bear your father's nickname. That's just …" Edward smiled wide and ran a hand through his windblown mess of hair. "I can't even begin to tell you how amazing that is. I'm blown away."

Bella was blown away too, but in a very different way. The enormity of what she'd done was suffocating her and the world was beginning to sway and swirl like it had yesterday. But unlike yesterday, she didn't have time to bite down and refocus herself.

"Easy, Guppy," Lee said next to her ear, holding her tightly and helping her to sit on the deck.

"Deep breaths, Bella," Edward ordered, rubbing her hands between his. He looked past her at Lee. "Is this what happened yesterday?"

"Not as much swaying on her feet but yeah," she answered.

Whit squatted at her side, rubbing her shoulder. "Can you tell us what upset you?"

"I wasn't … I wasn't thinking. Uncle Carl and Alice … they're … I didn't think." She was trying to get out that she was worried she would upset her uncle and sister by associating her dad with a shark.

"Bella, listen to me," Edward said as he gently lifted her chin to get her to look at him. "From what you've told me about your uncle, I have no doubt he's going to understand and be okay with it. I can't say for your sister because we haven't talked about her in relation to sharks. But you have told me how much you two love each other so I have every confidence she'll support you even if she doesn't understand."

Bella could feel her eyes were too wide and hear her voice was too high and she struggled to get control of both. "If he doesn't … I can't hurt them. Take it back. Name it something else."

Lee cupped her chin and turned her head. "You named that shark for your father. Why?"

"I didn't think. I just said the name."

"Not buying it," Lee replied, shaking her head. "I already know you better than that, so try again."

"Because … Because he taught me to love the oceans and the animals in them."

"Then it was the right thing to do and everyone who supports you will understand that." Lee sounded so sure about that and Bella found herself wanting to believe it, maybe even more than she needed.

"She's right," Edward agreed, drawing Bella's eyes to him. "You did a great thing, both for your dad and yourself. Be proud, Bella. He would be if he'd seen you on that cradle."

She took a deep breath and nodded, deciding that her friends were right, that this was a good thing to be proud of. There was a chance that her uncle and sister would be upset but there was also the possibility that they would understand.

And the idea of her father being proud of her … _Whatever you choose to do, I know you'll make me proud._ He'd said that. He'd said those exact words on their last morning together.

"Just for the record," Lee began, smirking at Masen before shifting her eyes and smile to Bella, "Bruiser is way more bad ass than Athena."

"Screw you," Edward replied, pushing on her shoulder and trying to look angry while laughing.

"Screw both of you," Whit said, pointing at each of them. "_My_ shark has the most bad ass name."

Bella giggled, Lee both laughed and snorted, and Masen rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on! You know I'm right," Whit insisted. "Someone asks who's this shark and I get to answer 'This. Is. _Sparta_!'"

No one responded—they were all too busy trying to contain their laughter.

"Fine!" Whit huffed. "But can we at least all agree Gopher's was the silliest? A shark named Scotty!"

"Beam me up," Bella blurted out between escaping giggles. The mix of adrenaline and worry and relief was making it far too easy to find things funny.

"Alright," Edward said as he rose to his feet. "As fun as this is, we still have work to do." He waited until everyone else was standing to give orders. "Whit, give Bella the camera back and then check in with the cradle team. Lee, let's go check in with Ben and Angela and see if they need any help while we wait for Brett and Gopher to catch another shark."

"Hey!" Bella called out, getting Whit, Lee, and Edward to look at her. "Thank you. All of you."

Lee grinned and playfully socked her in the arm. "No sweat, Guppy. We take care of each other on Team Masen." She slung her arm around Edward's shoulders and gave Bella a wave and wink as they walked past her.

"Hey, when you order Guppy's shirt, I need a new one," Whit called after her.

"Really? I get a shirt?" Bella asked.

"Of course," Whit assured her. His lips pulled up into a sly smile. "You'd look pretty silly trying to wear Masen's." He tipped an imaginary hat at her and walked off, leaving her standing there with her mouth gaping open like a fish.

A little fish with amazing friends who had helped her accomplish more than she'd thought possible.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen was fidgety and kept glancing at the clock on the corner of the desk in his project room. He had expected to hear from Angela by now on the fate of Athena. The more time that passed, the more he couldn't deny the gut feeling that had been with him since the moment he'd seen the female shark sink off the edge of the cradle.

He shook his head, cursed under his breath at his lack of attention, and then refocused his mind on the sketch in front of him. He'd done a preliminary plan for their use of decoy seals days ago but after his experiences with the Colossus Crew, he no longer trusted his initial theories and wanted it all redone before he allowed himself to take time off for his birthday.

He'd left his guilty-pleasure playing on the small television behind him and Alex Trebek announced a new clue. "This drink made with red wine and fruit juices isn't so appealing when you know its name is from Spanish for 'Blood'."

"What is Sangria?" Masen answered, smirking at the memory of Esme dancing with Irina. His mom never passed up a chance to have fun with her friends.

Masen shifted and winced in pain. His soreness was behind the scrapping his original plan. With creatures the size of Great Whites it wasn't expected for them to be able to move that weight around quickly. He'd learned the hard way that wasn't the case and he refused to risk any harm coming to one of his crew.

"Homo Sapiens had a higher and more rounded one of these than did Homo Erectus," Alex declared.

"What is a skull?" Masen called out, his hand jerking as his pencil scratched across the page, leaving behind charcoal lines that created a rough outline of a shark.

He had lifted the page and was busy blowing across the sheet to clear it of loose charcoal dust when Alex posed the next answer. "The Swedish company Poseidon helps you with this pastime with products like hoses, regulators, and pressure gauges."

Masen answered before the clue was completely given and said it a second time since the contestants weren't saying anything. "What is scuba diving?"

The show went to commercial and Masen went back to work. He tacked the sketch to the patch of wall right in front of him and then leaned back in his chair, studying it with a critical eye. He wasn't completely sure what he was looking for, just that there was something not quite right about his new plan.

A few minutes later he let out a sigh and grabbed his wild hair with both hands. "Where are you? _What_ are you? I know you're there and you shouldn't be."

The paper didn't give him any answers. And the one Alex offered had nothing to do with Masen's field of work. "This development divides prehistoric times from historic times."

"What is writing?" Masen called out, pointing his pencil at the sketch on his wall.

He twirled his pencil between his fingers and let his mind focus more on the television since he was actually able to answer the _Jeopardy_ questions. Alex announced the next clue, "More than one thousand islands make up the Alexander Archipelago in this U.S. State."

The answer came quickly. From Bella. "What is Alaska?"

Masen spun his chair to face her, finding her peeking through the gap he'd left in his door.

"I'm in the hallway," she declared, pointing at her feet placed well before the threshold to his door.

He snorted and waved her in. "Come here, kapu."

She smiled and came right in, walking over to him without any trepidation. He liked that she wasn't being mousy about being in here after the lens incident. Honestly, he just plain liked her being in his project room right then.

"Thanks for suggesting the hot shower."

"Glad it helped." He resisted the urge to reach out and pull on a wet tendril, suddenly positive that it would only take one touch to completely derail his mind from its work path.

"What's this?" she asked, leaning across his desk to get a good look at the sketch he'd been studying. He wondered if she would be able to spot the problem if he explained what it was supposed to be.

Before he could give it a try, she turned and the unsure look on her face momentarily pushed the sketch out of his focus. "Edward, I … If I caused any embarrassment to you or anyone here at MMR or with the Colossus Crew … I just want you to know that I really did try to control my anxiety attack. It just happened so fast and I wasn't expecting it."

He slipped his fingers between hers and pulled until she stood between his legs. "What did I say to you about your view on your anxiety?"

She lowered her head and her pretty brown eyes disappeared from his view. He needed to see them, though, so he curled a finger and set it under her chin, gently pushing until he could see her eyes again.

"What did I say, kapu?"

Her fingers twitched against his and her cheeks started to pink up. He'd noticed she blushed nearly every time he used his personal nickname for her and he was surprised by how much he liked that. It was a goofy thing if he really thought about it, but it also made him happy, like watching her smile in her sleep.

Bella smiled shyly while answering him. "My anxiety isn't a personal failure. It's a natural reaction to a traumatic event." She quickly added, "But that doesn't mean it doesn't get in the way or cause trouble."

"All it did today was take a few minutes out of our congratulating you on a job well done. No harm, no foul."

She sighed and her entire body relaxed before his eyes. "Good. I was worried since we left not long after that."

"We left to get out of their way. They had to finish up so they could pull anchor and leave the area. It was easier for them to do that without us in the way."

"Do we have a permit that expires like they do?"

"Yeah, but ours is for the whole summer. We were able to get such a long one because we aren't going to chum or try to capture any sharks."

She fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Edward, would it be too public for you to sit beside me later tonight?"

He managed to hold back his snort but there was no stopping his smile. "This may be the oddest question I've ever been asked, but yeah, sure. I'll sit beside you."

"It's not odd at all," she defended. "You said you didn't want whatever this is between us to be visible to everyone. It's not like you explained what is and isn't okay."

"That's because I don't know. And really, this isn't what you should be focusing on. You should be telling me why you want me to sit beside you so badly."

"Because …" She let out a breath and when she spoke again, her voice was lower and her tone wasn't so annoyed. She also looked smaller somehow, but maybe that was just because she looked so hesitant. "Because after all their help yesterday and today Whit and Lee deserve to know about my dad, about why I get panicked. And I can't tell them and not tell Gopher and Esme. It just wouldn't be right."

He leaned forward to wrap his arms around her waist, leaving just enough room between them to clearly see her face. "Bella, there's nowhere else I would be than right beside you for that. I'll even hold your hand or put an arm around you if you need. You are _that_ important to me." He smiled, trying to lighten her mood and let her know it was really going to be okay. "Besides, the worst that will happen is Lee and Whit will have new comments for me."

"New comments?" Bella questioned, her head tilting to the side a little as she studied his face. "Does that mean there are old comments? And how old? And what are they?"

Masen was saved from her interrogation by Whit's yelling. "Mase! Hey, Masen!"

He leaned away from Bella so he wouldn't be shouting close to her ears. "What do you need?"

"Brett's on the radio asking for you!"

"Be right there!" He turned his attention and his eyes back to Bella. "I gotta go."

"What do you think he wants?"

"Hopefully, it's to tell me about the shark I named."

Bella frowned. "You still think something was wrong with her, huh?"

He nodded and let out a sigh. "It's one of those things I feel like I just know."

"Then I'll go with you. If you want, I mean."

"Totally up to you. But right now, I need a minute alone before I head up."

"Edward, I really do hope she's okay."

"I know you do, kapu. Go on up and I'll follow in a minute."

She squeezed his hands and tried her best to smile before extracting herself from between his legs. She was almost to the door when she suddenly ran back and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him as hard as she could.

He didn't know what to say to that or why he liked it so damn much so he just patted her on the shoulder and told her to go upstairs. He needed a moment alone to clear his head and lock himself down, to become the pragmatic professional he had been constantly before Bella had walked into that bar and his life.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella stared at the door she'd just closed, chewing on her lip and wondering if she'd done the right thing.

"Guppy, fancy meeting you down here."

She spun at the sound of the voice and went bright pink at the sight of Whit in the stairwell, leaning over the banister and grinning like Christmas had come early.

He chuckled darkly. "I figured you were in there when he didn't come running out to get to the radio. Let me guess … He was teaching you to drive the boat?"

Bella bit back a smile while walking over to him. "Don't be silly. There's no steering wheel or gauges in his project room."

"Then what, oh what, where you doing in there? Last I heard, you were banished for all eternity for breaking his lens prototype."

The door to Edward's room opened before she could reply. He looked from her to Whit and back again, but didn't say anything. He just shook his head and then jogged up the stairs.

"And he's off!" Whit joked. "Come on, Guppy. Let's go find out if it's good news or bad."

She joined him on the stairs and they climbed them together, silently at first but then her worry over what Whit might be imagining got the better of her. "I was thanking him for his help earlier and making sure that my anxiety attack hadn't caused any trouble."

Whit lifted one eyebrow at her. "What kind of thanks is Masen accepting from you these days?"

The pink that had started to fade from her face immediately intensified. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, you do. You know I know all. That's my job 'cause I'm the nudger."

"The what?" she asked, laughing at his silly comment.

"The nudger. I see something that's not quite right and I nudge those involved until it gets right. You and Masen are on your way, but I sense a little more nudging on my part is needed."

She snorted. "He said you wouldn't say anything to anyone but him. That it was more fun for you that way."

"You're an invested party, though, so it's kinda like I'm only saying it to him. Besides, I'm not gonna say too much to you just yet. In fact, I wouldn't even be saying this much if I wasn't worried for him. I've got a bad feeling that Brett's news is bad and a worse feeling that it's gonna cause Mase to put his head back up his ass where you're concerned. No matter what he says, no matter how much he tells us all to leave him alone, it doesn't apply to you. Trust me on this, Guppy."

They reached the top of the stairs and Bella turned to face Whit. "If he really wants to be alone—"

"He doesn't."

She nodded, trusting him completely. She wasn't sure if it was the conviction in his voice or the surety in his expression, but she was absolutely convinced. She also hoped Edward would be consistent and want her there as he had yesterday and today; she didn't want there to be yet another backslide with him. Still, if his shark had died … She might not understand his commitment to the creature, but she completely understood the loss of something important and how that loss could make a person act strangely.

They walked in on Edward turning dials on the radio and looking frustrated. "Come in Submarine. This is Galeos. Over."

Static was all that answered for the longest time until he turned some other dial and Brett's voice came through loud and clear. "Galeos, this is Submarine. Over."

"Brett, it's Masen. Where you guys able to get out of Mossel Bay alright? Over."

"We're just pulling anchor now. Gonna make our way to Gan's Bay near Gansbaai next. Over."

"We wish you guys luck there. We're taking a few days off before heading back to Seal Island. Over."

"Good deal. Listen, a team of guys and Ben took the skiff out in search of Athena with that acoustic mike. We were able to track her but unfortunately the news isn't good. We're sorry, man. We lost her. Over."

There was a coldness in Edward's voice she'd never heard before, not even when she'd broken his lens hood. "Acknowledged. Please thank your crew for having us and sharing their time and knowledge. Over."

"It was our pleasure. And Angela is going to radio you with more info once she and Ben are done with the blood tests their running on Athena. Prelim results show a low blood count. They think she might have been sick. Over."

"We will be out of radio contact until the twenty-third. Over."

"Noted. We'll talk again then. Masen, you should know that my entire crew is truly broken up at her loss. We are going to find out what happened to her and do what we can to make sure it doesn't happen ever again. Over."

"Thank you, Brett. Sincerely. Talk to you again soon. Over and out." Edward hung the mike on the side of the radio and then he hung his head, leaning his forearms against the panel of the huge dashboard.

Whit jerked a thumb toward the hall and then silently left.

Bella stood where she was for just a moment, running through every single thing she could possibly say that might be comforting to Edward in this moment. In the end, she decided there was nothing to be said, only done. She crossed the room and hugged him from behind, her arms wrapping as tightly around him as possible.

He covered her fisted-together hands with one of his own but otherwise didn't move until much later when an alarm sounded for a course correction to be made. After, he sat down heavily in a chair and she stood nearby, watching him closely and waiting for a sign from him of what he wanted right now, whether it was to be alone or have her near. Not that she was actually going to leave the helm, but she would give him space.

He said two words very quietly but clearly. "Come here."

Bella didn't hesitate to go to him or to put her arms around his neck and let his head rest against her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

He sighed so heavily and she suddenly knew what Whit had really been trying to tell her—Edward didn't know how to accept the loss or the comfort for it. She wasn't sure if that was something she could teach him but she was certainly going to give it her best shot.

"It's okay to be sad or angry or whatever it is your feeling over this," she told him.

"This is work. And I'm a professional."

"You're also a guy with a soft spot for sharks. And that guy is hurting right now. Is it really so awful to be comforted by someone who cares about you?"

"Bella, I'm good at my job because I don't let myself take it personally when a shark doesn't make it. If I start now …"

"It's one time, Edward. It's one shark that you named, that you made a personal connection with. It's not like the tiger you named with your crew. This is different. This one was _yours_. And it's okay this one time to take it personally."

He didn't say anything but he did put his arms around her. She smiled into his hair and stood there holding him until she felt his body relax against hers.

And then she held him some more just because she could.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

It was entirely too quiet at the patio table, especially now that Whit had given up on pulling Edward out of his funk and was busy finding the perfect angle to rest the fedora on his head. It was as though the loss of Edward's commanding personality had left them all adrift.

Getting hit hard enough to bruise him for days hadn't fazed Edward in the least but the death of this shark … Bella had expected to see some sadness from them all at the loss of Athena but she'd never imagined this deep silence that had pervaded the late afternoon, lasted all through dinner, and now seemed thicker than the darkness Bella was looking out at. She wanted so badly to have him explain their reactions but it would have to wait until he seemed ready to talk.

Lee and Gopher sat next to Whit, their shoulders and heads leaning against each other. Gopher had his hand wrapped around Lee's and held it against his chest; Bella saw it as a sign of reassurance and love from him to her. She wished she could do the same for Edward but he wasn't ready for that. She settled instead for reaching over to pet Lizzy and making sure her hand brushed against his as much as possible. She hoped it brought him some measure of comfort or at the very least the reminder that she was there for him.

Esme had been sitting on the other side of Edward but she'd gone into the house a while ago. Bella wondered what she was doing and if she was ever going to come back out. She had a feeling that if anyone could fix this situation, it would be Esme.

And just like that, as if she'd heard Bella's thoughts, Esme appeared at the edge of the table next to Bella and Whit, her arms loaded with items. He jumped up to help and together they set out a six pack of beer, a bottle of red wine, and a bag of red plastic cups.

"Here's how the rest of this night is going to go," Esme announced, surveying them all. "We are going to pick our poison and then you five are going to fill me in on the past few days with the Colossus Crew. I want it all. The ups, the downs, the oh-my-god-what-is-wrong-with-you moments … All of it."

"We sent you our daily reports." Edward didn't even look up, his blue eyes still fixated on Lizzy.

Esme went around to him and managed to contort herself enough to get her arms around his neck from behind his chair. "Daily reports have not ever, nor will they ever, cut it with me, Kid. They're just facts. I want the real deal. I want to hear the excited tones and see the amazed faces. I want the talking-over and the squabbling and laughing and congratulating."

Edward finally cracked a small smile. "I _did_ get to touch a Great White," he said, turning his head to see Esme as he patted her arm.

"Now that's more like it," she excitedly said, sinking into her chair beside him. "What else?"

Lee pointed a finger at Edward. "No, you have to do it the way you did it to me. You have to show her the magical hand that touched the magical shark."

Esme and Edward snorted together.

"I'm serious, Esme," Lee cried as she sat up straight. "His hand was right here," she said, demonstrating by having her palm just a breath away from the end of her nose. "He nearly smacked me in the face."

"It wasn't _that_ close," Edward argued with a shake of his head. He passed Lizzy to Bella and then poured some wine into a cup for Esme before taking a beer for himself.

Whit had been the first to grab for a beer and now he let out a very loud and fairly impressive belch. After receiving a round of congratulations for his efforts—with Esme being the first—Whit shared one of his favorite moments. "Fishing for a shark with just some meat on a hook on the end of a rope … I realized two things. One, you gotta be at least a little crazy to try the shit. Two, you better have some upper arm strength or even the smallest shark can pop your shoulder out of socket."

"No injuries, I hope," Esme said as she eyed each of them closely.

Whit pointed his beer at Edward while replying, "Just some bruised ribs and muscles on the boy wonder there."

Esme's eyebrows lifted and it became quiet again, but this was a waiting quiet, not that sad silence from before.

Edward put his head on Esme's shoulder and grinned up at her. "Hi, Mom."

She mirrored his smirk perfectly.

"It's barely bruised. I don't even really feel it," he told her. Bella bit down on her lower lip to keep from asking how he'd gotten so much better since this morning.

Esme turned her grey eyes on Whit who immediately lifted his hand and his beer in surrender. "Hey, there's hardly any discoloration so that means I have to take him at his word."

"I got to stick my hand in the mouth of a Great White and still keep it," Gopher announced, twisting off the tops of two beers. He handed one to Lee and took a long swallow from the other.

"Lee, what about you, sweetheart?" Esme asked.

She shrugged. "I did the more sciency, technical stuff so it's about as exciting to hear now as it was to read in the daily reports." She suddenly sat up straighter and turned her eyes on Bella, smiling like the Cheshire cat from _Alice in Wonderland_. "Except for that one really exciting shark tag today where our bad ass intern, Bella Cullen, got down on the cradle with us and touched herself a shark. And gave it a bad ass name too."

Esme's eyes were wide as she leaned forward to see Bella. "You were able to do that? To get on the cradle that way?"

Bella immediately began to blush and fought to not shrink back into her chair and shy away from the attention. "Yes, but only because I had a lot of help from everyone."

Esme let out a squeal and grabbed Edward around the neck, hugging him fiercely and even shaking his upper body a bit. "Kid! I knew you could do it. I'm so proud of you."

"Mom! Mom, stop!" Edward begged while Lizzy barked at his loving attacker and everyone else at the table laughed.

Esme finally released him but not before planting a big, loud kiss on his cheek.

"It was nothing," he said, being far too modest in Bella's opinion. "I just pointed out that it was possibly the most controlled circumstances Bella would ever be in and worth taking a chance if she felt up to it."

"How was it?" Esme asked, her focus once again on Bella. "Did it change anything for you either in the moment or permanently?"

"It certainly made me grateful," Bella answered, looking around the table at these people who were already her friends and quickly becoming a second family to her. "I never could have done it without Edward and Lee and Whit. And even Gopher, though you weren't on the boat with us right then. And certainly not without you, Esme. If you hadn't chosen me for the internship—"

Esme waved her off with a swipe of her hand. "Edward did the choosing. I just made some helpful suggestions."

Bella chewed on her lip, torn between sharing her story with those who deserved to hear it and keeping this lighter, better mood going. If only tomorrow wasn't Edward's birthday. But it was and she was afraid if she waited until after then she wouldn't feel as ready to share and would end up putting it off.

Edward's large hand settled over hers on the arm of her chair and his warm breath tickled when it blew through the hairs around her ear. "Go on," he whispered encouragingly. "Tell them now while you're ready for it."

She squeezed his hand in thanks and then met the eyes of each of her friends as she told them about her father, about the kind, loving man he had been and of how he'd protected her that fateful day. It took her longer than she'd expected with the long pauses and the occasional breathless moments caused by her painful memories, but she made it through. And now they knew about her dad.

And they may all have had even more of an inkling that things were different between her and Edward because at no moment did he stop holding her hand and more than once he'd leaned over and whispered encouraging words to her to help her keep going.

Whit was the first to react when she finished speaking. He grabbed a cup from the bag and pointed between the beer and wine until Bella agreed to have some wine. After he'd passed her the cup, he touched his beer bottle to the side of it. "To Charles Cullen. Father, friend, and protector."

Bella murmured her thanks to each of them in turn as they touched the sides of their drinks to hers. She was glad no one was really saying anything because she felt on the verge of a good long cry and didn't want to do it in front of them. Having to purge overwhelming emotions through tears was awkward enough without an audience.

Esme stood and looked at her as she said, "Bella, thank you for putting your trust in us, and in MMR. I hope you know that we are all committed to seeing you through this summer and ensuring your time with us is a successful growing and learning experience. And on a more personal note, I hope you know we consider you as much a friend as a co-worker. We are here for you in whatever way you may need."

Bella nodded, too choked up to speak. She was just starting to experience the relief that would eventually replace all of the fear she'd held that they would look at her differently once they knew, treat her differently. All she saw in their faces tonight was commiseration and support. She was extremely glad for it but she was going to need some time to process it. But she wasn't ready to be alone and she had no valid reason for leaving and asking Edward to follow—this privacy thing was turning out to be harder than she'd anticipated.

Still standing, Esme let out a loud yawn. "It's getting late, guys and gals. And we have a big day ahead tomorrow. We should all turn in."

"Are you going to tell me now what you have planned?" Edward asked.

She smiled and ruffled his thick hair. "Not a chance, Kid."

He grunted and pushed her hand away.

Esme continued to smile, not affected in the least by his grumpiness. "I love you."

Her so clearly honest and heartfelt words had Edward smiling and getting to his feet to hug her. "I love you too, Mom."

"Try not to think too much tonight, okay? Or if you can't help yourself, come talk to me."

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "Don't worry and enjoy your sleep."

She gave him a kiss on his cheek and then stopped behind Bella long enough to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Whit and Gopher had picked up the bottles and cups and they both called out "Goodnight" as they walked past Bella. Lee was slightly behind them and seemed to be walking slower on purpose.

Bella's suspicion was confirmed when Lee stopped right next to her. "Gopher and I … Look, we're going to be up for a while so if you feel like you need to talk, just come by our room. Okay?"

Once again, Bella found herself too choked up to do anything but nod. Knowing where they had started and having this moment now … Bella was so glad she and Lee had become friends.

With Lee gone, that left Edward, Lizzy, and Bella on the balcony. Edward lifted Lizzy out of Bella's lap and after cuddling the dog for a moment, he fixed his blue eyes on Bella. "She needs her last walk of the night. Want to come?"

Bella answered by getting to her feet. She followed him through the living room, past the kitchen where Gopher and Whit were talking while putting away the bottles, and out the front door. Edward pulled the puppy's leash from his pocket and after attaching it to her collar the three of them set off into the night.

Even with the sound of the waves crashing on the beach, it was a quiet night. There were no cars flying by on the road. No loud talking from parties going on in neighboring rental homes. It was calm and peaceful—but it wasn't quite right. Not until the man beside her slipped his hand around hers, walking so close to her that their shoulders brushed together every few steps.

They followed Lizzy as she sniffed around and occasionally stopped to investigate some smell or sight they were blind to, neither of them feeling the need to speak and interrupt the calm quiet that was so different from the earlier oppressive silence. Bella marveled at how completely understood she felt in Edward's presence without a single word having come from him—she wondered if this was how he'd felt the other night when she'd hugged him after finding out he'd lost his mom. She certainly hoped so.

They were nearing the house when Edward finally spoke. "Sorry I was moody tonight."

"You were entitled."

"Yeah, but still … Thanks for sitting beside me."

"Thanks for holding my hand. I hope it doesn't cause trouble for you."

He shrugged. "The nudger will nudge."

Bella snorted, picturing Whit's knowing grin from earlier when they'd been walking together on the boat's stairs.

"Guess that means he's gotten to you."

"Yes, he's quite the nudger," Bella joked. And then she snorted again. It was so much better to focus on Whit's humor than the sadness. She hoped she could keep doing that—and maybe keep the worst of the nightmares away tonight.

They were right outside the front door of the house now, the overhead light casting shadows across Edward's face. One half was shadowed in darkness and the other bathed in light—it was a fitting contrast. The good and the bad, the happy and the annoyed, and everything and nothing. Bella shivered, still not one hundred percent sure of which side of him she would see from one moment to the next and desperately wanting it to be the man from the past few days.

Edward must have seen her shiver because he peeled his lucky shirt off while switching Lizzy's leash from one hand to the other, and then draped the fabric over Bella's shoulders. She immediately and gratefully pulled the ends around herself, incasing her upper body in his warmth.

After a long pause, he quietly admitted, "I don't like you worrying about my family seeing us together."

"Edward, it's not them as your family that I'm worried about. It's them as your crew and my co-workers. It's the career worry you had and still have."

"I know, I just …" He ran a hand through his hair and gave the ends a tug. "I just wish I could explain it right so you would understand … so you would _know_ …" He shook his head as if the thoughts were stuck and he was trying to work them loose.

His blue eyes regarded her—_targeted_ her—and then his mouth covered hers, his lips both hard and soft, frantic and tender. She knew he was trying to tell her something just as she knew she was too lost in the kiss to figure it out. So much warmth! Spreading outward from the inside and covering every inch of her; she was sure the heat coming off her skin would have to be visible in the cool night air. Despite her inner warmth and that of his shirt wrapped around her, goose bumps broke out along her arms and the back of her neck.

Edward pulled away slowly, as if it was taking every bit of strength he had in him to keep himself away from her. He looked for a second like he was going to speak but then he just opened the door and waved his hand for her to go in first.

Bella was absolutely, one hundred percent in an Edward-induced stupor. Every kiss with him was perfect in its own way and she wondered if that was just because she loved him or if it might be that he felt the same way about her.

The only thing her addled brain knew for sure was that she wasn't ready to go to bed yet and she assumed that was how she had ended up on the couch in the living room. She could hear Edward talking to Lizzy and the puppy's toenails clacking on the kitchen's tile floor but she couldn't tell what it meant—she couldn't process anything at the moment. She was far too busy reliving that kiss in her head and touching her fingers to her lips.

_What had he been trying to say?_ It couldn't possibly have been what she'd discovered for herself just yesterday.

Could it?

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen could just make out the top of Bella's head above the back of the sofa. He had figured she would go to bed, that she'd want time to herself to process everything she'd experienced today. Truthfully, though, he was glad she hadn't. She might be ready to be alone but he wasn't. And as much as he would have liked to blame it on the loss of Athena, he knew that really wasn't it. He just wasn't ready to give Bella up to sleep yet, though he knew he would have to before long or she'd be too tired to enjoy his birthday with him tomorrow.

Once Lizzy had gotten her fill of water and attention, he set her in her bed in the corner across from the sofa. The puppy yawned loudly, gave his hand a lick, and then closed her eyes.

Masen turned toward the sofa and the woman he couldn't stop thinking about. She was equal parts what he wanted and needed and yet he still worried there was something wrong about it all. Not for him. For him, she was an angel and danger all rolled together and he liked the rush being with her gave him. But he worried if he was what she wanted and needed. Earlier on The Submarine she'd been so confident when she was teasing him with that stupid song. Now curled up on the couch under his shirt, she seemed small and timid. It probably had more to do with talking about her dad than anything Masen had or hadn't done, but still …

It suddenly dawned on him that it was the apologizing that bothered him. He had held her hand tonight because it was the right thing to do. Sure, she could have told the story just fine without it, but she had deserved to know she had his support and encouragement. She didn't see it that way, though. She saw it as a risk and that was his fault. An unintended consequence of his worry about what other teams and professionals might think. He wanted to fix it, to make her see that a moment like tonight's conversation was important on an entirely different level than careers … He just couldn't figure out how to explain it.

"Want to watch a movie?"

His head jerked up at the sound of Bella's voice, his eyes instantly finding hers. "Aren't you tired?"

"I'd really rather watch a movie right now."

Masen heard what she wasn't saying—she didn't want to go to sleep and dream. "Sure. Pick something out. I'll grab a couple plums for snacks."

She gave him a grateful smile and then headed over to the trunk with the movies Esme had brought along.

He quickly washed and dried a couple plums for each of them and then joined her on the sofa. She'd slipped her arms into his shirt and had her legs folded in front of her with the tails of his shirt covering them. She looked ridiculous and cute as hell.

"What?" she asked, having noticed his grin.

He plopped down beside her and passed her the bowl of plums while putting his feet up on the coffee table. "What are we watching?"

"I picked a comedy." She showed him the cover of the case and he snorted.

"Whit's favorite," he replied while plucking a plum from the bowl.

"Hey, I was gonna take that one," she said, giving him a pretend pout.

He grinned and then took a big bite out of his plum, making her giggle and shake her head at him.

"How is it?" she asked.

"Good. Try one."

"It's sweet, right? I don't like the ones that are tart."

He held his plum out to her. "Taste."

She laughed and leaned away. "No thanks."

He playfully took hold of her arm and pulled her back toward him with her laughing the whole time. "Taste it, kapu."

She humored him and took a bite, nodding as she enjoyed it. The brightness in her eyes and the sweetness of her smile was just as much of a treat for him as the plum in his hand.

But as he'd recently admitted to himself and her, he wanted more. He gave her elbow a gentle tug, just enough to get her to lean in to him. He could taste the plum on her lips and tongue as he took his time kissing her, enjoying the little gasps and soft moans she let out.

He was so lost in kissing her that he didn't notice Esme standing in the dark of her doorway watching them. He didn't hear her initial quiet gasp of astonishment or see any of her silent tears of happiness. He had no clue she was witnessing an event he'd told her many times he didn't expect to happen for him.

It was hard as hell to pull away but Masen knew if he didn't do it right then it was only going to get harder to do and he didn't want to risk making any mistakes with Bella after everything that had happened yesterday.

"Start the movie, kapu," he encouraged as he slouched down into the cushions and took another bite from his plum.

A very red-cheeked and somewhat starry-eyed Bella set the bowl on the table, fumbled with the remote and then finally started the movie. She curled up against his side and rested her head on his chest, but before he had a chance to put an arm around her, she sat up to grab the throw from the back of the couch. After she was settled in beside him again, she spread it around the both of them. He found it so sweet of her that he didn't tell her he was fine without it; he figured he'd just pull it off himself once she fell asleep.

As they watched the movie together, Masen marveled at the change his life had taken so unexpectedly. Instead of working away the night, he was sitting with a beautiful woman pressed up against him, a good movie playing, and his favorite fruit. And best of all, he knew she would understand if he wanted to work instead of watching the movie. He could sit right here beside her and focus on MMR and she'd still be happy with him. He had never wanted this but now that he had it he couldn't imagine ever giving it up.

Looking down at the profile of her face bathed in the light of the television, he thought of how he'd always hated the term "falling in love", but he suddenly found himself willing to admit there might be something to it. The sense of weightlessness and pure abandon he felt with Bella was a lot like falling through the air had felt during the parachute jump he'd done with Whit a couple years ago.

It wasn't love. It _couldn't_ be love. But it was something.

It was _more_.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:  
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First and foremost ... Thank you. You guys are truly awesome. The support and encouragement you guys give us with your reviews ... Fantastical! And we truly do appreciate every single one of you.

Secondly, we've posted a blog to go along with this chapter. A few interesting pictures and a quick note about a really special group of people. We hope you'll check it out.

And finally, the next chapter ... Masen's birthday! And it's going to be one he'll never forget for so many reasons that it's going to take us 2 chapters to tell it! We'll be back soon with a new chapter to start the party!


	21. 21 Are We There Yet

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

**Chapter 21 – Are We There Yet?**

**Friday, June 20****th**** – Masen's Birthday**

Bella slept curled up on her side with her head resting on Masen's thigh, her body hidden beneath the throw blanket and his lucky shirt. He probably should have woken her last night once the movie had ended but she'd seemed so peaceful that it had felt wrong to wake her. Plus there had been the chance that waking her would make it hard for her to fall back to sleep. Not to mention that he hadn't really wanted her to leave.

So he'd left her sleeping and he'd grabbed the book Esme had recommended from the coffee table, planning to spend the night finishing _Duma Key_. Reading was one of the few things he could count on to force his mind to focus on something other than work.

While the book had been as good as she'd said, he had found himself on more than one occasion stopping to watch Bella as she stirred in her sleep. Each time she had, he'd rested his hand on her shoulder and she'd settled right down and slept peacefully once more. It was a strange power to wield over a person, the power to ease their worries. He wasn't really sure he wanted that kind of responsibility and yet he'd never hesitated to touch her throughout the night.

And now he couldn't resist waking her. The sun was just about to come up outside and he wanted to start his birthday by watching it rise with Bella.

"Kapu, wake up," he whispered while using his fingers to brush her silky hair from her face. He'd freed it from the ponytail holder just after she'd fallen asleep last night.

She let out a groan and covered her face with her arm—and the sleeve of his lucky shirt.

"Ssh," he whispered. "Don't wake the house."

She slowly uncovered her face and blinked up at him with a confused look. "Something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to watch the sunrise with you."

She gave him a sleepy smile and then rolled over so she could sit up.

He stood and helped her unwrap herself from the throw blanket and then led her out of the sliding glass door and onto the balcony. The early morning air was chilled and he quickly settled into a chair with her on his lap so he could cover them both with the throw. He had both arms wrapped around her beneath the blanket and she gave a contented hum as she leaned completely against him with their cheeks pressed together.

He had to admit, he was pretty content right then too. This was his favorite time of day; he loved the calm and the sense of balance he felt around and in him. And on his birthday he wanted nothing more than to share this with Bella.

It was a cloudless morning so the sun appeared like the bright beam of a flashlight suddenly flicked on, seeming to sit directly on the water while striping the sky in yellows, oranges, blues, and grays.

"Beautiful," Bella whispered in a reverent voice.

"Very," he agreed, not completely sure if he was talking about the sunrise or the woman in his arms since he couldn't decide which he wanted to look at more.

She twisted in his arms, showing a smile so genuinely happy that it made him grin. "Happy Birthday, Edward."

His grin turned into a full smile. And then was lost behind her lips as she tenderly kissed him. It was the oddest kiss he'd ever experienced because as much as he wanted to concentrate on her soft lips, he was continually distracted by the contrast between her cold nose and flushed cheeks. He tried holding her closer and kissing her deeper but he wasn't a match for the chilled air and had to do the responsible thing and get them inside before one or both of them ended up sick.

After queuing last night's movie to the spot where she'd fallen asleep, Bella settled in beside him on the couch, propping her feet up on the table right next to his and sliding under the throw blanket with him. He was slouched down into the cushions enough that their heads were at the same height and she leaned hers against his. He waited to feel crowded by having her right up against him but it never came. There was just more of the calm and balance he'd felt outside while watching the sunrise with her.

It didn't take long for Bella to warm up beside him—or to fall back to sleep. He liked that she was so comfortable with him and didn't try to force herself to stay up. She did her own thing and he was free to do his; it just so happened that what he wanted this morning was to stay right here with her. He was enjoying it so much that he even closed his eyes and let his mind wander as he tried to figure out what Lee and Esme might have planned for his birthday.

Sometime later Masen was jerked out of his dozing state by a loud thump that was followed by female laughter. He knew it was Gopher and Lee but he had no idea why they would be up so early. They tended to be the last to get up on days off that didn't include specific plans. He wondered once again what was planned for his birthday and why they weren't telling him.

He heard the creak of a door opening behind him and while he didn't exactly care if anyone saw him on the sofa with Bella, he also wasn't naive enough to believe for a second that it wouldn't lead to more teasing and nudging and he really wanted his birthday to be peaceful. _At least as peaceful as they ever allow_, he thought with a grin.

The light tread of the footsteps told him it was Lee approaching and he figured his best bet was pretending to be asleep since she wouldn't dig in right after waking him—she'd prefer for him to be fully alert so he wouldn't miss any of her jabs. He made his face as blank as possible and closed his eyes. And hoped she would be convinced.

He had expected to feel her hand on his arm, sure that she had come out here to wake him and wish him a happy birthday. Instead, she was waking Bella. "Rise and shine, little fish. Time to go shopping."

Bella sighed and mumbled out something he couldn't understand but that made Lee laugh.

"I'm sure it's very warm snuggled up to Masen but we have to go shopping."

Bella jerked beside him and her elbow dug into his sore side but he kept himself completely still. "Hi?" Her greeting came out as more of a question and Masen would have bet his truck that her cheeks were flushed a dark pink.

Lee chuckled. "Morning. Ready for some shopping?"

"Yeah. How long do I have to get ready?"

"Fifteen minutes enough time?"

"Plenty." He felt Bella slide out from under the blanket and get up from the sofa but he could feel she wasn't moving away. "Should we wake him?"

"Oh, we don't have to worry about that at all." Something about the way Lee spoke made him think she knew he was faking. "But you might want to leave his lucky shirt. He'll want it when he takes Lizzy out since it's pretty cool this morning."

There was some rustling from Bella taking the shirt off and then he felt the air change from them leaving. He waited until he heard two doors shut and then he opened his eyes. He was alone and his lucky shirt was neatly folded beside him.

Feeling pretty sure Lee knew he hadn't been sleeping, he went ahead and got up, slipping his shirt on before heading toward the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on for everyone.

He didn't make it there, though. He was stopped by a throat being cleared from just inside Esme's doorway.

"Well someone is certainly having a Happy Birthday so far," Esme said, giving him a pretty accurate look at his own shitty grin.

He stretched his arms out and wiggled his fingers. "It's not happy until my mom gives me a hug."

Esme smiled and stepped into his arms, but he also saw her eye-roll. He wondered what she'd seen while she gave him a tight hug and kissed his cheek. "Happy Birthday, Kid."

"Now you're going to tell me what we're doing today, right?"

She laughed and patted his cheek. "Not a chance in hell."

He huffed and pulled her hand from his face, tired of the curiosity and wanting to know _now_ what was planned.

His frustration had no effect on her smile. "I hope you aren't too annoyed to refuse a walk on the beach with me."

"Fine. I guess," he replied with a sigh, dropping his arms and pretending to be put out by her request.

"You know, you're never too old for a spanking, Kid."

He snorted. "Whatever. I'm going to turn the coffee pot on before we go. I think I heard the others stirring."

"You grab some shoes and I'll handle the coffee. It's chilly out and you don't need to catch a cold." Her motherly tone made him suspect she knew he'd already been out in the chilled air this morning.

It wasn't long before he was dressed and standing in the kitchen accepting a cup of coffee from Esme and "happy birthday" wishes from his family. He'd expected them to stick around and for everyone to have breakfast together but they'd filled up a few coffee thermoses and then had taken off, leaving him and his mom alone.

"What do you think they're up to?" he asked Esme as they made their way down to the beach with Lizzy prancing a few feet ahead of them.

Esme grinned while hooking her arm around his. "I would guess it has something to do with a certain someone's birthday."

"Seriously, Mom, it's time to tell me. What do you have planned for today?"

Her smile widened and she pinched the sleeve of his lucky shirt between her fingers. He hung his head, knowing there was no way he was getting off this beach without discussing Bella.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, figuring the best way out was straight through.

She surprised him by asking the one question he hadn't expected. "How long have you known about Bella's father?"

"How do you know I didn't find out last night?" he replied, watching her eyes in hopes she'd give something away.

She didn't. She just smiled. It was crazy how good she was at using a smile to get information out of him—he just couldn't bring himself to deny her.

"Beth's birthday. You guys had all gone to bed and I was out on the balcony and Bella came out there. I don't know … I just … I was sitting there thinking about Beth and I felt like talking to Bella about her so I did. And she told me about her dad."

"I'm very proud of you for the way you were with her last night. She needed someone to be strong for her and you were that person."

"It honestly didn't feel like a big deal." He shrugged. "I know it hurts her to talk about losing him so I let her know she had someone with her who understood."

"What kind of impact have the details of her father's passing had on your outlook for her potential as our intern?"

"None really. I'd had a pretty good idea from her behaviors that her past included a personal shark attack. I'd already slowed things down and changed some of my plans to fit her situation. As far as I'm concerned, she's still right on track to be our first success story."

"And your friendship with her?"

He grinned, knowing Esme had to be extremely curious to pop out her "real" question so soon. And then he let out a breath while trying to figure out where to start because the truth was that he wanted to tell her. Maybe if she knew then she could explain some of it to him because there was a lot about his relationship with Bella that baffled the hell out of him.

"I can't _just_ be Bella's friend. I tried my best and I honestly believe I did it to be responsible. But I can't turn it off or shove it aside. I want more with her. I've admitted that to her and I've also told her I don't know what more means yet. She seems like she understands and wants to give me a chance to find out with her. I know she cares for me so that's a good place to start I guess."

He paused and ran a hand through his hair as he struggled with all the happy and worried thoughts swirling in his head. "I've gotta admit, these past few days of allowing myself to enjoy being with her … they were better than I had hoped. I'd been concerned our personal relationship would interfere with our professional one and while there are definite changes because of it, in some ways I think it helped make it better. I can't say for sure that she would have trusted me enough to take her into that cradle yesterday if she hadn't known that I care for her more than I do the internship. Which is a really fucking strange thing to say, Mom, but it's the honest truth."

He looked down at Esme in anticipation of her sharing her own thoughts and saw that her eyes were glassy and her smile was that tender motherly one that made him ache for both her and Beth. That particular smile always left him feeling incredibly guilty because it made him wish for his mother when he had a wonderful mom already standing right beside him.

Esme still hadn't said anything and her silence made him jittery enough to fill up the silence. "I did think about what you said, about not wanting my life to change. I don't mind a few changes here and there, I just … I never wanted to be in that spot where I had to choose between work and caring about someone. I don't feel like Bella would make me choose."

When Esme didn't say anything, he let out a breath and shared the reason he believed that. "She had the chance, Mom. She had the opportunity to force me to choose between my work and being with her. She was so freaked out when that shark knocked me down the other day. She was even thinking of giving up on working with marine life altogether. But we talked and I told her how important safety is to me and I pointed out examples she'd already seen. And I told her that this isn't some game to me or done for a thrill, but to really help these creatures. I do this because it means something to me—it's my way of putting something good into the world. And by the end of our talk, she was better. She wanted to stay and work. And to stay to be with me."

He pushed himself to say the words sitting on the tip of his tongue, knowing Esme would understand the gravity of them and worrying for that exact reason. "It's just like Beth said it would be—I don't want to let Bella go."

Despite Esme's furious attempt to blink back her tears, a few fell from her gray eyes and she quickly used the back of her hand to wipe them away. Her lips were pulled up into a wide, proud smile, resembling very closely the smiles he'd seen when he'd graduated high school and college, and when he'd signed the papers to start MMR. Just as she had on those occasions, she took hold of his face and kissed his left cheek. "That's from me." Then she pressed her lips to his right cheek and said, "That's from Elizabeth."

Masen pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head and closing his eyes tightly. After all these years, he still couldn't stand this rush of love for Esme and longing for Beth. But he also still felt like he needed it. He needed both of his mothers to have any chance at becoming the kind of man they wanted him to be—that he now wanted to be—the kind that could balance work and life and share them both with Bella.

Esme cleared her throat and stepped back. She was grinning now and she playfully tugged the sleeve of his lucky shirt. "All this wonderful news from you and here I was just trying to borrow the lucky shirt to go get some lottery tickets."

Masen groaned but it quickly turned into a laugh as he tucked her under his arm. "Mom, it's my birthday. This is the one day each year when you're supposed to have to be nice to me."

"Kid, I'm being very nice. I haven't said 'I told you so' once yet. And I also haven't mentioned you sharing your lucky shirt and the sofa with Bella last night."

His head jerked in surprise. "How do you know that?"

Once again, he found himself looking at his shitty grin on her sweet face. "Your mom and dad thought I was a hard sleeper who never once heard him sneaking into our hotel room late at night. They didn't do much more than kiss but I don't think that was why he came or she let him in. I think they just really enjoyed being together in the quiet. I think it gave them a sense of peace that they couldn't find either alone or together in the day when surrounded by people. But that's just the guess of a little sister."

"You never asked Beth about it?"

"No, sweetheart. Some things are better left as a secret in another's heart. My silence allowed your mom to feel those memories of your dad had remained hers and hers alone. I believed she needed that a lot more than I needed to know if my guess was right."

"You really are the best. The best sister, aunt, mom, and friend."

Esme's sweet smile turned teasing. "And you've got a crush on the intern. All the women in the world and you fall for Bella Cullen. What in the world are we gonna do with you, Kid?"

He grunted. "Pray I don't fuck it up."

Silence followed his comment and he had just decided she wasn't going to comment when she called his name. "Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't fuck it up."

They looked at each other for a moment and then both started laughing loud enough that Lizzy gave up on inspecting a shell lodged in the sand and ran over to jump at their legs and get their attention.

While he could never be sure of what was going to come out of Esme's mouth, Masen always knew she loved him as if he was truly her own son. He might have some pretty big checks in his loss column but he also had some great ones under his gains. And Esme was the biggest of all.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella watched Esme and Edward from the backseat of his truck until the mother and son disappeared behind the large rental property next to their own. She wondered if he would talk to her about Athena but doubted it because of how he'd hidden the truth about his side. He seemed to want to make sure Esme didn't worry about him. _He must have missed the memo about how parents always worry_, she thought with a grin while remembering a few times her uncle had been worried over things that had seemed inconsequential to her. He'd once had to be talked out of taking her for x-rays when she'd stubbed her toe against a kitchen chair.

The dip of the truck interrupted her musings. "Um … hi," she greeted Gopher as he clicked his seatbelt.

"Hi." His usually chipper attitude was nowhere to be found. He looked odd without his smile and twinkling blue eyes and Bella felt an overwhelming desire to hug him and cheer him up.

But in order to cheer him up, she first had to know what had him so down. "What's wrong? Why aren't you sitting with Lee?"

His shoulders slumped even more and he let out a deep, troubled sigh. "Banished."

"Why?" she asked while glancing quickly at Lee who was laughing in the front seat with Whit. While Bella was enjoying her new friendship with Lee, she felt an allegiance to Gopher for all of the ways he'd made her feel at home from the moment they'd met.

"Apparently in the middle of the night I woke up and sent a text that woke Lee and then I went right back to sleep while she read the message. All it said was 'Cake. I love it so much'. Lee is not amused with me."

"Well … Maybe you were thinking of cake since it's Edward's birthday."

"That's what I said," he replied, his voice at a much higher register than normal. He let out another sigh but it was at least lighter than the first. "But to be honest, I don't remember doing it at all. And when she asked what kind of cake and I said chocolate, she knew I was lying. Masen only ever wants strawberry shortcake for his birthday."

Bella shook her head. "Leave it to him to be the one person who wouldn't be happy with chocolate cake."

Gopher snorted. "Always has to be different and stubborn."

"Hey, I thought we talked about this already," Bella said, barely holding back her laughter as she thought of that first day in the rental house here in Gordon's Bay. "He's not stubborn. He just wants everything done his way."

Gopher grinned and something about it made her uneasy. "Pretty sure I've seen him making a few concessions for you, little fish."

Bella choked on her breath while her cheeks flamed red. "I … _No_!"

The man started laughing so hard that he rocked the Bronco. "No!" he guffawed.

"What the hell is going on back here?" Whit asked, leaning between the front seats.

Gopher just pointed at Bella while snorting and chuckling and clutching his stomach.

"Give it up, Guppy," Whit told her with a toothy smile. "What did you say to get him so riled up?"

Bella glared at Gopher for his mischievousness and then grinned as the perfect response came to her. "I didn't say a word. He's really excited about cake."

"Hey!" Gopher cried, his eyes and mouth open wide in shock.

Bella smiled wider, pleased that she'd turned the attention away from her and onto him.

Or so she thought until Whit spoke. "Cake, huh? I figured you two would be talking about you snuggling up to Masen on the sofa."

Bella shrugged, outwardly acting as if it meant nothing while on the inside her heart raced from the memories of kissing Edward last night and this morning. There was a lot about him that still confused her and a few things that worried her, but all of that melted away every single time his lips touched hers. And last night and this morning had been even more consuming because of how unhurried he'd been, as if he truly didn't care if he was seen kissing her.

Bella realized she'd been silent far too long and since she couldn't come up with anything to say, she just shrugged again.

Whit's devious smile widened. "So there _was_ snuggling involved. Interesting."

"No, not really. We just shared a blanket while watching a movie and ended up falling asleep." _There_, she thought. _I said it like it wasn't a big deal so that should get him to think so too. I hope._

"Hear that, Lee?" Whit asked as he leaned back enough to see her. "The birthday boy fell asleep watching a movie."

"I suppose there's a first time for everything," she said and then laughed darkly.

Bella might not understand their inside joke but she was certain the change in her relationship with Edward hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone; she was also sure he didn't see that for whatever reason. She definitely planned to ask him about it, but not today. He should be able to enjoy his birthday. But tomorrow … Tomorrow they were going to talk and he was going to have to give her a clearer definition of what was acceptable to do and say in front of his family and her new friends. For now, she picked up the book she'd brought along and lost herself in the pages.

She was so lost she didn't hear her name being called once they'd arrived in town, and Gopher had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Sorry. Good book," she told him as she showed him the cover of the book Alice had packed into her suitcase. It seemed her little sister had packed lots of little surprises, like this book and the new music she'd heard the other day on her laptop.

"Alright," Lee called once they were standing together in front of the Bronco. "I'm taking Bella with me since she needs to get a gift for our birthday boy." She tore the sheet of paper in her hand in half and passed one piece to Whit. "You two get the items on this half of the list and we'll meet back here in an hour."

Gopher hooked his finger through the belt loop on the front of Lee's jeans and with one tug he had her pressed against his chest. She didn't look like she was happy about it and he didn't seem like he even noticed with how focused he was on looking right into her eyes. "Be safe."

She cracked a small smile and the lines around her eyes softened. "Stay away from cake."

"I'm serious."

"I know. I love you."

He kissed her soundly on the lips and then grinned. "Love you too, Babe. Way more than I love cake. Promise."

She laughed and pushed away from him. "You two stay out of trouble and we'll see you in an hour."

Bella waited until the guys were a good distance away. "Lee, were you really mad at him?"

Bella heard Lee's dark laugh for the second time that morning. "About as mad as Mase was sleeping."

"You really don't think he was asleep this morning?" It didn't seem like something to fake to Bella and she couldn't figure out what might make Edward want to pretend to be asleep instead of saying goodbye to her this morning. It's not like he hadn't spent time alone with her before. Unless the others didn't have any idea and he wanted to keep it that way. But then why had he said last night that he didn't want her to worry about it?

"It had nothing to do with you," Lee assured her. "Not really. It's just Masen trying to be responsible for everything and everyone. He'll get over it soon." After a few seconds she added, "I hope."

Bella thought about Lee's comment the entire time she followed her through the first store they entered.

When they were walking out with the few things Lee had picked out, Bella asked, "We're friends now, right?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

"So if I were to talk to you in confidence?"

"Masen wouldn't hear a word of it from me," Lee promised.

Bella nodded and let out the breath she'd been holding. "The other day when I was thinking of leaving and you and Whit were so kind and encouraging …" She paused, unsure of how to phrase the next part.

"Bella, that wasn't a big deal. We honestly care about you as a person and a coworker and we just wanted to see you do your best and not let your fear stop you."

"I know that. And I wish I could say it was your words that convinced me, but …"

Lee grinned. "You are so like Masen in some ways. Whit and I are not stupid or blind, Bella. We knew it was going to take more than us. We knew Masen was going to have to step in and address your fears. We just weren't completely sure he could let down his guard enough to do it. But you're still here and from what I saw this morning, he's not being all business anymore."

"He's not. Well … Sometimes he's not. You said to be patient and I'm trying but he's so confusing sometimes. Last night he said he didn't like me worrying about you guys seeing me with him but then this morning he faked sleeping. I just … I'm really worried he's going to change his mind again and when he does things like this …" Bella met Lee's gaze and said the words she had every intention of saying to Edward tomorrow. "I'm not a toy and I don't want to be toyed with."

Lee linked her arm with Bella's as they walked, taking a minute to gather her thoughts before responding. "Those are the words of a smart woman and that's a hard thing to be when your heart is involved. As his friend, and a person who can be just as clueless about relationships, I say tell him that flat out and make sure he knows you mean it. He doesn't have his own boundaries so you have to give him yours. Emmett used to get pretty frustrated with me for being wishy-washy about some things but once we talked and I knew where the boundaries lied, it was so much easier to be with him.

"Masen honestly doesn't mean to be so back and forth, Bella. He just doesn't know yet how to be with you. But he wants to and that's the thing you've got to remember those times when you're frustrated and confused. Tell him it bothers you and I guarantee he'll do all he can to fix it. Just don't ever expect perfection from him because you won't get it. That's something Emmett had to decide if he could handle with me and thankfully he can."

Bella thought of the look on Edward's face the other night in her room aboard Galeos—pure panic mixed with a longing that was real and possibly as deep as her own. _I don't want to let you go, Bella. Please don't make me do that._ His words had been so sincere and so heartfelt and hearing them in her head now made her want to cry as much as when she'd heard them that night. It wasn't every day that someone was wanted that much and she certainly hadn't entertained the idea of anyone feeling that way about her. The future she had mapped out for herself included working at the aquarium, reading for fun, and maybe having a cat for company. Honestly, though, that future was looking less appealing the closer she grew to Edward.

"Oh, let's try this one," Lee said as she tugged Bella toward an older looking building. "Sometimes you can find real treasures in the little stores like this one."

Bella had been pretty skeptical of that. And she had nearly given up hope of finding anything after spending the nearly twenty minutes browsing dusty shelves and digging in crowded bins. And then she looked up and saw it. The perfect birthday gift.

She reached up and noticed her hand was shaking as her fingers closed over the hard plastic. She shouldn't be nervous over a gift and yet she was practically shaking in her shoes.

Lee put a hand on her shoulder and Bella steadied under the comforting weight. "It's perfect," her friend assured her. "And so is this."

Bella turned around to see what Lee had found and immediately giggled. "Somehow I don't see Edward agreeing to wear that."

"Oh, it's not for him to wear. The gift is seeing you in it. After I make a few quick alterations, of course."

Bella took the hot pink shirt from Lee and nervously giggled again. "How is seeing me in this shirt going to be a gift for him?"

"Now that you and I are friends, I can let you in on a few secrets about Masen. First, he hates dancing."

Bella thought of how hard it had been to get him to dance that night on the deck of Galeos. "Yeah, I figured that out."

"Yes, but what you don't know is that it has nothing to do with him not caring for music. When Mase was a little kid, he danced all the time with Beth and Esme, and later on with just Esme. And in high school he and Whit were big time into music and even talked about starting a garage band. Back then music was a way to meet girls.

"When I met them in college they had relegated music to a weekend thing but were still into it. But at the start of our second year Whit met this girl and they had a very intense and sometimes stormy relationship. It seemed like Whit always needed to hang out with her or fix something with her, and at times it was pretty damn annoying to have him blowing us off for this girl. But we love him and we wanted him happy so we dealt with it. Without Whit around, Masen gave up on the music and focused more on surfing, especially since that was the one activity that Whit never missed out on. Plus I think he secretly blamed the music since Whit met the girl during one of their little impromptu beach concerts.

"So here we are all these years later with Mase preferring to listen to _Jeopardy_ instead of music. But only when he can't be surfing instead. And only when you aren't the one asking him to dance."

"That's … Wow." Bella honestly didn't know how to respond to all that new information. A girl in Whit's past. A time when Edward had liked music. The mental image of him being a little kid and dancing with his mom. And a deeper understanding of the long history and loyal friendship between the guys and Lee.

Lee shrugged. "Yeah, it's Mase. What can I tell ya?"

"You said the dancing was the first thing so what's the second?"

Lee chuckled. "The second is that this shirt will be a gift for him because flashes of skin are his kryptonite when it comes to women. That is not personally gained information if you're wondering. It's an observation made by Whit and me after years of watching what kind of woman catches Mase's attention enough to get him to be interested in her. It's always the ones who are teasing a little skin rather than putting a bunch on full display."

"But Whit said—"

Lee cut her off with a head shake. "Whit meant that Masen has never had an actual relationship. He's not a virgin by any stretch of the imagination, but the women he's chosen to be with here and there have only ever been around for a few hours at most."

After all the back and forth, hearing that women in his life tended to last only a few hours had Bella worried all over again. How much longer could it really be before he changed his mind and wanted to be strictly professional again? And this time, it _would_ be a permanent change. Not being perfect and not being experienced was one thing, but jerking around someone's heart was a completely different monster—the only kind that would ever have Bella preferring to be near a shark instead.

Lee put her arm around Bella's shoulders, seeming as if she knew the conversation had made her uncomfortable. "Bella, we all have at least one person in our past. But no one in Mase's history has ever known about Beth. _You_ are the one woman he chose to share that with. And just so you know, he didn't tell me about her until we'd known each other for about six months and we'd been instant friends the moment we'd met."

Bella felt a little guilty for how relieved those words made her feel. Edward wasn't the kind to share something so personal with just anyone and if she meant enough to him to do that, then she had to mean enough for him to really want her—and that had to be enough to keep him from changing his mind.

She smiled and lifted up the hot pink shirt. "So two presents then?"

Lee grinned impishly. "Abso-freakin-lutely!"

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I'm just going to put this stuff in my room and then I'll meet you in yours," Bella promised Lee.

"Just a sec!" Whit called as he jogged over to her. "I have a favor to ask on Masen's behalf."

There was something about his smile that had Bella blushing. "Why do I feel like this is not going to be a favor I want anything to do with?"

"It's a simple request." He leaned in closer and whispered, "Wear your red bikini today."

"What? Why?" she asked, pulling back to see his face and hopefully read his expression.

All she saw was his devilish smile and shining eyes. "'Cause it's his birthday and he _really_ likes seeing you in it."

"How could you possibly know that?"

Whit chuckled darkly. "I'm the nudger. It's my job."

She laughed and rolled her eyes at his silliness. "Whatever. I'll think about it."

He seemed satisfied with that because he gave her a dramatic bow and then spun around and jogged over to Gopher who was pulling bags from the back of the Bronco.

She was still shaking her head at his antics when she entered her room. And then she jumped because her door closed behind her all on its own. She spun around only to find that the door had, had some help after all. "Edward, what are you doing?" she hissed, annoyed that he'd frightened her.

He answered with a kiss. Not a sweet "welcome back" kiss or a soft "hello" kiss. No, this was a "come here" kiss, the kind of kiss that consumed everything … thoughts … breaths … sounds. Or at least most of the sounds because there was something about a kiss so hot and intense, a kiss that heated a body from the inside out … a kiss like that made it damn near impossible to control the level and frequency of the resulting moaning.

When they finally came up for air, they were both breathing harshly. Her bags were forgotten on the floor and she was pressed against the wall in a way very similar to that night they'd met in the bar. And just like that night, her brains were so addled by him that she was barely able to speak. "Hi."

He was so close that she could only see his eyes—a sea green that rivaled the majesty of the ocean—looking right at her. Maybe even into her from the way she felt so exposed, as if he could see right inside and knew exactly how much she wished she wasn't the intern in that moment. That feeling intensified when his lips softly brushed against hers; an apology for now and a promise for later.

He set her on her feet and after they were both sure she was steady, she asked, "Did you have a nice time with Esme?"

He didn't answer right away. "I told her about us."

"What did she say?" She was desperate to see the look on his face but she also wanted to make sure he didn't accidentally see his gifts so she stayed focused on making sure he couldn't see into the bags while she moved them from the floor to her bed.

She was a little too focused and he was able to take her by surprise again, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing the back of her neck. "She likes you."

He followed the admission with another tender kiss to her neck. "She likes me with you."

There was another kiss and Bella had to close her eyes and bite her lip to keep from moaning. She felt his lips again and this time, his smile—he'd obviously felt her shiver and liked it.

He moved his warm lips to the shell of her ear. "She'd also like it if I didn't screw things up."

"I'd like that too." She probably shouldn't have just blurted it out that way, but it was undeniably true.

His breath was hot against her ear. "Kapu."

She turned in his arms, needing to see his face—his eyes. Instead of making her feel special like it usually did, the word had brought back her worries of him changing his mind. "Why do you still call me forbidden if you want to be with me?"

His fingers played with her ponytail while his eyes seemed to be taking in every detail of her face; he was stalling. Just when she felt she couldn't take his silence another second, he answered her question in a low, rough tone, sounding as if it hurt in some way to confide in her. "Because kapu also means sacred, as in important and entitled to respect."

"You don't like that version of it, do you?"

"I like it just fine. And I like you. It's just new … and strange."

"I really was going to wait until tomorrow, but, Edward … Listen, I like you. A lot. You know that. But I also need you to know I'm not a toy and I don't want to be toyed with. If you're not sure what you want, we should stop right here and go back to being just co-workers."

He looked honestly shocked. "How can you say that? I told my mom about us, Bella. How can you think I'm not sure what I want?"

"Yeah, you told your mom, but you also just said you find it strange for me to be important to you."

"No, I said you _are_ important to me. Having someone be important is new and strange, but that doesn't change the fact that you are important to me. And I don't want it to change. Bella, I meant what I told you the other day. I care about you and I want you here with me."

"Okay, but last night you said you didn't like me worrying about your family seeing us together and then this morning you pretended to be asleep."

He groaned and rubbed his hand over his face. "I knew that was going to bite me in the ass. I just didn't know it would be with you." He moved his hand and looked at her, right into her eyes. "Bella, I did that because I didn't want Lee to tease either of us this morning. I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable and then not want to sit with me on the sofa anymore."

She was surprised by how badly she wanted to believe him but she had to be sure. "They're not just your family anymore, Edward. They're my friends too. I can understand and respect your desire for privacy, just be clear with me about what is and isn't okay to share with them."

"To be perfectly honest, I don't have any idea. I've never done this before. When this …" He shifted his weight and ran a hand through his messy hair, clearly uncomfortable in Bella's opinion. "If they see us together, I think they'll be okay with it. Actually, I'm pretty sure they'll be so busy trying to find a way to tease me about it that they won't even really pay much attention to what you and me are doing.

"But that's because they know me—they know I'm not playing around with you or our careers. They know this is real for me. And they know that about you too, Bella. But people outside of them won't. Does that make sense?"

"You would like to be discrete around people like the crew of The Submarine, but around your family it's okay if you want to hold my hand?" she questioned, hoping she had understood him right.

Edward smiled and slipped his arms around her; he was so close she could feel the heat of his breath on her lips. "You could always hold my hand first for a change."

"What if I want to hug you instead?"

"I'd rather you kiss me."

She smiled, her entire body relaxing in his arms as the relief she felt seeped through her.

"Kapu, I haven't changed my mind and I'm not going to change it." If not for the knock on her door, he probably would have kissed her and it undoubtedly would have been a damn good one too. But there was a knock so there was no kiss.

"I'll be right there," Bella called, positive it was Lee knocking since she'd promised to bring the pink shirt to her room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Edward asked, holding her tighter.

"I promised to help Lee with something."

"Let Whit or Gopher help."

"No, _I_ promised so I have to do it."

"A stickler, huh?" he asked with a smirk that guaranteed he was up to no good. "Promise to kiss me later."

She didn't see the harm, especially if it got her out of his arms quicker. "I promise I'll kiss you later. Now let go so I can follow through on my promise to Lee."

"Okay, but first I want to know if you wrote about yesterday in your journal."

Bella could feel the look of confusion on her face. She knew he'd liked reading her entries but not enough to ask about a particular one like this. "No, I haven't had a chance yet."

"Will you bring it wherever we're going so you can write it?"

Unlike him, she knew where they were going and she would rather leave her journal here in the house. "I really don't think I'll have the chance for that."

"Please?"

She could see he was really intent on this, she just didn't know his reason. "What's so important about me making this particular entry?"

"I really want to see yesterday the way you did. I want to know what it felt like for you to be on the cradle with that shark, touching it and naming it."

She was too stunned to speak and just barely managed to nod.

He had a very happy grin on his face as he asked, "Can I thank you properly or do you really have to go?"

She groaned and forced herself to back away from him, not trusting herself to stay close and stay clear-headed. "I really have to go."

"Fine," he said with a sigh. And then he flashed her with his shitty grin. "Just remember your promise to me."

Bella huffed at him while grabbing the bag with the shirt. "I'm going help Lee. Why don't you go find someone else to annoy for a while?"

Her fingers touched the doorknob and his arms banded around her, pulling her flush against his back. Before she could ask him to let go, he whispered into her ear, "I'm not going to let you go, kapu. I promise."

She felt the sting of tears and quickly blinked them back while telling herself to smile because those were good words. Words that she had really needed to hear. _And Lee really can wait just a few more minutes_, Bella reasoned as she turned and found his lips with hers. She and Edward might not be saying it with their words, but she was pretty convinced their kisses had a lot to say about the depth of their feelings for each other. And right now, hers was definitely saying "thank you" and "don't let go".

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Keep your hat down," Esme ordered.

"It's down, Mom," Masen assured her, laughing as he followed her sandal-clad feet out of the house. "I wouldn't dare ruin your surprise."

"Kid, we both know you would if you thought you could get away with it."

"That's true," he agreed.

"Alright, stop." She gripped his shoulder and moved him to the left. "Right here should be good."

"Can I lift my hat now?" he asked, holding the brim with twitchy fingers. He was tired of waiting to find out what they had planned.

"Patience, Kid."

"Don't have any, Mom. You used it all up."

She laughed but it didn't come from right next to him. "Alright. Lift!"

Masen pulled his hat completely off and after blinking to adjust to the brightness of the sun, his eyes zeroed in on Esme and the surprise she was standing beside. The back of his Bronco was packed full and there were surfboards tied to the roof.

"Wanna take a guess at your surprise?" Esme asked. She had a huge, happy smile on her face that told him whatever this was a part of, it was designed with his favorite things in mind. Not that he'd expected anything less from her. She always found a way to make his birthday fun for him no matter where they were in the world.

Whit and Gopher were near her, sitting on the tailgate with Lizzy lying between them with her head on her paws. "We'll give you a hint. It's not Disneyland," Gopher told him.

"I'm hoping from these boards that surfing will be involved," Masen said to Esme, reaching up to touch his board and using his other arm to hug her.

"I can confirm surfing is involved."

"What else?"

"Nope. That's all you get until we get to our destination."

Masen let out an aggravated groan that caused Esme, Whit, and Gopher to laugh at his reaction.

She ruffled his hair. "Relax, Kid. You'll know soon enough. We're just waiting on Lee and Guppy so we can get on the road to the other part of your surprise."

"We're here," Lee called from behind them.

Masen turned to ask her for his keys because there was no way in hell he wasn't driving his truck on his birthday.

One look at Bella, though, and he was seriously questioning his ability to drive; he was pretty sure all the blood that should be in his brains to allow for safe driving had just dove down to a southerly region.

She had on a sleeveless pink tee that stopped just above her bellybutton, leaving a swatch of her toned stomach on view. The tee had a deep v-neck and he was pretty damn sure it was her red ruffled bikini that was peeking out of the edges. The shirt was tight across her chest and so loose beneath that it swayed with each step she took and flashed him with different slivers of her tanned and toned belly. He grunted and shifted his weight from his left to his right foot, hoping like hell that his board shorts weren't showing off how much he liked her outfit.

Bella walked right past him as if she hadn't seen him standing there but he knew from the almost matching pink blush in her cheeks that she'd seen him _and_ his reaction to her.

And from the shitty grin Lee was wearing, he knew she was behind this outfit choice. Even without the grin, though, the writing on the shirt screamed of her input: _Think of me as the Barbie you'll never get to play with_.

"Here are your keys," Lee said, dangling them from her finger. "Think you can drive?"

Masen only grunted at her while snatching his keys away. He slipped behind the wheel of his truck and shook his head, trying to compose himself while everyone piled into the Bronco.

The passenger door opened and he looked up to see Whit holding onto it and Bella sliding across the bench seat. "I won shotgun and Lee wants to sit with Gopher," Whit explained as he got in and closed the door. This didn't explain why Esme was in the back but Masen was too distracted by Bella smiling at him to realize it in that moment.

Whit slapped his hands against the dashboard in a quick rhythm. "Let's go, birthday boy. We have a surprise to get to."

Masen shook his head again and then got the Bronco started. "Gonna need a direction, Mom," he said, looking at her in the rearview mirror.

She wore a Cheshire cat smile, a clear indicator to him that she wasn't in the backseat by chance. "Toward Cape Town, Kid."

"You won shotgun, huh?" he asked Whit as he pulled out onto the main road.

The only answer he got from his best friend was a low, dark laugh.

Masen kept his eyes and mind strictly on driving for the first few miles but little by little his attention started to spread between the road and the woman next to him. She and Whit were arguing about the best comedy movies, but it was the kind of argument friends had where both were laughing too much to mean anything negative they might be saying. He liked that they were already the kind of friends who could do that together.

"Whatever," Whit yelled and then laughed. He looked past Bella to smirk at Masen and then said to her, "You know, there's plenty of room if you want to slide this way some."

Instead of taking him up on the offer, Bella slid closer to Masen until she was sitting right up against him. "Nah, I'm comfortable right here," she told Whit.

"So I see."

_Screw it. I want to so I'm going to_, Masen thought. He dropped his hand from the steering wheel and took hold of Bella's. He slid his fingers through hers and she squeezed his hand before he got the chance; he was glad she wasn't concerned with what anyone might say. She'd had him worried earlier that she would be the one to change her mind about them having more together. He knew it was his own fault for his earlier behavior with her and he also knew he was going to have to relax and just get used to his family seeing him be different with Bella in order for her to trust him.

Whit held his hand out to Bella. "Hey, mine's empty too. Wanna hold it?"

Bella grabbed it and used it to slap him in his chest. "Hold your own, Nudger."

Masen laughed at the shocked look on Whit's face. It had been a long time since anyone had gotten the drop on his best friend like that.

"Laugh it up, Mase, and while you're busy with that, I'll tell Bella about Kimmie K in the seventh grade."

"She doesn't want to hear that story. Especially not with the way you tell it."

"So both of you tell it," Bella said, looking up at Edward first and then Whit.

The guys exchanged shrugs and Whit started the story. "It was seventh grade and there was going to be a dance at the school. We normally didn't care about dances but we'd heard Kimmie was going to ask one of us to go. Masen was sure it was going to be him and I was positive he'd be home alone with his video games while I danced the night away with Kimmie."

Masen snorted and then picked up where Whit had left off. "I decided to do something to impress Kimmie, and Whit over there tried to copy me."

"The hell I did!" Whit argued, turning to face Masen. "For one, all you did was put a ridiculous amount of gel in your hair to try to get it to stay flat on your head."

"That's not true. I had flowers for her."

Whit snorted and then spoke to Bella as if Masen couldn't hear him. "Flowers he stole from Esme's garden and got grounded for."

Bella giggled. "I can totally picture that. So what did you do?"

Masen answered for him. "The genius over there went to school in his best suit, walked right up to Kimmie, got down on his knees, and offered her up a huge box of chocolates."

"Did that work? Did she agree to go to the dance with you?"

Whit shook his head. "She was already going with this Morrison kid who was in our gym class."

"Wouldn't have mattered anyway," Masen said. "He was grounded the night of the dance for stealing money from his mom's purse to buy the chocolate."

Bella looked between the two of them. "So let me get this straight … You both wanted to go with her … You both got grounded in your wayward attempts to impress her … And the entire time, she already had a date that wasn't either of you. Wow! That must have been some bruise to your egos."

"We were too young and stupid to have bruised egos," Masen replied.

"Yeah, we were way more upset about the grounding than the girl," Whit added.

"Have you ever liked the same girl again?"

"Hell no! Masen's got awful taste." Whit grinned at Bella. "Present company excluded."

Masen let go of Bella's hand to reach across the seat and pinch the back of Whit's neck as hard as he could. "Fucking nudger."

"Bella, call him off!" Whit yelled while squeezing his neck against his shoulder in an attempt to get free of Masen's grip.

Bella giggled. "I wouldn't want to get between two friends the way Kimmie did."

"You gonna leave me alone on my birthday?" Masen asked his best friend.

"No, but you knew that already," Whit replied.

Masen laughed and let him go, appreciating the man's honesty even when it wasn't in his favor. Instead of pulling his arm back, he left it resting on the back on the seat with his hand curled around Bella's shoulder. Since he was gonna get shit anyway, he might as well do something to deserve it.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

After driving toward Cape Town for a much shorter time than Masen had expected, Esme had him turn left and follow the winding coastline for a while. She eventually directed him up through Cape Point within the Table Mountain National Park and then onto a road that wound back down toward the coastline. That road pretty much dead-ended into a gorgeous beach and she instructed him to park in a grassy area off to the right of it.

Masen opened his door and used it to balance himself in the doorway, giving himself a higher and better view of the land laid out before him. This section of beach was a half-moon shape and continued on in either direction as far as he could see—white sand for miles, mostly flat with the occasional dunes. The water surrounding it was a stunning shade of blue-green filled with perfect rolling waves and bright white foam caps. _Breathtaking_—it was the only word Masen could come up with to describe this truly picture perfect setting.

The beauty of this area wasn't just relegated to the beach either—this stretch of coastline was bordered by mountain ranges, dotting the landscape with the browns and greys of the rocks and interspersed with vibrant green shrubbery. A few of the peaks even looked like shark fins looming over the area.

Lizzy's "pay attention" bark did its job and he looked down to find his puppy happily nestled in his mom's arms. "Welcome to Buffels Bay Beach," Esme said, smiling up at him. "What do you think, Kid?"

He didn't get to answer because a very excited Lee bounced over to reveal another part of his birthday surprise. "We've got special permission to stay right here on the beach for the next few days. Not the beach, beach, but the grassy area right here."

Esme laughed as she put an arm around Lee. "She's been dying to tell you for the past twenty-four hours."

"Mase, it's got everything," Lee exclaimed. "Tons of beach to explore, surfing, a tidal pool, and even snorkeling. Great, right?"

"It's perfect," he assured her as he hopped down from the doorway.

Esme handed Lizzy to Lee and then stepped up to kiss Masen on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, Kid."

He pulled her into a bear hug that made her laugh, and then she tugged his head down and whispered a plea into his ear. "Make the most of your time off and this beautiful place, Edward. Make memories you'll always cherish and hold in your heart."

"Why don't we ever go anywhere this nice for my birthday?" Whit asked, causing everyone to laugh.

Masen let go of Esme so he could properly sucker-punch his best friend in the shoulder the way he deserved. Whit's cries of pain were short-lived, quickly drowned out by a piercing whistle from Lee.

"I wanna get my surfboard in that water so let's get camp set up quick and right," she demanded. "The guys can pitch the tents while the ladies start carrying down the supplies."

"Hey, General Hale, calm the hell down," Whit told her. "We're here to have fun."

"We can have fun after we handle our responsibilities."

Whit rolled his eyes at her. "You and Mase, two damn peas in a pod."

She gave him a wicked grin. "You're just jealous I'm the best, best friend."

"In your dreams," he replied with a loud snort.

Esme cleared her throat, the sound instantly setting all eyes on her. "As the official tie-breaker of this lovely band of misfits, I say we set up camp first and then play."

Lee poked her tongue at Whit, he flipped her off, and then everyone got busy unloading the Bronco.

Everyone except for Masen and Bella. "A word with you?" he asked even as he snagged her by the band of her shorts, pretty much forcing her to follow him toward the front of his truck.

"Did you miss the order from your mom to set up camp?" Bella questioned with a chuckle, her face shaded and her eyes hidden from him. She had snagged his hat while he'd been admiring the beach—seeing her in his hat and that flirty shirt, knowing her red bikini with the ruffles was underneath … Once again he found himself wondering about the stretching ability of his board shorts.

"Is this because I stole your hat?" she asked.

He shook his head to clear it from flashes of her skin and red ruffles and then answered her. "Borrowed."

"Nope," she replied, popping her lips on the 'p' and grinning. "Borrowed implies an intent to return."

He grinned, sure she was teasing. "You're not a thief."

She shrugged. "Consider it a gift from you to me to make up for previous infractions."

"I thought the chocolate milk did that," he said, his smile widening as he remembered how much she'd enjoyed it.

With a smile to match his, she leaned in and set her hands on his chest, burning his skin through the thin cotton of his t-shirt and leaving his fingers no choice but to grip her slender hips and pull her closer. She tilted her head down the slightest bit and then looked up through her long lashes, teasing him with slivers of caramel. "What can I say? You had a lot of infractions."

He had no choice—he had to kiss her or he'd burst from the force it was taking to resist it.

He caught a hint of the fresh orange slices she'd had this morning as his lips touched hers in a whisper of kiss. And then Lee cock-blocked him with the screech of his name. "Masen! Stop making out with the intern and get your butt over here and help!"

His immediate reaction was to freeze. It was quickly followed by a groan and then his temper rising from the knowledge of what was coming his way.

"Don't use too much tongue, Kid. We women hate that," Esme helpfully provided.

"How come he gets to stand around kissing while the rest of us work?" Gopher questioned.

"Just be glad he's _only_ kissing her," Whit called out. "He could be trying to dry hump her right out of her red bikini."

Masen winced and glanced at Bella; her cheeks were a furious pink and her eyes were locked on her sneakered feet with the toe of one battered shoe pawing at the ground.

"They're idiots," he assured her while taking hold of her hand. "Don't listen to anything they say."

Esme's voice rang out once more. "Edward, sweetheart, as much as I hate to cock-block you, we really do need your help."

As if her comment wasn't bad enough, Whit threw in an extra helping of torture. "Back away from the intern. Deflate the situation."

Bella gasped. And then she laughed—just a few giggles to begin with but it quickly ramped up into peals of laughter that had her clutching her stomach with tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

Masen couldn't believe it. In just under a minute he'd gone from kissing a beautiful woman to having his family turn her into a mess of laughing, crying girl. As much as he wanted to be angry, as much as he _knew_ he would be if this wasn't Bella, he couldn't do it. Her happiness made it entirely impossible.

Since the moment was already beyond salvaging, Masen did the only thing he could—he lifted Bella up and draped her over his shoulder, carrying her laughing, wiggling body to the back of his truck and his waiting family.

"About time," Lee said, smirking at him. "Put down the intern and grab a tent."

"I didn't know you could do a fireman's carry. Learn something new about my kid every day," Esme mused.

Whit's hard snort was followed by a giddy laugh. "You find out he's lusting for the intern and you focus on how he carries her? Esme, I love you."

Masen set Bella down on the tailgate and then faced his family. "I love you guys. I really do. So know that I say this with love … Shut the fuck up," he ordered.

When they all stopped laughing, Gopher, Whit, and Masen grabbed all the gear for the tents and headed off to a flat grassy area just a little ways from the truck. Lizzy followed after them in a zigzagging pattern, trying to see and smell everything at once.

After surveying the area for a bit, Masen picked a fairly large opening between a group of tall bushes. "Let's put the tents here. It'll be good cover from any wind that kicks up overnight."

Gopher nodded in agreement. "It'll also make for an awesome sunrise view in the morning."

They started in on setting up the three tents, working in companionable silence, but it wasn't long before Whit turned their working silence into working while joking. "So with the one you're working on now, how many tents have you pitched today, Mase?"

Masen laughed because it was funny but he still had to give his friend crap right back. "Shut up, you fucking nudger."

His laughter had captured Lizzy's attention and she came over to inspect their progress. "You planning to help or hinder?" he asked her. She growled at the rope hanging from the edge of his tent and then pounced on it, covering it with her two front paws.

"Hinder it is," he said, chuckling as he picked her up and put her on the other side of him.

He looked up from his puppy just in time to see Bella coming their way. She had both hands wrapped around the handle of a cooler with her eyes fixed directly in front of her, concentrating on each step she took. Just like before, the bottom of her shirt fluttered with her every move, but the steady breeze blowing here took it to new heights, giving him glimpses of the bottom edge of her bikini top. The only polite for public words in his head at that moment were _Red with ruffles_.

"Guppy _is_ looking mighty damn fine today," Gopher shared as the guys watched her set the cooler down and then head back toward the truck.

Masen surveyed him closely, trying to decide if his seeming innocence was real or pretend. "I know Lee's involved. What about you?"

Gopher grinned. "As much as I would love to claim a hand in torturing your annoying ass, I'm merely an innocent bystander in this fuckery."

"And you?" Masen asked, turning his attention to Whit.

Whit chuckled darkly. "I'm always involved, even when I'm not."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** So ends the first half of Masen's birthday! We hope you guys enjoyed his family torturing him as much as we did! We'll be back very soon with the second half—and more torture :) Pics of the gorgeous beach are up on the blog!


	22. 22 Came With Cape

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

**Chapter 22 – It Came With Its Own Red Cape!**

**Friday, June 20th – Masen's Birthday (continued)**

Once the guys had finished setting up the tents, they'd joined the ladies in the unloading of the truck. It had taken just over an hour to get everything situated inside and outside of the tents, including building a small fire pit on the beach below their campsite to light once the sun set.

As soon as they'd finished with the setup, they'd moved right into play time. Lee, Whit, and Edward had shed their shirts, grabbed their boards, and raced into the water. Gopher had gone out with his own board, but he seemed to be just enjoying the waves while the others competed and taunted each other.

Esme had chosen to spread out on a towel under a huge beach umbrella with a paperback and a bottle of water. Lizzy split her time between running over to chase the surfers when they landed on the beach and enjoying the shade with Esme.

Bella was also enjoying the shade. Her downtime had started with taking in all of the sights and sounds of this amazing and gorgeous beach. She was no stranger to traveling to exotic locals but there was something so secluded and pristine about this particular beach. It felt intimate, as if it was her own private slice of heaven. Even though she hadn't taken any yet, she already knew the truth—no photo could hope to capture the divine beauty of this place.

The next vision that had captured her attention had been the utterly magnificent and ridiculously tempting sight of Edward striding out of the surf and onto the beach. It had been completely commercial worthy—his hands had slid over his hair, slicking the wet tendrils back, while the sun had illuminated the water dripping from every inch of his golden skin. Wet hair, wet chest, wet lips … All that had been missing was an appropriate sexy soundtrack.

After paying a little attention to Lizzy and tossing her ball to her a few times, Edward had returned to the waves and Bella had pulled out her journal to start on the entry she'd promised to make for him. She had the basics laid out now …

_Sighted: Great White Sharks_

_Where: Mossel Bay, In the cradle of a ship called The Submarine_

_Description: This description pertains to the shark I had a personal encounter with_

_Male, Thirteen feet-four inches long_

_Grey upper body that fades to white_

_Short snout, slightly cone-shaped_

_Torpedo shaped body_

_Upper and lower caudal fins of tail are nearly exact in size_

All that was left was for her to delve into her experience overall, touch on her initial and final impressions, and then mention the new technical aspects she'd learned about Great Whites.

_Side Note:_

_Technical (overall) – The body of a Great White is not one color as I'd thought previously. It has a grey upper body meant to mimic the sea floor when viewed from above and a white underside to resemble the sky when viewed from below. Edward says they can also be colored dark blue, brown, or black along their backs._

_Great Whites do not have a nictitating membrane like the Tiger Sharks we saw on the way here; their eyes roll back into their orbits to protect them from damage. I was able to see one of the shark's big black eyes roll back and then forward again when the crew of The Submarine was removing a towel from a shark's head._

_It's believed Great Whites don't begin breeding until they're at least twenty years old and this accounts for some of the huge decrease in their numbers over the past three decades. Another major factor is overfishing, especially finning—the practice of removing a shark's fins and then tossing it back into the ocean to die. Shark meat is not edible because it contains high levels of mercury which is poisonous to humans so the bodies are discarded._

_Some of these technical details came from actual experiences aboard The Submarine and some were from getting to work beside Ben and Angela. They were both very gracious and never seemed tired of answering my many questions. I appreciate what they do but I don't know that I could focus all my efforts on just sharks. I know they're important to the marine ecosystem but still … Sharks._

_Personal – It wasn't an easy choice to make, deciding to get on that small wooden cradle, inches above the deep, murky waters of the South Atlantic. The shark-infested waters._

_I did and do believe it was a necessary choice but that didn't mean any part of it was easy. The first glimpse of that shark … It seemed to take up all the space in the cradle along with the air around me. But the longer I stood there, the more I was able to see past the unstoppable monster in my head and look upon the captured shark in front of me._

_I firmly believe my progress is MMR's success. Being able to trust in every single one of them was what allowed me to get on that cradle and have a successful, safe encounter with that Great White. Just the day before I wouldn't have believed I would get on that cradle, but then something happened. Edward was knocked underwater by the tail of a Great White. Just its tail had the power to bruise his body, knock his legs out from under him, and leave him disoriented under the water. My initial reaction was to give in to my fear and give up on my internship. Maybe that sounds rash or dramatic, but I'm not talking about being afraid in the way a scary movie jolts you and then you're fine when it ends. I'm talking about a fear that makes your entire body break out into a cold sweat. Your pulse races and your heart pounds so hard that you can barely hear anything but your own rapid-fire heartbeat. You tell yourself everything is fine. You order yourself to calm down and breathe slowly. But you can't listen and that scares you almost as much as the physical symptoms. You are not in charge of your own body and that makes it harder to be in control of your mind._

_And then it's over and you're embarrassed you couldn't control it and you're mad it happened again. If you're lucky like I was, you have some friends nearby to help you think things through. My MMR teammates helped me to see that a shark isn't a nightmare monster yet it's also not just a fish—it's power, raw and uncontrollable. As willing as MMR is to get near sharks, they understand that and plan for it as much as possible in all they do. They have a healthy respect balanced with vigilant precautions—that's what I want for myself when this summer comes to a close._

_With my teammates at my side, I ventured into the cradle. The shark—my shark—was a male. He was recorded at thirteen feet-four inches long. To give some perspective, that's the size of the first small skiff I ever drove. I wasn't sure if I would move any closer until I was already doing it. I was able to touch it near its tail and feel the dermal denticles Ben had told me about. No matter what else happens this summer, I did that. I was able to swallow down the fear and the apprehension and trust that my teammates wouldn't allow me to do anything that would bring me harm. And in doing so, I let go of the monster in my head and acknowledged the powerful yet vulnerable creature in front of me._

_I am by no stretch of the imagination okay with sharks now. But I also no longer feel crippled by my fear. I do need to be careful and vigilant near them but that is much easier and more safely done when I'm not expecting to be killed by them. I can't say at this point that I would be brave enough to venture into a shark cage as Edward and Whit have done, but the very idea of doing it isn't sending me into a panic attack. That's progress I never dreamed of making—I just wanted to be able to look at sharks through the aquarium glass without having to fight a panic attack._

_As happy as I am with my progress, it comes with worries for my family. I worry whether my father could really be proud of me for naming a shark after him. I worry if Alice will be hurt when the summer ends and I share all of this with her, and if so, if she'll be able to forgive. So far as I know, she's never blamed me for what happened to our father, though I've blamed myself plenty. I hate to risk that changing but I know I can't be the person I want if I don't keep pushing forward. Uncle Carl has always been so understanding and supportive but this could be too much for him. It may be improbable but I still feel it's possible and so I worry. I've always identified more with my father but these worries that stick tight and color my dreams, they are what tie me to my mother. I know she can't be proud of me and I don't hold it against her. I only wish she could have kept it together enough to be in Alice's life._

_Overall, I consider what I did to be a huge step in the right direction. For me it's tangible proof that I'm changing, that I __can__ change. I can be the woman who knows about sharks rather than the girl who is deathly afraid of them. I can be as successful as my new friends believe I can be. And I want that more than any words I can write in this journal could ever explain. I've had my hand on a shark and now I've got my eye on a future with new possibilities._

_The last thing I want to note is the one that means the most right now and that is the friendships I'm building here. Some welcomed me with open arms and others were a bit slow to warm, but everyone here cares and makes a point of letting me know it. Some are outright hilarious, some are more serious, and one in particular is highly driven. They are all special to me and I hope to carry on these friendships for the rest of my life._

_Taking into account everything I have learned and experienced first-hand since starting this internship, I know I could not have chosen a better forum for conquering my fears. I am lucky and proud to be a member of MMR._

Bella smiled as she closed her journal, feeling as positive about her choices and chances as the words she'd used to describe yesterday's adventure.

"I certainly hope that's pleasure writing," Esme said. She had her sunglasses resting on top of her head and looked as if she might have been paying more attention to Bella than her book. "I'd hate to ground my kid on his birthday for assigning you work."

Bella laughed while slipping her journal into a waterproof bag. "Mostly pleasurable so you can let him slide. Besides, I'd hate for all the work you and Lee put into this camping trip to go to waste."

Esme's smile reminded Bella of the way her Uncle Carl looked whenever they talked about her father—equal parts happy and longing. "Edward has always loved the water. He takes after Beth for that. I love the water, don't get me wrong. But she was the one who would have been happy to live her life on a boat. You know, she took him for his first sail boat ride before he could even crawl. And when they moved to Hawaii to live with me, right away she signed him up for surfing lessons. He was so excited to have another reason to be in the water."

"He misses her an awful lot." Bella suddenly worried that wasn't the right way to phrase it, that it would somehow hurt Esme's feelings and she made a blundering attempt to fix it. "I don't mean that he doesn't love having you as his mom, because he does. I wouldn't even know you weren't if he hadn't said anything. Anyone would be lucky to have you as their mom."

"Relax," Esme encouraged, putting her hand on Bella's arm and squeezing gently. "I know exactly what you mean, both about him missing her and him loving me. It's a complicated relationship, much like your own with your uncle I would suspect."

"He loves us and he always says he enjoys having us live with him but sometimes I wonder. Would he have a family of his own if he hadn't been busy raising us?"

"Sweetheart, he has a family of his own. You and Alice are his own as much as Edward is mine. It's not an easy decision to make to step into a child's life and become his parent but once you make that commitment, it's done. It might not be traditional, but it is a family and it's the most important part of your life. And I also promise you that your uncle will absolutely understand your decision to name your shark after your father."

"Edward told you about that?"

"He mentioned you had some concerns. He truly does care about you, Bella."

"Bella!"

Bella's eyes widened as she continued to look at Esme and not the person yelling her name. "It's like he knows! Like he can hear us from way over there."

Esme snorted. "His hearing's not _that_ good."

"Hey, Bella!" His voice was louder this time.

"But I do believe he's trying to get your attention," Esme said with a laugh.

"So I hear," Bella mumbled, feeling the heat of her blush starting to spread.

"You know, it _is_ his birthday," Esme mentioned. "Maybe you could let him slide for yelling your name and go see what he wants?"

Bella snorted as she looked up at her. "Are you helping Whit nudge?"

Esme gasped but Bella was pretty sure it was fake. She definitely knew it was after hearing her response. "Nudging is a sort of guidance moms aren't afforded—we can't be that honest or our kids will do the opposite out of spite. I'm more playing the role of wingman."

Bella felt a mix of relief and surprise sitting there with Esme. "You really do support Edward's choice to have more than a friendship with me."

"As long as it makes you both happy, then I am absolutely supportive."

"You didn't mention the work aspect."

"I have no worries when it comes to your work or his. You're both determined professionals in your own ways. And from what I've seen so far, you'd both succeed just to prove the other wrong."

"Bella!"

She jerked her head his way and called his name out in that same demanding tone, making Esme crack up beside her.

"Yep. Headstrong," Esme said, still laughing some as Bella got to her feet.

After wrapping her waterproof bag in a towel as an extra measure of protection, Bella headed down to the water to find out what Edward wanted. "You know, you're perfectly capable of walking over there instead of yelling my name out."

Edward grinned. "I'd have to carry my board there and back so this was easier."

"Why not just set it down?"

He snorted. "You never put your board down. Not unless you want it to float out with the tide and have to swim after it."

"Thanks for the lesson, oh surfer guru. How about telling me what you want now?"

Edward suddenly started to scratch at the bridge of his nose—she wasn't positive yet but she suspected it was a physical sign of his nerves like her giggle was for her. She'd only seen it a couple times and always in personal situations, never during work.

"We were wondering if you'd like to surf with us and we thought we might have a better chance of you agreeing if I was the one to ask," he told her. "You could use Esme's board."

Her immediate, unconscious reaction was to take a step away from the water and him. As soon as she realized she'd done it, she regained her ground and forced herself to focus on his question and not her worries. "This water … It's far from where we've been on Galeos and The Submarine but it's still shark water. I know yesterday was a big step, Edward, but not … I can't. I'm not saying never, just not now. If that helps."

If he was upset at all, he didn't show it. "Alright. How about the tidal pool? It's not too far of a walk. You and I can take the T1 you're in love with and snap some photos."

"Edward, really, you don't have to stop surfing."

"I can surf again tomorrow and the day after. Right now I want to do something with you. Unless you'd rather not be seen with me."

"Hey!" she cried while poking him in the chest. "That's your hang up, not mine."

He laughed and wrapped his hand around hers, holding it against his warm, wet chest. "So what do you say? Tidal pool with me?"

The change in him … The _openness_ … It was both thrilling and scary—but Bella wanted to only focus on the thrilling part. She smiled as the perfect teasing answer came to her. "I'll go with the camera. You can tag along if you want."

He looked shocked for a moment and then he started laughing. "The more comfortable you get here, the more of a challenge you are. I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"You can figure it out while we look at the tidal pool."

He rolled his eyes but he was still smiling when he let go of her hand so he could tuck his board under his arm. "Give me a minute to put up my board and get the camera."

Edward headed up the beach and over to Esme. He stuck his board in the sand next to her and then dropped down onto her towel, making her shriek from the water dripping off of him and onto her. Bella couldn't help laughing, especially as she watched Esme smack Edward in the head and shoulder with her book.

After being run off by Esme, he quickly dried his board and then disappeared into the tent he was sharing with Whit. It wasn't long before he came out with his camera bag hanging from his shoulder and his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.

He stopped to say something to Esme and then he started walking towards Bella. She noticed once again how his feet matched the rest of him—a perfectly golden tan on every bit of skin that wasn't covered by his board shorts. Every step brought him closer to her and made it easier to see the flex of his muscles in his arms, chest, and legs. Not even the slight discoloration on his side could take away from the sense of power he gave off with every stride. And just like that, the sun's warmth was nothing compared to the internal heat he created inside of her.

Bella wondered just how much her face was giving away because Edward looked pretty pleased with himself as he slipped his fingers through hers. She also wondered if he was being so brazen only to reassure her or if he really didn't mind being seen holding her hand.

She had just decided to come right out and ask when he spoke up and distracted her. "Tell me some more about your little sister. What's she like?"

"Why?"

He squeezed her fingers until she looked up at him. "Because she's important to you and I want to know about her."

She blushed under his intense gaze but her reason for looking away really was so she wouldn't trip over her own feet. "You've already dubbed her bubbly so let me see … She's bossy. You would think she was the older sister with the way she likes to take over and run things. When she found out about my trip, she planned out what I should and shouldn't pack."

"Bossy and bubbly," Edward said, shaking his head. "That's a hell of a combination to deal with."

"Sometimes," Bella answered with a shrug. "But she's also really sweet and thoughtful, and she tends to show it in the most unexpected ways. She wasn't too thrilled about me spending an entire summer away from her and yet I've found music and books she snuck into my luggage. And I know she was really thinking of me because they aren't her style at all."

He grinned. "I like that. It sounds like something Esme would do for me if I was going to be away from her for an extended period of time. What else you got?"

"Well … Alice likes anything pink and sparkly."

"Pink and sparkles, huh?" he asked with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"She's been that way since birth. Literally."

Edward snorted.

"I'm serious," Bella protested. "The day she was born, she came out of my mom, got cleaned up, and somehow managed to get pink glitter on her body in between the cleaning and being put in my mom's arms. Every single day, there is some part of her body that has glitter on it."

"What about you?" he asked, brushing his arm against hers. "Am I going to find any glitter on you?"

She answered his teasing smile with one of her own as she replied, "Not any time soon."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen wanted to take Bella's teasing comment as a challenge—he wanted it so much he could actually see it happening in his head. But he also knew the timing was all wrong and the chance of it being a quick way to fucking things up between them was too high. He had just regained the ground he'd lost with his indecisive behavior and he wasn't about to let it happen again. He would keep his focus on discovering what more meant with Bella. For now, that meant learning more about her and the people she loved.

"So what's Alice's passion in life?" he asked, honestly wanting to know more about the girl. "Obviously not marine life from what you've told me about her so far."

Bella smiled and it was one he recognized well—admiration. He'd seen it reflected in pictures of him with his family. He admired them all in various ways … Esme for her heart, Whit for his bravery, Lee for her genius, and Gopher for his steadfastness.

"Alice's passion is helping people," Bella confided. "She tutors, she mentors, she donates, she volunteers … if it's a cause that touches her heart, she's all over it."

She grinned and shook her head. "When she was in eighth grade, she used to get home a couple hours before me and Uncle Carl. She would usually sit in the kitchen and do her homework while waiting for us. This one day, though, I come home and the kitchen is empty. There wasn't even her usual empty dishes on the table from her after-school snack. I remember being worried that she hadn't made it home.

"So I go tearing through the house, calling her name, and I hear her voice but it's really muffled. I think maybe it's coming from her room so I go in there but I don't see her. I call out for her again, and again I hear the muffled voice but this time I know where it's coming from. I open her closet and I find her practically imprisoned by stacks of folded clothes with only a few items left on the hangers. I'm even more worried at this point because Alice is a neat-freak. Everything in her closet is pristine, ironed, and hung in order of color.

"I ask her what she's doing and she looks up at me with her big brown eyes. And then she bursts into tears. I manage to pull her out of her fabric prison and after I get her calmed down, she tells me how they learned at school that day that a tornado had ripped through a town in the Midwest and nearly everyone there had lost their homes and everything they owned. She couldn't stop thinking of all the girls her age with only a single outfit—the one on their back. She had come home determined to give away everything she owned since she was lucky enough to have an uncle who could buy her more clothes. But while she was folding up all of her clothes, she couldn't bring herself to part with the ones still on the hangers and that had made her feel guilty and selfish and was the source of her tears."

Masen waited for Bella to say more for as long as he could before pressing. "What'd you say to convince her she was a good kid?"

Bella blushed, shaking her head. "It was nothing. Not really."

"It was something that made your sister feel better. I know it. And that kind of power, to ease your family's hurt, that's never 'nothing', Bella."

"I told her that it didn't matter how many of her clothes she gave. If it was an entire closet or just one outfit. What mattered was that she was giving a little of her heart, sharing a little of her light and love with someone in need. And then I took her to my room and after setting aside all the items I was permanently attached to, I tossed all the rest at her and told her to get busy folding them up, that we had to fill some boxes and ship some clothes. So I'm not really sure if it was what I said or giving my clothes up that helped her."

"It was what you said," Masen stated confidently, "and the action was a nice backup to it."

"Is that what you're doing?" Bella asked, looking up at him and then down at their joined hands. "Is this trip to the tidal pool your way of backing up your choice for more?"

He tugged her to a stop and then folded his arms around her. The brush of her warm skin against his gave him a sense of being energized, like some kind of contact high equal to an energy drink. He felt like he could run the full length of this beach without breaking a sweat, only he had no interest in moving from this spot, in letting go of the woman in his arms. It was a completely foreign feeling for him and a little intimidating to suddenly want this one person around so much.

"Maybe a little," he admitted, hoping what he saw in her deep brown eyes was this same need he felt. "But more than anything it's a chance to get to know you better. You fascinate me, Bella. The way you think, how you can sit back and take an objective view even as you fight against your fear … You're someone worth getting to know."

"I want to know you too, Edward." Her smooth hands embraced his neck and brought his lips down to hers for a kiss that promised more was definitely in their future. He was sorely tempted to take over and see just how far she'd let things get but he was also curious to see what it would be like to let someone else be in charge for once.

Curiosity beat temptation this time. It wasn't as unpleasant as he'd imagined to follow instead of lead but it also didn't feel right. He definitely preferred to be in charge, or at the very least to share the control.

"Too much too soon?" she asked, her thumbs softly running along his earlobes. It was barely even a touch but it absolutely required his full self-control not to physically react to it. He had the same fleeting thought from that night in the bar, that she might be some kind of devil sent to bring him to his knees.

He pulled her torturous hands away and safely secured them in his own. "Why would you ask that?"

"I'm not claiming to be a pro or anything, but I know when a guy's not giving his all to a kiss. And I definitely know with you."

"I just thought I'd let you be in charge for a change."

"I'm a much better follower than a leader, especially with the way you kiss."

He laughed as he draped her arms over his shoulders, unable to resist any longer his desire to have her as close as possible. "Describe it. How do I kiss?"

That confident grin he'd caught a glimpse of on The Submarine was back and twice as big, lighting up her eyes and making it dangerous to be this close to her. "And inflate your already massive ego to world destructive proportions?" she mocked. "No, I must protect the innocent."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell me. Please."

"Maybe. Someday."

"The 'please' wore you down some, right? What if I say please, please, please, please? _Please?_"

She laughed, twisting her body and ducking under his arms to get away. "Begging doesn't work with me."

With his long strides it was easy to catch up to her. "Tell me what does."

"Why should I make it so easy for you? Why don't you try figuring it out? You did say you wanted to get to know me."

"Well, yeah, sure, but no guy is ever going to turn down the chance to get his hands on the cliffsnotes."

"Alright, Edward. You give me yours first and then I'll give you mine."

"Or you could just give me yours as my birthday gift," he suggested.

She looked at him with that confident, teasing smile once more. "I had something a little more personal in mind for your gift but if you'd prefer information you are perfectly capable of getting on your own, who am I to refuse?"

He groaned and rubbed his hand over his face. "You are not going to make any of this easy, are you?"

"Edward, if it was easy, you'd already be bored." There was no teasing in her expression this time, just an honesty so deep that he didn't dare attempt to deny she was right.

"Oh, wow," she said as they rounded the corner and got their first glimpse of the tidal pool. He'd seen a lot of places and read about a lot more but he agreed completely with Bella on this one—it had the power to strike a person speechless with its beauty.

"Okay, I know I can be a little _off_ sometimes after having sharks on my mind but I swear those hill tops look like dorsal fins."

"I had the same thought when we first drove past them," he assured her. "It's amazing how it all just fades into each other. The water touches the beach which turns to grass then meets with the rocks and gradually builds up into these mountains."

"Are they mountains? I wasn't sure if they were tall enough to classify."

"It's all considered one huge range. You're looking at Table Mountain."

"Technically, I'm photographing it," she corrected, smiling behind the camera. He hadn't even realized she'd taken it from him.

He let her take a few more photos and then he took hold of her hand again, leading her down the embankment and toward the water.

"So it's a man-made pool?" she asked as they stepped foot onto the rectangle of concrete rising a few feet above the water.

"I'm not really sure. We'll have to ask Lee. Or look it up ourselves."

"Look at this thing," Bella urged, squatting down to take a photo of the pool. "You can swim in the ocean without actually going out into the ocean."

"It's not even close to the same. The adventure of being in the ocean is feeling its power in the waves and undercurrents."

She took his offered hand and pulled herself up. "Yeah, well, we can't all be the Indiana Jones of the oceans."

Masen pulled his lips up in a smirk. "I would look damn good in his hat."

Bella rolled her eyes as she walked off toward the strip of sandy beach beside the pool. He followed after her and then moved ahead to lead the way through the rocks so they could get a closer look at the small hidden pools between them.

"Careful through here," he warned. "Tricky footing."

"I know how to climb rocks, thank you. I might not go out in deep water but I do love a good tidal pool."

"You climb? You mean you lift your leg really high and basically sit on one side of the rock and slide down the other?" he questioned, laughing a little.

"Sure, if I have a camera in my hands," Bella answered as she approached the next large rock. "But I've also scaled a few beach cliffs in California with my uncle."

"Alice didn't join in?"

Bella's smile faltered and she slowly shook her head. "She was visiting."

Masen nodded, knowing it was their mother Alice had been visiting and understanding why Bella hadn't been with her. "You know what this means?" he asked, hoping his smile would bring back Bella's. "You and me, we're going climbing when we get back to Hawaii."

She did better than smile—she laughed. "If the way you walk the rocks around a tidal pool is any indication of your climbing abilities, I'll stay home."

"I've got this completely under control. You're the one who needs to be careful, especially with those sneakers you're wearing. If you step wrong, you'll lose traction and end up in the water with my camera." No sooner than the words were out of his mouth, Masen found himself sitting on his ass in the cool water of a small tide pool.

"Oh, that's gonna bruise," Bella said through her giggles. "Hope you didn't squish any poor creatures when you landed."

He swept the back of his hand through the water, tossing a cold spray at her and making her squeal and laugh at the same time. "Don't even think about taking my picture," he warned.

Bella giggled. "And disappoint Esme when I tell her this story without photographic proof? Sorry, Edward. I just couldn't live with letting your mom down that way."

"Kapu, come on. It's my birthday," he pleaded.

Her smile widened as she squatted down and snapped his picture. "I know. And that's why I'm going to save the story and photo for tomorrow."

"I could make you delete it."

"You probably could. But you won't."

"Yeah? What makes you so sure?"

She leaned in, bracing herself by pressing her hand against his chest. He was certain she was going to kiss him and that was how he became distracted with trying to decide if he would leave her dry or risk the camera by pulling her into his lap. It took him a good ten seconds to realize her lips still weren't on his.

"Any time now," he told her.

"For what?"

"For you to kiss me."

"Who said I was going to kiss you?"

"You're in my personal space. It's implied."

"You get in my personal space a lot and it doesn't always involve a kiss."

Masen shrugged while continuing to hold her gaze. "I like your personal space."

"I like yours too. So where does that leave us?"

"With you deleting the picture and me kissing you in thanks."

"I think I should keep the picture and you should kiss me to make up for that earlier non-kiss."

"I don't owe you anything since you never told me how I kiss."

Her lips parted and he just knew she was going to give in. But before she could get out one word, they were surrounded by tourists asking Masen if he was okay and offering to help him to his feet. Bella smirked, knowing full well she'd just gotten saved by a bunch of strangers. _Let her enjoy it_, he thought as he watched her reassure the tourists that Masen was fine. _I'll get it out of her soon enough_.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen held Bella's journal up to her while tapping his finger against the page. "Tell me the truth this time. I'm the outright hilarious one, right?"

She rolled her eyes at him just as she had the other three times he'd asked her. "Sure you are."

"Fine. Be that way. I still really like it even if you're lying in parts of it."

She flicked him in the back of the head and then giggled; it made him smile because he knew he was making her happy and it wasn't out of nervousness.

He had been excited for this particular journal entry because he'd known it would give him a true glimpse into her head that he couldn't get from her body language or spoken words. But he had never expected just how deep he would see into her heart—or how much stronger the pull toward her would feel by the end of it. Bella wasn't like any one person he knew; she was the embodiment of every good quality the women in his life had ever possessed. She wanted everyone taken care of the way Beth had. She had the ability to see what others missed like Esme. And just like Lee, she could be fiercely brave when she felt something was worth fighting for.

Bella could also be a worrier like Masen. She felt responsible for her younger sister in so many ways and it was obvious to him that the depth of her love for Alice was equal to the way he felt for Whit and Lee. He would do anything to keep them from harm, just as Bella would do for her sister.

The feel of Bella's nails scraping against the back of his scalp pulled him from his thoughts. After closing her journal, he turned to face her and she bent forward so they were almost eye level with each other; her brown eyes seemed to shimmer in the campfire light.

"Thank you for writing this today and sharing it with me. Your perspective is so different from ours and seeing it through your eyes will help me to help you. And aside from all of that, I just like the way you write. It's honest."

"There wasn't always a side note area." He could tell this was an admission from the blush in her cheeks. "I started that after the … well, it just seemed like a good idea to remember there are a lot of emotions for a person to feel."

"I'm glad you did. The side notes are my favorite."

Her blush deepened. "Yeah?"

He nodded. And then he teased her by saying, "It's not every day my talent of being outright hilarious is noticed."

She laughed and pushed against his shoulder. "That was Whit, not you."

"Sure, sure," he joked while tucking her journal back into its waterproof bag. He would have just laid it beside her on the log she was sitting on and he was leaning against but he knew Bella would feel better if it were put away in her tent.

When he got back to the small campfire, he found Whit had taken his spot. He thought about ordering him to move but then figured that was exactly what his best friend was hoping would happen so he sat down next to Esme instead.

Whit gave him a shitty grin and signed the words "This spot is comfy" to him.

Masen pretended he was too busy watching Lizzy get a belly rub from Gopher to see his friend.

"Having a good time?" Esme asked while patting his knee.

"It's been a great birthday so far, Mom."

"Time for presents!" Lee announced while thrusting a brightly wrapped box at him.

Masen looked at her warily. "I thought the beach was my present."

"It's Esme's present. This one is from Gopher and me," she explained. "So open it! Hurry up!"

He laughed at her excitement because she was usually the calmest person he knew. "Must be something really good. Or it's really for you and you're just claiming it's mine for now."

"You'll never know if you don't get it open."

He carefully peeled back the silvery paper to reveal an unmarked cardboard box. It took two tries because of all the tape she'd put on it, but he finally popped the top open and took out a small batch of paper that was stuffed inside.

"Is this what I think it is?" he asked as he lifted the gift out of the box.

"Yep," Lee proudly answered. "A digital picture frame. And that's not even the coolest part! It can stream pictures from an online account through the wi-fi built in!"

Masen snorted as he looked up at her. "You already set the account up and loaded the pictures."

She laughed and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. "You bet your sweet ass."

He got up from the log so he could give her a hug and then he gave Gopher a nod and a "thank you". Looking at Lee he said, "You better have put good photos and not just ones from your blackmail stash."

Lee looked at Esme for a moment and then smiled wide at Masen. "Only the best for you."

He didn't like her looking at his mom that way and he liked the mischievousness of her smile even less. The two of them in cahoots with each other always spelled trouble for him.

"Me next," Whit said, wiggling a thin, square package at Masen.

"You're not even gonna get off your ass to give it to me?" he asked.

"Nope," Whit replied, making the 'p' pop. "You're already standing."

He snorted and bent over to take it from him. The gift was wrapped in plain brown paper and was too thin to be anything other than a movie. Masen hoped it was that action one with Liam Neeson they'd enjoyed so much they'd seen it in the theater three times.

But it wasn't a movie. It was a CD for a band named Poked With Precision. Masen snorted at the name even as he felt like he'd heard it somewhere before.

"Start with Track Four," Whit suggested. "I think it'll resonate with you."

Masen stared at his best friend, trying to figure out why he felt such a strong sense of nudging coming from him when he didn't seem to be up to anything.

"Speaking of music," Lee said, drawing Masen's attention to her. She was once again standing beside him but this time she had an acoustic guitar in her hands. "You and Whit are going to be our entertainment tonight," she informed him while passing the guitar to Whit.

"I claimed ignorance but she threatened to have Gopher sit on me," Whit admitted.

Masen snorted. "Nobody wants to hear the screeching, rusty sounds that would come out if we tried to play something."

"Nails on a chalkboard," Whit promised. He didn't look any happier at the prospect of having to play than Masen felt.

"You're doing it." Lee looked more than ready to fight them on this but it was going to be a losing battle for her because there was no way Masen was going to make a complete fool of himself with Bella sitting right there. He'd already given the woman enough to tease him with during their time at the tidal pool—he'd been busy telling Bella to be careful when he'd slipped on the rocks and busted his ass.

"Oh, Edward, it won't be that bad," Esme promised, rubbing his back reassuringly. "It's been so long since you two played for us. Won't you please consider it? For me?"

He groaned and laid his head on her shoulder. "Mom, can't you want something else? Like a campfire story?"

"Please?"

His groan was louder and longer this time. There was no way he could deny Esme when she pleaded so sweetly and she damn well knew it. He sat up straight and looked at his best friend. "Whit, what songs do you remember?"

Whit let out a grumble of his own but Masen knew his friend was just as helpless when it came to Esme because she so rarely asked anything of them. "Uh … What about _Norwegian Wood_ by The Beatles?"

Masen shook his head. "Nah, we need two guitars to do it right."

"The Cure's _Love Song_?"

"Hell no! Even if I remembered the lyrics, I'd still say no." Masen gave him a pointed look, knowing Whit would catch on and remember exactly why he hated that song.

Whit laughed, clearly remembering. "Right. Sorry. Uh …"

"I have a suggestion," Esme announced, getting both of them to look her way. "Beth's favorite?"

Whit immediately plucked a few chords and Masen smiled as a very old memory filled his head. He was just a little kid, still light enough for Beth to pick him up. She was smiling at him while she slowly swayed with him to the sound of the haunting voice coming from the stereo. He hadn't known to think of it then but now he wondered what she had thought about while dancing to that song, if it had made her miss his father more or less.

The story went like this … On one of the nights they'd rambled around London together, they'd heard singing coming from a pub. It had been so off-key that it had made them laugh and want to investigate. They'd found a pub full of people watching as patrons and musicians alike got up on the make-shift stage to sing and play. After sitting around and watching for the better part of an hour, his father had suddenly jumped up, borrowed a guitar from a perfect stranger, and then got up on stage to sing for his mother. Beth would always laugh at that part of the story and then say, "He could play just fine but his singing … He was _horrible_ and I was so embarrassed for him, but he just kept smiling and singing to me. He was never afraid to make a fool of himself in showing how he felt for me."

"So what's the verdict?" Esme asked, drawing Masen out of his head.

He grinned at her and then turned his attention to Whit. "Play it."

Whit chuckled for a moment but then grew serious and started to play. Masen hummed, trying to match his chord, and then they both laughed at how far off he was. They tried twice more and on the third time they finally matched up.

"_I'll be your man._

_I'll under-stand._"

Masen's voice cracked and that cracked up everyone around the campfire, including him.

"Come on, Mase," Lee demanded when the laughter tapered off. "Sing it like you mean it."

"Sing it like you _feel_ it," Whit told him with a not very discreet nod toward Bella.

For just a second, Masen considered backing out of this whole business. But then he thought of how much his mom had enjoyed that memory of his dad and of how she'd still smiled over it even at the very end of her life. And suddenly it was no longer about entertaining his friends—it was about giving Bella a memory for a lifetime.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella had been too mesmerized by Edward's singing to fidget under his intense gaze. Not once had he looked at anyone but her while singing about a man loving a woman and wanting to be there with her, to be her lover. She had wanted to play it safe and assume she just hadn't noticed him looking at the others but that hadn't felt like the truth. It still didn't.

Now that it was over and everyone was busy laughing and joking about the impromptu concert Edward and Whit had performed, she felt she could finally move. She walked to the tent she was sharing with Esme on shaky legs, still reeling from Edward's stare.

She gave her head a rough shake, trying to clear it and focus on what she'd come into the tent to get—his gift. But her mind wasn't quite ready to let go. Edward didn't have the best voice she'd ever heard and he was clearly out of practice with the breaks in his voice and the laughs that had been mixed in with his singing. But there had been honesty in it, an overwhelming sensation that he truly felt the passion he put into the words. Once again, she found herself wondering if his feelings for her could be as deep as her own. Could he be in love with her? And was she starting to hope more than wonder?

_Stop. Breathe. Focus._ Bella did her best to listen to the orders she gave herself. She knelt in front of her duffel bag and dug under the layers of clothing until her fingers touched the smooth wrapping paper of his gift. They'd managed to find a box just big enough to hold it and then Lee had wrapped it for her. She had never been any good at it and had never really tried since Alice was always eager to do the honors.

Bella hugged the gift to her chest as she headed back to the campfire, hoping Edward would like it and appreciate the thought behind it. She spotted him standing with Gopher and Whit, the three of them laughing and drinking beers, and she decided to wait just a little longer.

She went to sit down beside Lee but Lee shook her head and pointed toward the guys. "Stop stalling," she ordered. "He'll like it. I promise."

"I second that," Esme said, smiling sweetly at Bella.

"You know what it is?" she asked.

Esme's smile widened. "It's a gift from you. That's the important part."

Bella nodded and after taking a deep breath, she walked over to the guys. Their boisterous conversation came to an abrupt end and she couldn't help blushing with all of them watching her, waiting for her to speak.

"Happy Birthday," she said as she held the gift out to Edward.

Not only did he look surprised, he didn't move to take the box. "You really got me a gift?"

She shrugged, trying to hide how nervous she felt. "It's not much but I thought you might like it."

He passed Whit his beer and then took the box from her. He opened it with the same slow, deliberate motions he'd opened his other gifts and once again Bella found herself smiling at how different he was from other people. Everyone else she knew, including her own self, would rip into a gift out of excitement. But Edward took his time every time.

"Holy shit!" Gopher exclaimed as Edward pulled the gift from the box.

"Dude!" Whit cried, slapping Edward on the back. "You've been wanting one of those."

"It might not work," Bella quickly told them. Looking only at Edward, she explained further, "I found it in a thrift shop so there's a chance it doesn't. But I just thought if it didn't, you wouldn't mind trying to fix it."

Edward didn't look up from the swim mask with the built-in camera but Whit and Gopher smiled at her. She tried to smile back but she was too nervous. She knew it was silly to be anxious since there were only two outcomes to this … One, he could love the gift and enjoy it whether it worked right away or he fixed it. Two, he could prefer his lucky mask and not feel up to making this one work. Either way, he'd still know she cared enough to celebrate his birthday with him. She just hoped he wouldn't make her wait too much longer for his opinion.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen couldn't believe it—he was holding the mask he'd been dropping hints about all year in hopes Esme would get it for him as a birthday gift. And it was Bella who had given it to him. The body was scuffed up and there was a small, thin scratch on one lens, but the camera body and camera lens both looked intact. He had to admit, though, he wasn't at all opposed to opening it up and seeing what was inside.

"Bro, she's waiting," Whit whispered, nudging the back of Masen's leg with his knee.

Masen pulled his eyes off the mask and put them squarely on Bella. She looked nervous as hell, standing there twisting her watch and flicking her brown eyes between him, Whit and Gopher. He tried to imagine this from her point of view to understand why she'd be worried but he couldn't come up with anything. He figured the best thing he could do for her would be to let her know exactly what he thought of the gift—and the woman who had given it to him.

After passing his mask to Whit, Masen curled his long fingers around her slender hips and pulled her to him until they were chest to chest. His mouth settling over hers definitely caught her by surprise because it took her longer than usual to respond to his kiss. The second she did, the kiss went from a complex "thank you" from him to an undeniable statement of "you're important in my life" between them.

He could feel the eyes on him but it was more of a back of his mind kind of thing because the majority of his focus was on Bella's soft lips and the sting of her hand squeezing his side as she held on to him. He even sort of liked the idea of them knowing he had someone who was important to him. Besides, if he listened to that nudger of a best friend of his, they'd known longer than he had.

Masen smiled against Bella's lips at feeling the heat of her blush on his own cheeks. Since he'd already let the cat out of the bag so to speak, he went all in and used his private nickname for her in front of everyone. "Thank you, kapu."

Lee and Esme blurted out "What the hell?" at the same moment. They both knew the meaning of his name for Bella, just like they knew he'd never used it for anyone before.

But their reaction was easily overshadowed by Gopher's declaration. "That was a Superman kiss," he yelled, pointing at Masen and Bella. "That kiss came with its own red cape!"

"Fuck yeah!" Whit agreed, giving Gopher a high-five.

"Kid, is there something you want to share with the class?" Esme asked, smirking at him.

Lee wore a similar evil smile. "Yeah, Mase! Care to share?"

Masen was about to answer when he heard Bella groan softly and felt her forehead bump his chest. He knew if he looked at her that her cheeks would be solid red instead of the soft pink he usually brought out. He couldn't help laughing but he did try to make up for it by wrapping his arms around her and shielding her a little bit from all the eyes trained on them.

"What? She gave me a great gift so I gave her a great 'thank you'," he said, giving Esme and Lee his best shitty grin. "You two act like you've never seen me be appreciative before."

"Not while sucking face," Gopher blurted out.

"You've never given me a gift I liked enough," Masen joked.

Gopher grunted. "Thank fuck for small favors." His comment had them all laughing, even Bella, though she didn't move from her hiding spot at all.

"Oh would you look at the time," Esme announced, tapping her wrist as if there was a watch on it. "We should get to bed so we can all enjoy an early sunrise and surfing."

"Right. Early sunrise," Lee agreed, winking at Masen as she passed him on her way over to Gopher.

"But we haven't told campfire stories yet," Gopher pointed out.

"Tomorrow, man," Whit promised. "Esme, may I have the pleasure of escorting you to our tent?" he asked, offering his arm to her.

She chuckled as she hooked her arm through his. "I'd love nothing more."

"Hey, hold on just a damn minute," Masen called out, causing them to turn around and face him. "Since when are you two sharing a tent?"

Masen could tell from Whit's smile that his best friend was in full nudger mode. "Since you ate two big bowls of Gopher's beans. There's no way in hell I'm sharing a tent with you with the smell that's sure to come."

"Hey!" Bella cried, finally coming out of hiding. "What did I do to deserve getting stuck with him?"

Whit looked as if Christmas had just come. "You kissed him."

Bella looked exactly like a Guppy fish with the way her mouth was opening and closing with no sounds coming out. Masen felt bad for laughing but he couldn't stop himself. The sound of it broke her from her stupor and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? It was funny," he defended.

The next thing he knew, he was lying in the sand with her giggling on top of him. "_This_ is funny," she told him.

"Lizzy doesn't like it when I'm man-handled."

"Good thing Esme took her then."

He didn't really want her to move but after his earlier fall and then being squeezed, he couldn't handle any more pressure on his bruised side. "I'm not entirely opposed to this position but could you move your knee out of my side?"

She scrambled as fast as she rambled. "Oh, no! Did I hurt you? Should I get Whit?"

"What the hell is Whit going to do?" Masen asked as he sat up.

"I don't know … Give you something to make the pain go away?"

He grabbed the sleeves of her hoodie and tugged until she was sitting in his lap with her arms resting on his shoulders—and her knees in the sand rather than his side. "I'd rather you give me what you promised me this morning."

She shook her head at him even as she smiled. "We should probably put out the fire and turn in with the others."

After looking around to verify that they really were the only two outside, he said, "Yes to the first but no on the second. Not until I get what I was promised."

"Yeah, well, when I made that promise I wasn't annoyed with you for laughing at me."

That just made him think of her fish-face and laugh all over again. Right up until she pressed her lips to his. He knew she was doing it mostly to shut him up, but he also knew that wouldn't be what it was about when he finished kissing her.

After finally breaking apart and putting out the campfire, they headed up to his tent and found more of Whit's nudging—Bella's sleeping bag was rolled up next to Masen's and Whit's was nowhere in sight. "Beans my ass," Masen mumbled as he unrolled his bag.

"It was kind of funny," Bella finally admitted, grinning as she unrolled her own bag. "So what side do you want me to put my bag on?"

"Mine." He grinned up at her and then he flipped his bag open so that it covered most of the tent. "We'll sleep on mine and cover up with yours."

"How do you know I want to be that close to you?"

"I don't. I'm just really hoping you will. It _is_ my birthday after all."

"There is that," she agreed while nodding.

He stretched out on his back and held his hand out to her. "Come here, kapu."

She accepted his invitation right after she unzipped her bag and spread it over him. She was on her side with her head on his shoulder and her arm resting right in the middle of his chest. "Is your side still hurting?" she whispered.

"Why are you whispering?"

"Tent walls are pretty thin and everyone else is trying to sleep."

"Good point."

"I have a few. Now about your side …"

"It's alright. I just aggravated it when I slipped earlier."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. You kissed me and made it better," he teased.

"I'll leave you alone about your side if you answer me honestly about something else."

Her serious tone had him feeling uneasy and reluctant to agree. "I'll consider it after I hear your question."

"How are you feeling about losing Athena?"

He couldn't believe she was asking to talk about a shark, especially knowing from her journal entry how much of a struggle it still was to think about them. She cared enough to ask and he respected her for that enough to be honest. "I'm upset about it. I feel bad that I didn't trust Ben's gut instinct, especially when I think of how I'd feel if my crew didn't trust mine. I guess I just thought he was being overly cautious since he's a science guy and I was the one in the cradle with her."

"Brett didn't trust him either," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and that's another reason I thought Ben was wrong," he admitted. "I just … I wish I could have done more for her. Maybe if I had swam after her, I could have gotten her back into the cradle and then Angela could have figured out what was wrong and fixed it."

"That's a lot of 'if' scenarios, Edward. And while you might kiss like Superman, you aren't him."

He snorted at her attempt at humor. "Smart ass."

"Seriously, though, as much as I respect your talents, I don't see how you alone could have gotten that large shark back into that cradle. And even if you had, there's no guarantee Angela could have saved it. A lot of her work is still theoretical, just like yours."

"Trust me, I realize the futility of it all. But that doesn't make it any easier to accept."

She sat up just enough that they could see each other's faces. "I'm not just saying this to make you feel better. I really do believe it. If Angela, Brett, and you didn't see anything wrong with Athena, then it was an internal problem that none of you could ever have spotted just from looking at her. So in my opinion, you did do everything you could. You marked that she once lived through your photos and that will make sure other people know she was here chasing seals and doing whatever it is Great Whites do when they aren't leaping out of the water."

"One day I'm going to find out what that is."

"I know." There was no doubt in his mind that she truly believed it and her confidence made him feel better. Not about Athena because nothing could do that, but about himself. He had failed this one shark but he still had time and opportunity to save others.

"Edward ..." She sighed and then tried again. "Edward, when you were hurt by that one shark, you didn't seem bothered by it one bit. You seemed to just accept it as a natural part of your day."

"Yeah, I guess I did. To me, it wasn't any different than if we had been working with jellyfish and I'd have gotten myself stung." He covered her hand on his chest with his own. "Why do you ask? What are you thinking?"

"I just want to understand you more, that's all. Getting hurt didn't affect you in the least but losing Athena … I know you named her and that made it personal in a way … It just made you so incredibly sad."

Masen wasn't really sure how to answer for that but he wanted to try for her anyway. "The hit happened during my work and I had a job to do so I did it. I didn't even really have time to think about it. Maybe that made the difference, because when Athena sank I didn't have a task I was responsible for. I had time to think about her and replay what had happened. And yeah, I named her so on some level she felt like she was mine. But more than anything, I'm bothered by the fact that I wasn't able to save her."

"I'm sorry she didn't make it."

He brought her closer and though he was itching to kiss her for being so damn amazing, he also wanted her to know he appreciated her attempt to make him feel better about Athena. "Thank you. I know that wasn't easy for you."

"It's kind of funny—I mean, that I'm just now realizing something, not what happened. Because that's not. I just …"

He smiled to show he wasn't offended and hopefully relax her. "Breathe, Bella."

She still looked upset so he made an attempt to distract her by reaching up and grabbing hold of her ponytail. She stayed still and silent while he carefully freed her hair and let it cascade across her shoulders and onto his chest.

"I don't think I've ever said this before outside of just trying to impress a girl … You have really pretty hair."

She smiled and her cheeks pinked up the slightest bit. "What I was trying to say is something I would have considered hard to do with anyone else wasn't so bad because of how much I care about you. I know caring about someone changes things but I had no idea just how powerful it can really be."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure that's what nearly caused you to run out on me."

"No," she whispered, looking right into his eyes. "That's what made me stay. It was the fear that had me wanting to run. But then you said you didn't want to let go and I care so much that I didn't want you to so here I am."

"As long as I have a choice, I'll never let you go."

"So then it's probably a really good thing you're the boss and make all the big decisions, huh?" she said, clearly teasing from the size of her smile.

"Let's test that theory … Come here and kiss me, kapu."

He had expected her to argue at least a little just to tease him but he was more than happy to accept her quick compliance and her sweet kiss. He was even happier to turn it into more, rolling to his uninjured side and hitching her leg over his. Her hands sunk into his hair, pulling his lips tighter against hers and filing him with a need to have her closer, to feel more of her body pressed against his.

As much as his body ached for more, he knew it wouldn't be right. Not now. Not yet. He couldn't risk screwing this up before it even really began. Reluctantly, he slowed their kiss and put her leg down. But that was as much as he was willing to let go tonight and he hoped she wouldn't be too uncomfortable sleeping in his arms.

Her voice was hardly more than a whisper. "Edward, can I ask you one more question?"

"Anything."

"That song tonight?"

He was a little surprised that he didn't hesitate, but not by how much he meant his answer. "For you, kapu."

She somehow managed to find a way to snuggle closer to him and he smiled, feeling as if this was the real birthday gift from her. Yeah, he was pretty damn smitten, to borrow one of Esme's words.

And then he wondered if maybe he shouldn't be borrowing one of Lee's because he was feeling that sensation of complete rightness again, like nothing could ever be missing as long as he was lying here with Bella. It scared him because he'd thought he'd felt that on Galeos with his family at his side but that was hardly anything compared to this feeling with Bella. And it was that fearfulness that convinced him it wasn't love because Esme and Beth had never mentioned fear in any of their talks with him about being in love with someone.

But it was okay that it wasn't. After all, it wasn't like Bella was in love with him. And there was still time, still plenty of summer and plenty of things to share with each other. Like snorkeling with her tomorrow and finding out more about her sister and her uncle. For tonight, this was enough. _She_ was more than enough.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: **Masen is a lucky man with a birthday like that! And Guppy is enjoying seeing this more relaxed and open side of him. So are we! LOL EA has posted photos of the tidal pool and the camera mask mentioned in this chapter.


	23. 23 Knock Down Drag Out

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 23 – Knock Down, Drag Out**

**Saturday, June 21st**

Bella was happily surprised to wake up the same way she'd fallen asleep—curled up with Edward. A big, sleepy smile appeared on her face and she whispered, "This is really nice. That you're still laying here with me."

When he didn't respond, she turned her head to see him and found that he was sleeping. She whispered as quietly as she could, "You would probably hate to hear me say this, but you look adorable asleep." She wasn't sure why she was confiding that to his sleeping form instead of just keeping the thought in her head.

"I can't fit anything else in my head," she mumbled in answer to herself. Yesterday had been a full day for so many reasons. The most obvious, of course, being the arrival here at Buffels Bay Beach and setting up the camp. Then there had been the trip to the tidal pool, a game of Frisbee in the surf with Edward and Lizzy, a gorgeous sunset, a huge dinner with everyone, Edward opening his presents, Edward singing, and then finally her giving Edward the swim mask and being thanked in front of everyone. As amazing as they were, it hadn't been the activities that had, had her feeling so tired and ready for sleep last night. It had been all of the _feelings_.

Bella's life back home was a pretty steady thing. Wake up early, breakfast with Uncle Carl, work the entire morning and part of the early afternoon at Sea World, spend the rest of the afternoon either with Alice or Jacob and Leah, then head home for dinner with Uncle Carl and Alice. There wasn't much going on in the feelings spectrum with a consistent life like that—she was usually pretty happy since she enjoyed her job and the people in her life.

But with Edward … Oh, how different life with Edward had been from the very start. She wished she could say it was a merry-go-round with her sometimes feeling up and then down before coming back up. But it wasn't such a smooth ride and that made it more like a roller coaster. You might still be riding high but then you're suddenly jerked around a curve and speeding off in a different direction. Yeah, a roller coaster was definitely more apt.

And yesterday had been the craziest ride yet. In just a single day she'd felt worried, hopeful, afraid, happy, joyful, shocked, wanted, important, appreciated, and needed. And on top of all of that was the one feeling that constantly pulsed and hummed from her—her love for Edward. A love that had increased with every new expression on his face she'd witnessed yesterday and the few new discoveries she'd made about him.

And right now in their darkened tent, she was making another discovery … He was a damn hard sleeper when he actually did sleep. He didn't wake from her lifting his arm or from all the noise the sleeping bag made while she shifted and turned over to face him.

Bella just barely traced over his eyebrow, wondering what color his eyes would be when he opened them. Yesterday they'd gone back and forth between an excited blue and a riotous green and she'd laughed more at the fact that they were blue at the tidal pool than that he'd fallen and busted his butt, though that had been pretty damn funny. There he'd been, warning her to be careful and watch her footing, as if he didn't already know she'd been to tidal pools before. Then he'd taken another step forward and bam! His foot had come right out from under him and his butt had met the ground. Even now she found herself snorting at the image.

Wondering what time it was, she reached up and a little behind until her fingers felt the cool steel of her watch and the plastic barrel of the small flashlight she always kept with her sleeping bag just in case. She flicked the flashlight on, careful to shield Edward from the bright light, and checked the time on her watch. It was just a few minutes before sunrise.

Knowing how much he liked to watch the sun come up, Bella clicked off the flashlight and then rubbed her hand against his chest and called his name. "Do you want to watch the sunrise? It's nearly time if you do."

Edward didn't open his eyes but he did curl his arm tighter around her. "That would require moving and letting you go."

"That's awfully coherent for just waking. Are you sure you weren't faking sleeping again?"

"Flashlight woke me," he mumbled while snuggling closer to her.

"I'm sorry. I tried to keep it from doing that."

He smiled against her neck and then kissed her skin softly. "This is better, kapu."

"Why?" she asked, trying not to laugh despite how badly his lips and facial hair tickled.

He didn't answer; he just continued to kiss her neck and tickle her skin. When he had thoroughly covered that side of her neck, he propped himself up on one arm and turned her head so he could get the other side. She let him get in a couple more kisses before she turned and met his lips with hers, unable to wait any longer to feel that rush of excitement and arousal that came with kissing him. She'd expected it to be slow and sweet, like his open-mouthed kisses to her neck, but she was just as happy with the deep, sensuous ones they were sharing. So happy that she didn't realize he'd moved between her legs or opened her jacket to get closer to her—not until she was forced to pull away by her irritated lungs to get fresh, cool air into her body.

"Hi." It came out as a ragged whisper from her chest rising and falling hard as she struggled to breathe easier.

He smiled and let a little more of his weight rest against her. But the smile quickly faded and he cursed under his breath.

"What?" she asked, pushing his hair away with her hands so she could see his eyes and hopefully tell his mood. Even in the low light she could tell his eyes were a vibrant green.

He kissed the inside of her wrist and then looked directly at her. "You don't have a bra on."

Bella blushed bright red. "Well, no … It was late when I changed into my sweats and hoodie and I didn't feel like it."

He hummed and grinned. "Well I feel it and like it. A lot."

She rolled her eyes while slipping her fingers further into his hair. "I didn't do it for your benefit."

He dipped his head down and slid his nose along her neck until he reached her ear. "Doesn't mean I can't still enjoy it."

"Look at the time." Whit's voice wasn't directly outside of their tent but it was still more than loud enough to clearly hear him. "Can't believe the sun is up and Masen is still asleep."

"Fucking nudger," Edward whispered, making Bella giggle.

"He's usually up and walking the beach with Lizzy," Whit continued. "I'm starting to wonder if he didn't celebrate his birthday some more after everyone else went to bed."

Bella pushed her hand against Edward's cheek until he lifted his head and looked at her. "Let me up."

"Ignore him."

"_We_ can't."

"Why not?"

"For one, everyone is going to start waking now that Whit's out there running commentary. For another, we have a line. A good line for a good reason. Besides, I think it's about time Whit got teased right back."

"Our line isn't in any danger," he promised, kissing just under her ear. "And going out there will just feed into his nudging."

Her body applauded his logic and voted for her to stay right where she was, enjoying the warmth and weight of his body against hers. But her brain was locked on the course of responsibility with a side of guilt for being so intimate with him while his family and her new friends were right outside the tent.

Responsibility won out. "Edward, we really should get up and go outside."

He grinned and she was positive he'd taken her words as some kind of challenge. He proved it by shifting his hips against hers and giving her a kiss so intense that beads of sweat broke out across her forehead. Responsibility was lost to the need to hold on to him with one hand in his hair and one fisted in his shirt.

"Still want to go outside?" He would have won. Even with the words he whispered against her lips, he would have won. But as she was quickly learning about him, Edward just couldn't help himself and had to show off his shitty grin. His triumphant expression was his downfall because it brought out her need to prove she could handle herself with him.

She smiled sweetly as she held his face in her hands. "I want you."

His smile widened and he made an attempt to lean in to kiss her that she thwarted by pushing against his cheeks.

"I want you off of me and outside of this tent."

"What if I order you to stay with me?"

She patted his left cheek gently. "You can try it. But it's not going to work."

"What happened to me being the boss?"

"Birthday's over. And so is your private time with me for this morning."

"You're sharing my tent the rest of this trip."

"I'll consider it."

"Consider it?" he asked, looking as if she'd grown an extra head.

"Yeah. It'll depend on how nice you are to me. I don't share a tent with just anyone."

He laughed as he rolled off of her and onto his back. "You're ridiculous, kapu."

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him. "Name calling is generally frowned upon when you're trying to get a woman to spend time with you."

He turned onto his side and lifted up to be at eye-level with her. "I've got an idea for spending time together, if you're interested."

"As long as it involves us being outside of this tent, I'm very interested."

"How about I take you snorkeling after breakfast?"

She controlled her face well but she knew he could tell anyways from the way he frowned. "I haven't said 'no'."

"Not out loud."

"It's just … What if we're snorkeling and a shark comes swimming up?"

"Do you really think I'd suggest this if I thought that was a possibility?"

"If you thought it would help with my fear somehow, yeah."

"Okay, maybe. But I'd tell you about it upfront, just like I did when I suggested you take pictures on the cradle. This area we're in, it doesn't have a natural food source for the sharks so they pretty much ignore it. Lee's been watching this beach for over a month and there hasn't been a single shark sighting by any snorkelers. And I'd have a spear with us and one of the radios just in case."

"I don't know," she said with a sigh as she tried to make an informed decision and not one out of fear.

Edward took hold of her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. "Promise to think about it over breakfast? Because I'd really like to share this with you."

"Why?"

"I want to know what it's like to be with you when you're doing something you actually enjoy."

She couldn't help her blush or her big smile.

"Think about it?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Promise."

"Good." He gave her a soft, barely there kiss and then his shitty grin made another appearance. "Come on, Guppy. I've got a best friend to tease and you're holding up my progress."

She leaned in and whispered, not quite brave enough yet to tease him where the others could hear. "You better be more worried about Whit teasing you for how your sweats are being held up."

Bella left the tent laughing while Edward took a turn looking like a Guppy fish. She knew her face was red and she knew Whit was going to make fun of her for it, but it was absolutely worth it to finally be able to leave Edward speechless.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Guppy! Good morning!" Whit greeted. Masen could just imagine the teasing smile on his best friend's face. "Why so red, little fish?"

Masen stopped moving to make sure he could clearly hear Bella's response. "Because I'm annoyed with you," she told him. "I spent all night sitting by the tent door, afraid of the noxious gas cloud you said would come and it never did. Now I'm exhausted and have a red face from being so tired."

Masen knew that wasn't true but the hurt tone she'd delivered it in had him feeling bad all the same. He couldn't imagine what it was doing to Whit.

And then Bella really nailed his best friend to the wall. "I thought we were friends, Whit."

After some sputtering and a couple "what" and "wait" mumblings, Whit finally got his mouth working. "Bella, seriously, I was just messing with Masen. Of course you're my friend and I didn't mean to keep you up all night."

"Well, you did." She had the perfect mix of petulant and upset in her voice and Masen laughed under his breath as he pulled his jeans up over his hips and zipped them.

"Let me make it up to you," Whit pleaded. "I've got breakfast duty this morning and I'll make you anything you want. Or if I can't make it, I'll go find a place that has it."

"I don't know …"

As Masen slipped into a clean shirt, he wondered if he should be more worried about how easily she was pulling this off instead of enjoying his friend's torture. If Bella could so effortlessly wrap Whit around her finger, what chance did he stand against her?

"What if I make breakfast and I promise not to involve you in my schemes to mess with Masen?" Whit offered.

"How about you make me breakfast and you only involve me in a consultant capacity?" she offered.

"Hey! What the hell?" Masen asked, popping his head out of the tent. He immediately knew he had been played because Bella was sitting next to Whit, the both of them smiling and staring right at him.

"Morning, bro," Whit greeted. "Sleep well last night?"

"His hair isn't looking as wild," Lee commented while pouring herself some coffee from the pot on the small campfire stove. "I think he actually did sleep."

"Dude did lay a Superman kiss on Guppy last night," Gopher joked, grinning at Masen. "Maybe he tuckered himself out."

"Asshat," Masen said as he passed by Gopher on his way to sit next to Bella.

She smiled and then whispered so quietly he barely heard her. "Good choice changing pants."

Masen figured the best way to get her back was to make her blush and the best way to do that was to kiss her in front of everyone.

But he never got the chance because Esme opened up her tent and Lizzy charged right at him and slammed into his leg. He chuckled at her silliness while picking her up and setting her in his lap. "One of these days, you'll figure out you have brakes," he told her while scratching behind her ears the way she loved.

Lee snorted. "Don't hold your breath on that, Mase. I've seen her master swimming, surfing, skateboarding, and making you her bitch. But stopping before she runs into things completely escapes her."

"Hey!" Masen yelled, glaring at Lee.

"Kid, I'm afraid Lee's right. Lizzy plays you like a violin. Whether she smiles or whimpers, you pull out the treats."

"Can't believe you two are begrudging a puppy a good life," he told them while hugging Lizzy against his chest. "A sweet, innocent puppy."

"Your _innocent_ puppy chewed a hole in my pillowcase last night," Whit informed him.

Masen grinned as he looked over at his best friend. "Was their chocolate stashed in your pillowcase?"

Whit lifted one eyebrow up. "That's not the point."

Bella giggled and then blushed. And then she took Lizzy from Masen under the pretext of walking his puppy for him. Masen knew she really just wanted to escape Whit before he could get revenge by teasing her.

After getting himself a cup of coffee, Masen sat down beside Whit. "How bad did Lizzy chew it up?"

"Not too much. I caught her before she did any real damage. My fault anyway. I forgot to clear it out when I switched my stuff to Esme's tent."

"Yeah, about that. That wasn't really fair to Bella with the way you put her on the spot. What if she'd felt forced to share the tent and then resented both you and me for it?"

"Mase, if I'd have thought there was a snowball's chance in hell of that woman not wanting to share a tent with you, I would've kept my mouth shut. But since I was pretty damn certain the only thing holding her back was you worrying what we might think, I gave her a way to be with you. You should be thanking me."

He considered his friend's words for a moment and found that he agreed completely with him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"You kept your filthy hands off my mom, right?" Masen asked, already knowing Whit would never really do anything with Esme. At least not so long as she wasn't interested and he had his dream girl to fawn over.

Whit snorted. "Your mom is pure for another day."

Now it was Masen's turn to snort. "Whatever. So have you had any visits from your dream girl lately?"

"Yeah, actually," Whit answered while staring down into his coffee cup. He was swirling it instead of drinking it and Masen knew that meant his friend was troubled. As much as Whit enjoyed his caffeine and his chocolate—sometimes together—he rarely gave his coffee time to cool.

"What's up? What happened?"

Whit blew out a breath. "I found a flaw in her perfection last night."

"Seriously? The flaw wasn't the time you dreamed she dragged you out of bed at butt crack of dawn to make sandwiches in a soup kitchen?"

"That was charity, Mase. And I like that she's got such a big heart."

"So what flaw is making you stare at your coffee instead of drinking it?"

"She hates the water."

"Define 'hates'."

"If it's not in a pool or a tub, she wants nothing to do with the water. Won't even put her feet in the surf on the beach."

"I don't suppose you know why."

"Obviously some kind of fear. I don't know if it was that exact beach or just the idea of open water all together."

"Did you recognize the beach?"

"Yeah, that was almost weirder than finding out she hates the water. We were on the North Shore in Oahu. I recognized the hotels so it looks like she's gonna be staying at one of them when we meet."

"Think it'll be this fall when we get back home?"

"I don't know, but I really hope so. I'm ready to meet her in the flesh and not just dream about her." Whit suddenly looked up at Masen, his expression more serious than Masen had seen in a long time. "Thank you. You've never made me feel like a fool when I talk about her."

Masen smiled and gripped Whit's shoulder. "Bro, there's nothing foolish about a woman who gets you. Besides, if this girl is real, it won't even be the second weirdest thing to have ever happened to us."

Whit grinned. "Does Bella get you?"

"I don't know. But she definitely knows how to challenge me."

"Yeah, but that's a good thing. You'd get bored with a woman who just went along with whatever you wanted." Whit lowered his voice, "So did you two …"

"No. Hell no, bro. Not with my mom one tent over."

Whit snorted. "I bet you wanted to, though, and Bella put the brakes on it."

"You know, I am capable of controlling myself," he replied, remembering how difficult that had been a couple times throughout the day yesterday.

Whit snorted hard.

"Whatever," Masen replied, rolling his eyes. "We have an agreed upon line to protect our professional careers and we're sticking with it."

"Right up until your patience runs out."

Masen followed the sound of Lizzy barking until he spotted Bella. "Not this time. Not with her."

"You know, that just might be the smartest thing I've ever heard you say."

Masen laughed and playfully punched Whit in the shoulder. "Asshat."

"So what's the plan for today?" Lee asked, getting both guys to look her way. "Surfing? Or tidal pool? Or maybe some beach football?"

"Maybe later," Masen said with a shrug. "I'm taking Bella snorkeling this morning."

Lee smiled as she looked over at Esme. "Remind me to pay up when we get home."

"Oh, you can be sure of it," Esme replied as she winked at Masen.

"What the hell are you two up to?" he asked, surveying each woman's expression in hopes of an answer.

Esme's expression was one of surprise but he could see the tell-tale twitch of her lips that meant she was faking. "We're just enjoying a sunny morning on a lovely beach with our family."

Masen didn't believe that for a second but he also didn't have any ideas on what they were really up to. Rather than waste his morning searching for answers they weren't going to give him, he figured his time would be better spent on convincing Bella it was safe to snorkel here. He was positive that if he could just get her into the water, she'd love it and he'd get to see her truly enjoying herself. As brave as she was getting in his element, he really wanted to see the kind of confidence she possessed in her own. Not only would it tell him more about her, it would help shape his plans for her progress and help him to gauge her expressions and reactions better. It also had the added bonus of allowing him to follow through with Esme's instruction—make a memory he'd want to hold onto.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"What this?" Bella asked as she took the folded pages Edward was offering her. He was trying to convince her it was a good idea to go snorkeling and that they'd be safe here. He'd already promised to take a spear with them; she didn't have the heart to tell him she doubted a spear would be much protection.

"Lee's research on this area. She found out some really interesting stuff, especially after she spoke to some of the locals in the area."

Bella skimmed over the pages quickly, her anxiety rising a bit as the words 'great white sighting' jumped out at her. She looked up at Edward as she said, "It says shark sightings are rare here but they do happen."

He nodded in agreement and reached over, flipping through the pages and pulling one out from the middle. "It happens in cycles. One year with sightings for every five without. And right now, we're in the middle of a five year cycle. The chances of a shark breaking with tradition and showing up while we happen to be snorkeling are so low as to be nearly non-existent."

"Nearly isn't the same as none, Edward."

"Think about it, Bella. We're here and we have the opportunity to snorkel and see some amazing marine life. Do you really want to pass that up just because there's a miniscule chance we could see a shark?"

She covered her face with her hands and screamed into them, her insides twisted and tortured from weighing her options and battling her anxieties. She wanted to snorkel with Edward. She wanted so badly to share that with him, something they both liked and would be good at. But how could she enjoy the experience if she was constantly looking over her shoulder for a shark?

"Hey," Edward called softly while prying her hands from her face. "We don't have to snorkel okay? We'll take Lizzy and go investigate the other end of the beach. Or we'll take a little hike up into the mountains and see what we can photograph."

"I don't want to just give in and give up, though."

"And I don't want you fighting with yourself and not enjoying your time here."

She eyed him warily. "Is this some kind of reverse psychology? Because I'm suddenly leaning more towards snorkeling."

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Don't you think if I had skills like that I would have already used them against you?"

"Five year cycle, huh?"

"Yep. I was thinking that either this afternoon or tomorrow, we'd go into the little town here with Lee and get some more information. If we can find a way to backup what they're saying, it would make for one hell of a research paper."

She looked up, wanting to confirm what she thought she'd heard in his voice. His eyes were a vibrant blue and his grin was adorable. "You don't want to snorkel. You want to investigate."

"I want to _know_. Is it water temperature? Food supply? Weather patterns? What makes an animal capable of going anywhere it damn well pleases avoid an area for such a long span of time?"

"What if it's birthing grounds?" Bella suggested even as she shivered from the possibility of snorkeling her way right into a shark-filled nursery.

Edward's knee bounced with his excitement. "I thought of that. That was my first theory, actually. But it's also been the one thing no one has been able to find yet. If this was it and we found it … MMR would make science history."

He looked at her, right into her eyes. "But, Bella, I promise you that today, I just want to snorkel with you. I want to share something you enjoy with you. That's all."

"A spear and a radio, right? Just in case?" Bella questioned even as she wondered if she had somehow lost her mind. She was going to get in shark waters with nothing but snorkel gear and a spear. _And Edward_, she reminded herself. He wouldn't risk his life any more than he would hers so if he was willing to get in the water then that meant it had to be safe.

"Wait here." Edward jogged over to his truck, returning a few minutes later with a backpack and a spear. He opened the bag to show her snorkel gear for two and two hand-held radios. "I'll give the other radio to Esme."

Esme on the radio and Edward at her side … Bella took in a deep breath and held tightly to her courage. "I trust you. And I really want to go snorkeling with you, so let's just go."

Edward grinned and took hold of her hand. "It'll be fun, kapu. I promise."

They headed down onto the beach and he let go of her hand to pull one of the handheld radios from his backpack. "I just need to give this to Esme and then we'll go, so make sure you have everything you need in your bag. And by everything, I mean sunscreen."

She was amazed to find herself laughing with as anxious as she felt and it helped to relax her some. "Sunscreen will be packed," she assured him.

He gave her a quick, soft kiss on the lips and then he turned to face a beaming Esme while Bella blushed at his openness even as she reveled in it.

She quickly went into Esme's tent where her own bags were still stowed. She tried not to listen in on their conversation but she couldn't really help it since they were so close. "I see you convinced her," Esme told Edward.

"More liked she convinced herself, but I'll take it. And you take this."

"What's this for?"

"She's nervous so I'm taking a few extra safety precautions. Radios and a spear. Nothing major."

"My, my. You don't even look offended." Bella knew Esme well enough by now to hear in her voice that she was teasing.

He snorted. "That's because I'm not. If it helps her feel more secure, then it helps me have a better time with her."

"Right." The amount of sarcasm Esme put into the one word had Bella feeling amazed and wanting to learn how to pull that off.

"What?"

"You're trying mighty hard to convince me this is all for your benefit, Kid. But I see what's really going on here."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Someone—and a very smart and beautiful someone at that—has wrangled in your know-it-all attitude, even if it's just for a morning."

"Goodbye, Mom. Keep the radio with you," he ordered.

"Bye, Kid. Don't let me hear any sexy times coming through this thing or I'll be forced to cock-block you."

He groaned while Bella smiled inside her tent, more-so for the wonderful relationship Edward shared with Esme than his mom's sense of humor.

"Ready?" Edward asked, his head poking through the opening of the tent.

"Yes," Bella answered strongly as she placed her hand in his. Somehow knowing that he was doing things just to make her feel more secure actually had her feeling more at ease.

They walked off in the opposite direction from when they'd visited the tidal pool yesterday, then followed a slight curve in the beach and went about another twenty feet before stopping. "We'll go in here," Edward said as he pointed at the water. "We'll make our way toward that outcropping of rocks up ahead and then come back this way."

"Are we just going to leave our stuff here in the open?" This stretch of beach was entirely empty but that didn't mean it wouldn't get busy later in the day.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. The only thing of real value is the radio and it's short range so it won't do them any good without its partner." Edward walked a few feet away from where they were standing and dropped his backpack in the sand.

Bella used her hand to shield her eyes, checking the water as far as she could see for any sign of a fin. She didn't expect to see one and she certainly didn't want to see one, but she couldn't stop herself from checking. She could, however, decide how long she would stand there procrastinating so she forced herself to turn away from the water. That ended up being an excellent decision on her part because she turned just in time to see Edward peeling his shirt off.

He caught her looking and grinned cockily. "Kapu, you gonna stand there staring or can we snorkel?"

Bella ignored his teasing and went about putting her bag next to his and stripping down to her bikini. Since she'd worn the red, ruffled one yesterday, she was wearing the spattered one today—her personal favorite. She loved the bright colors as much as the fit and she considered it the most comfortable bikini she'd owned so far.

From the way Edward was staring, she was sure he liked it too. She smiled and used his own words, "You gonna stand there staring? Or can we snorkel?"

His response was a grunt. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a set of snorkel gear and she noticed the mask was his lucky one from the boat.

"Did you know Lee and Esme had this trip planned?" she questioned.

"Not a clue," he answered while checking the strap on his mask. "Why?"

"You've got your lucky mask. How did you know to bring it?"

"I didn't. I just always have it in my bag in case."

"What makes it so lucky?"

He looked down at it and turned it over in his hands. "I guess because it's never failed me. The seal's always perfect and the lenses are still in good shape after all these years. I don't know … Maybe because I got it in San Francisco and felt lucky to be there to start MMR."

Bella smiled, happy that he'd added his real reason behind the practical one he'd first given. While he was definitely driven and dedicated to his work, he also had a sentimental side to him—and where she had only glimpsed it before, he was sharing it openly with her now.

He handed her the other snorkel set and after she had set the straps to fit her, they waded a little ways into the water to wet their masks. Edward put his on first and after he had it set just the way he wanted, he looked to see if Bella needed any help with hers. She very nearly signed "I'm good" to him but caught herself and gave him a thumbs-up instead. She would eventually tell him she knew how to sign, but not this morning. Right now she just wanted to have fun with him.

He gave her a smile and then put in his mouthpiece and checked the fit of his mask once more. He tightened his grip on the spear, stretched out his arms, leaned forward, and slipped his body into the blue-green water.

"Safe and fun," she assured herself while watching his body move just beneath the surface of the water. She secured her mouthpiece and then followed him into the ocean.

She was surprised to find it was only slightly less clear under the water than above since she'd heard so many mentions of the water being cloudy. She took it as a good sign since the further they could see, the safer they would be.

Edward's free hand came into her view and she gladly wrapped her fingers around his. She took one more look around them and then forced herself to focus on what was right in front of her.

They didn't have to go far before the coral and sponges started to accumulate, creating a miniature underwater forest. Most of the coral looked more like tree limbs in the fall stripped of their leaves, but the sponges were colored in bright yellows and oranges.

A little deeper in and they started to see different types of fish. The first few were too small for her to properly see and identify; she'd have to ask later if Edward knew what they were.

They swam a little lower into the coral and Bella spotted a rock lobster that she pointed out to him. It was nearly the same colors as the sponges it was hiding between and they stopped to watch it move around for a minute.

Edward led her around a tall cropping and they practically ran into a group of powder blue surgeon fish and raccoon butterfly fish. The two schools were intermingling and swimming back and forth between two sets of mini-mountains.

Bella couldn't believe how much more beautiful these creatures were up close and she wished she'd thought to ask if they had the underwater gear to bring a camera along. She was definitely going to write about these fish in her journal later—right after she made sure to thank Edward for this adventure.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen could tell from the way Bella was holding his hand and not gripping the hell out of it that she was finally relaxed and enjoying herself. He would have smiled if he hadn't had a mouthpiece in at the moment.

As much as he was ready to move on and see more, he could see she was enthralled with the surgeons and butterflies in front of them so he waited for her to make a move while he wondered if she'd ever gotten to see them outside of a tank before.

When she finally tugged on his hand, they swam up and over the outcroppings for a bit before heading down into an opening wide enough for them to fit comfortably side-by-side. Bella freed her hand to reach out and touch a bright yellow sponge so he inspected the outcropping on his side.

Right away he caught sight of what looked like an oddly colored piece of broken coral swaying in a current and he swam closer for a better look. His fingers were almost touching it when it suddenly moved in an unexpected way. Masen leaned his head in for a clearer inspection, his mask nearly touching the coral closest to him, and suddenly he found himself face to face with a yellow mouth moray eel baring its teeth at him. He made his body freeze, knowing any sudden movement could make the creature feel defensive and strike out at him. The eel stared him down with its glassy eyes for another second or two before completely twisting its spotted body around and disappearing inside of the coral. Masen quickly pushed away from the outcropping just in case the eel decided to come back.

He turned to see if Bella had noticed his surprise visitor, needing to make sure she wasn't alarmed. The last thing he wanted was for her to get anxious all over again when she was finally enjoying herself. Thankfully she wasn't paying any attention to him—she was busy trying to touch a couple of goby fish swimming around a wiggling knot of coral.

Bella turned to Masen with her hands cupped together and he could see her excitement in her wide eyes. She lifted her hands between their bodies and then opened them, releasing a translucent goby that immediately swam away. He was pretty sure she would be giggling if she could and he knew damn well he'd be kissing her if it were possible. _This_—this uncomplicated and pure happiness coming from her—this was why he'd been so insistent on getting her to snorkel with him. He wanted her to be able to write at least one journal entry that didn't mention any kind of anxiety or fear.

Another of the raccoon butterfly fish popped up, but after taking one look at them it turned tail and rounded the corner. Bella followed after it and Masen followed after her. She had pretty fast reflexes because she was able to dip and turn each time the fish did. Masen couldn't recall ever having seen anyone play underwater tag with a fish but that seemed to be exactly what Bella was doing. He wished he'd thought to bring a camera with them but he'd been so focused on getting her to agree to come that he'd never thought of it.

The butterfly fish turned once more and then dove toward the sandy ocean bottom. Bella followed it and when it slipped through a crack in the coral, she bent her legs to kneel on the ocean floor, probably in hopes of seeing where it had gone. Masen saw the creature at the last second but it was already too late—the stingray hiding itself in the sand startled at Bella's sudden appearance and jerked itself free. Masen dove forward but he wasn't fast enough to knock her out of the way. The ray's tail whipped around and struck Bella across her thigh. He saw the surprise in her eyes and then a wispy cloud of red obscured her face. He wasn't sure if it was pain or panic that caused her to do it—Bella yanked her gear off and water flooded her nose and mouth as she tried to scream.

Masen acted as fast as he could, grabbing her around the chest and under her arms to avoid her grabbing him in a panic. He rushed her to the surface; they weren't deep down but he also had no idea how much water she'd just taken in.

As soon as his head was above water, he spit out his mouthpiece and called her name. "Talk to me. Tell me how you're doing."

She didn't speak and she felt like dead weight in his arms as he towed her toward the beach. He wanted to stop to check her breathing but every single second counted and his time was better spent getting her to land in case she needed CPR.

Masen swam as hard and fast as he could while holding on to her, trying not to panic himself as he ticked off the seconds in his head since she'd pulled off her snorkeling gear.

He finally made it to the beach and as he looked down at Bella, he could see a thin line of red sitting on top of the water indicating the path he'd taken with her. He hoped it was just a scratch that was bleeding badly and not damage to an artery. But his big worry for now was making sure she was breathing.

Masen drug them both up the beach until they were far enough away from the tide that it was safe to set her down in the sand. He called her name again, and again there was no response from her. He ripped his gear off and tossed it aside, then lowered his head until his cheek was over her lips, checking for any sign of breathing.

There was none he could detect.

"Fuck," he growled as he tilted her head slightly back. He used one hand to pinch her nose shut and the other to push her jaw down until her lips parted. Masen took in the deepest breath he could and then blew it into Bella's mouth, making her cheeks puff out and her chest rise. He pulled away just enough to watch her chest for movement but still feel air against his face if she breathed on her own.

She didn't.

He breathed for her again and this time when he finished he pleaded with her. "Breathe, Bella. Please breathe."

Waiting for her reaction—_any_ reaction—was more terrifying than the attack with Whit had been and until just a minutes ago, he would have sworn he'd live the rest of his life without ever experiencing anything more horrific than watching his best friend nearly bleed out.

"Please breathe," he pleaded as he leaned in for the third time. He blew every bit of air he had in his lungs into hers and he finally, _finally_ felt movement from her. Her body jerked and he heard a gurgling, choking sound. Masen quickly rolled her onto her side and she immediately started spewing out all of the water she'd swallowed.

Relief flooded him and he whispered, "Thank you," while pressing his lips to her wet temple.

His relief was short-lived, though, because now that she was breathing it was time to focus on her leg. He leaned over her and what he saw made his stomach turn.

A ragged, bloody cut completely crossed the length of her left thigh. To make matters worse, the ray's barb was sticking out of the end of the cut. He couldn't remove it himself but he could hopefully slow down the bleeding. He twisted the end of the string from his trunks around his hand and then jerked as hard as he could to pull it free, ignoring the strong sense of déjà vu he felt. He slipped the string around her leg, just above the wound, and then tied it as tight as he dared. Too little and the bleeding would go on unchecked. Too tight and he could cut off her circulation.

She needed immediate medical attention and there was only one way to get it for her. "Bella, I've gotta get the radio. You just keep breathing. I'm coming right back," he promised.

He ran for his bag and in his hurry he broke the zipper right off the pocket holding the radio. He growled and used his fingers to force the teeth apart and then yanked the radio out. He got it turned on but then he dropped it, causing it to squawk loudly.

He plucked it from the sand and yelled the one name he knew would get the attention of anyone at camp near the radio. "Jasper!"

"Jasper, I'm coming your way with Bella. It was a ray and the barb's still in the wound." Masen didn't wait for a response. He ran back to Bella and after a little bit of struggle, he lifted her up into his arms and started down the beach with her, heading toward the camp.

He wasn't sure how far away from camp he was when he spotted Lee but he damn sure was pissed it was her and not Whit. He was the one with the medical training. He was the one with the knowledge and the skills Bella needed right now.

"Where the fuck is he?" Masen barked.

"He's right behind," Lee answered as she made it to him. "He knows I'm faster and wanted me to get the medical kit to you as quick as possible."

"I need him. _She_ needs him. The barb's still in."

"Mase, calm down, stop moving, and lay her right here," Lee ordered. "I can help until Whit gets here."

Masen didn't like it one damn bit but if there was any chance it might help Bella, he had to take it. He stretched her out on the sand and sat back on his legs while Lee started pulling things out of the black medical bag Whit carried everywhere they went. Masen was trying so damn hard to stay practical and unattached since it was the best thing for Bella, but his feelings for her kept creeping in and making it hard to deal with seeing her in pain.

"What's that?" he asked as Lee pulled out two red, rectangular packs.

"Heat packs. Whit said to put them above and below the wound," she answered while handing a pack and a roll of gauze to him. "Don't wrap it tight. Just enough so the pack is fully against her skin and can't slip." After pulling off the string from his trunks, she put a heat pack where it had been and carefully started wrapping gauze around it.

Whit arrived just as Lee was helping Masen to finish with the pack under Bella's wound. "Any idea how much blood she's lost?" he questioned.

"No. My first priority was getting her breathing again," Masen explained, reaching up to touch Bella's cheek. "She panicked when it happened and ripped her gear off. Took in a bunch of water."

"Lee, pull the stethoscope out and listen for any water in her lungs," Whit ordered. "Mase, think hard. How long did she go without breathing?"

"I'm not exactly sure when she stopped but from the moment I got her on the beach until she spit out the water, it was maybe forty-five seconds."

"Think about how long it took you to swim to shore with her. Do you think it could have been more than four minutes?"

Masen considered it closely and carefully, factoring in the last speed he knew he'd been clocked at swimming. "Maybe almost four but definitely not over it."

"That's really good." Whit pulled the medical bag closer and dug through it until he came up with a small brown case. He unzipped it and laid it on Bella's abdomen, looking between the tweezers inside and her wound a couple times before selecting the medium-sized tweezers.

"Lungs sound clear," Lee announced.

"Masen, I need you to do you something you're not going to like," Whit said as he looked him right in the eyes. "Put your weight across her abdomen and hold her upper leg as still as you can. Lee, come around and hold her by the ankle. And make sure her other leg can't get in the way."

Lee scrambled around Whit and positioned herself between Bella's feet, then pressed both hands down on the ankle of Bella's injured leg.

"She's probably going to scream and thrash so you two really have to hold her still," Whit warned, still looking only at Masen. "Ready?"

Whit waited for both Masen and Lee to nod before moving in with the tweezers. He gripped the barb between the edges of the tweezers and as soon as he started pulling, Bella began to scream out in pain.

"Stop!" Masen yelled, holding a hand out toward Whit.

"You know I can't," Whit replied. "And the longer we wait, the more venom will get into her system."

"Then give her something! Anything!"

"I wish I could, but I can't. Not until the barb is out and we have an idea of how much venom is in her system." He leaned over Bella and used the soothing tone that only ever came out of him in tense situations he wanted to calm, "Bella, I know this hurts, but it's going to be a lot worse if I don't get this out right now."

Lee reached out and gripped Masen's arm. "Help her be strong."

He looked down at Bella, surprised to find her eyes open since she'd been keeping them closed so far. There was fear in her gaze but there was also trust too. He slipped his fingers through hers and squeezed lightly. "If there was a way to do this without hurting you, you know I'd make him. I promise he'll work as fast as he can. You've just got to be as still as you can for him."

"I can't. It burns," she said as her fingers bore down on his.

"I know, kapu, but the quicker we get it out, the sooner the burning will stop."

"Don't let go."

"I won't. I promise." He quickly kissed her lips and then he twisted his body so he could continue holding her hand while stretching himself over her again, putting just enough weight on her to keep her still. He set his arm across her leg and bore down with most of his upper body strength to keep her still, and then he nodded for Whit to go ahead.

Whit began his slow and methodical removal of the barb again and this time Masen could see the barb wasn't just sitting in the wound tract. It was hooked slightly under part of her peeled-back skin and Whit had no choice but to slowly wiggle it backward and forward in order to prevent more damage to her leg.

Bella writhed and yelled and cried with each movement of the tweezers and Masen struggled not to turn around to hold and comfort her. He was already halfway convinced he'd never get the sounds of her cries out of his brain. The only thing keeping him in place was knowing he would cause more damage if he allowed her leg to move while Whit was working with the barb.

She cried out his name and Masen squeezed her hand in response, hating that he couldn't do more for her. "You're doing great, Bella," he assured her. "Just hang in there. It won't be much longer." To Whit he whispered, "Hurry the fuck up!"

About a minute later Whit finally got the barb out and tossed it away from them. Masen immediately took his weight off of Bella and twisted around to face her. Tears streamed from the corners of her clenched shut eyes and her breathing was harsh, but at least her color didn't look bad. At least not yet.

"Hang in there, kapu. We're almost done and then we'll get you home and resting in bed," he promised while pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Where's your radio, Mase?" Lee asked. "I need to update Esme and Gopher."

"I left it with all our gear back that way," he said, jerking his thumb over his head.

She gripped his shoulder from behind. "I'll be right back."

He nodded, not wanting to take his eyes off of Bella.

"Try to get her talking," Whit instructed. "We need to know what she's feeling so we can gauge how much venom she took in."

Masen glanced at his friend and found him using a bottle of water to clean out Bella's wound. "How bad is it?"

"The cut isn't too deep so my main concern is the venom." Whit popped open a bottle of liquid bandage and carefully pulled the ends of Bella's skin together, then began applying the liquid over the area. As much as Masen wanted the liquid bandage to work to spare Bella the pain of stitches, he doubted the jaggedness of the cut would allow for it.

"Stop watching me and focus on her," Whit demanded.

Masen leaned in to Bella and caressed her cheek. "Kapu, I need you to open your eyes and talk to me."

She mumbled his name but he could tell from her tone she wasn't as aware as he needed her to be.

He pressed his forehead to hers and immediately began hoping the heat he felt from her skin was from the sun and not the beginnings of a fever. This was too real and too wrong and he was struggling between feeling sick over her hurting and being pissed he hadn't been able to prevent it.

He licked his lips to wet them and then tried his best to mimic Whit's calm voice. "Bella, how are you feeling?"

She didn't answer.

"Kapu, please. I need you to tell me what you're feeling so I can help you."

"My leg." Her eyes fluttered for a few seconds but didn't open and she didn't say anything more.

"What about your leg? Tell me exactly how it feels," he pleaded.

Bella managed to open her eyes some but it didn't seem to Masen that she was able to focus them. "My leg burns."

"Good. What else?"

She swallowed and then licked her lips. "Hot. Sick like I might puke."

Masen looked up at Whit, worried about her nausea, but his friend didn't take his eyes off his task of closing her wound.

"Keep her going, Mase. Find out everything she can tell us. The more symptoms we know about, the better we can guess the amount of venom."

They could suddenly hear Lee's voice, "… almost back now. I'll let you know. Just hang tight for now."

Masen wished Esme was here—she would know the best way to do this, to be here for Bella. But she wasn't and it was up to him to get Bella to give them the answers they needed to help her.

"Do you feel anything else besides hot and sick?" he asked.

Her eyes were closed again and he noticed that she'd stopped shaking her head as quickly as she'd started.

"Are you dizzy? Does moving your head make it worse?"

She didn't respond.

"Bella, answer me, please. Are you dizzy?"

"Not sure. Head really hurts," she answered. She licked her lips again and after struggling for a second or two, she continued, "Pounding kind of hurting. Feel sicker if I open my eyes or move my head."

"Are you having any trouble breathing?"

"No. Talking hurts. Throat is dry."

"Here," Lee said, handing Masen a bottle of water.

"Just a little and very slowly," Whit warned.

Masen practically ripped the top off the thing and then used one hand to hold Bella's head up and the other to tilt the water bottle. He wet her lips a little first and then let some slip between them and into her mouth.

Masen pulled the bottle away at the same time that Whit reached up and patted Bella's arm. "All done, little fish. You did a great job."

She gave him a weak smile in response.

"I'm just going to put a bandage over the wound and then we're going to get you out of here."

"Then the burning will stop?"

"Soon," he promised, giving her free hand a small squeeze.

Whit looked at Masen first and then Lee before speaking softly enough that Bella wouldn't hear. "There's already swelling around the wound. That, with her other symptoms, points toward a medium-sized dose of venom. We're going to need to watch for color changes around the wound, signs of low blood pressure, vomiting, faintness, and diarrhea, but I don't think she's in any danger and the major symptoms should dissipate within forty-eight hours. The lesser stuff like the headache and nausea will probably stick around a couple days after that.

"We could take her to a local hospital but they aren't going to have anything more they can do that I haven't already done. There are enough of us to give her round-the-clock care and I've got the supplies if she should need any fluids. Personally, I think we should take her home. But, Mase, you make the call, bro."

Masen didn't need to think about it—he knew who he trusted with Bella's life. "Home."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

It was finally silent in Bella's room for the first time in hours and Masen was pretty sure everyone was exhausted from doing what they could to help care for Bella and make her feel comfortable, though no one but Bella would sleep for a while. He doubted he would sleep at all—at least not until she started to feel better.

Bella's reaction to the amount of venom she'd taken in was severe but expected, and there was luckily nothing out of the ordinary about her condition—so far, so good. She was sleeping now, a combination of exhaustion and the medication Whit had given her. Masen was extremely thankful for Whit's medical background, especially since it allowed them to care for Bella personally instead of dealing with a foreign hospital that might be overcrowded or not have ready access to the meds she needed.

Whit had tried oral meds first but Bella's nausea had been too persistent for her to keep them down so he'd ended up giving her intravenous meds instead—but only after he'd felt it was safe to do so without masking important symptoms. Before he'd reached that point, Bella had dealt with long bouts of nausea that had eventually led to stomach cramps and a sore throat. On top of that, she had been suffering from a headache, dizziness, a fever, and low blood pressure. And Masen had been holding onto the tiniest shred of patience, just barely restraining himself from giving Bella the meds himself.

The change in her condition had been pretty quick once Whit had administered the meds and she'd been sleeping fairly peacefully ever since, with only an occasional whimper or grimace disrupting the quiet. She'd probably be more comfortable lying down but they had to keep her propped up in case her nausea suddenly came back.

"Here, let me wipe her face down," Esme said as she gently nudged Masen's leg aside so she could get closer to Bella.

"I'll do it." He wasn't offering and she must have known that because she handed the towel over without a word. Slowly and carefully, he slid the towel over every inch of Bella's face, removing the sweat from her skin and hopefully a little of the heat from her fever as well.

"I know you feel responsible for her, Edward, but what happened today was an accident. An event you could not have prevented in any way."

"I told her it would be fun. That nothing bad would happen." He didn't share the thought that had been circling in his head since he'd seen that ray … _I failed to protect her_.

"You had no way to predict she'd startle a ray, and I'm quite sure she'd agree with me in saying you have nothing to feel guilty about."

He was too tired to argue so he just shrugged.

Esme cupped his cheek with her hand and turned his face to get him to look at her. "I know you're thinking of Beth and of how terribly hard it was to lose her. I know this because I am too; it's our gut reaction whenever someone close to us is harmed in any way.

"But I also see this incident with Bella is completely different. My worry is that you don't, that you're comparing this moment of fear with her to the devastation we both felt when Beth passed."

He pulled her hand from his face and held it between both of his. "I'm not good at this. I'm not good at having someone I care about in a state that I can't change, that I can't fix. It's the most frustrating and pathetic feeling there is and I can't stand it. With Beth I at least had the excuse of being a kid and it being an adult situation. When Whit … The anger was the strongest feeling for so long that even that wasn't the worst. But this …"

Masen swallowed down the lump in his throat and finished his explanation, "I physically feel sick right now. I have from the second I saw that ray because I _knew_, I knew what was going to happen. And when she wasn't breathing—"

Esme pulled him into her arms and he hugged her back, hating that he felt weak enough to need his mom and glad she had the power to comfort him. "This is no different from Bella getting scared by that shark hitting you in the side, Edward. This is just a moment of fear that pales in comparison to the wonderful moments you've already had with her and the many more waiting in your future."

"Why is this so hard? Seeing her in pain like this? I know it's temporary and that she'll be fine in a couple days but I can't … Why do I want so badly to take her place?"

She cupped her hand under his chin, lifting his face until she could see his eyes. "Because, Sweetheart, you love her."

His immediate reaction was to open his mouth to protest, but the longer nothing came out, the more he had to admit there might be some truth to what she was saying. Of the two of them, he would trust her to know long before he would trust himself; she'd at least had relationships over the years even if no guy had been _the_ guy yet.

"I was pretty sure you hadn't realized it yet."

Masen shook his head out of frustration and confusion. "If that's what this is … Why now? Why not last night when we were together in my tent? Or first thing this morning?"

She smiled and ran her hand through his hair before setting it on his shoulder. "It's sometimes hard to realize what's right in front of you until something happens to alter your view. You've been on a high with Bella and that gave you a form of tunnel vision. You knew you were having a good time with her and that you were drawn to her but you didn't have a name for all the things you've been feeling when you're with her. The fear you felt today took away your tunnel vision and allowed you to realize the depths of your feelings for Bella." Her smile widened as she brought her hand to his chest and patted it lightly. "Oh and you've got an awesome mom who knows how to read this heart of yours."

_Love … Me? It doesn't … But if it is …_ Masen took a moment to consider Esme's answer; it felt _right_—right enough that he accepted it without attempting to dissect it. "So … What now?"

She shrugged. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" he asked, checking for any sign that she was teasing. Something this big, a change this huge, it had to require some form of action on his part.

"Well, almost nothing. The hard part is done. You opened yourself up to more and allowed yourself to fall in love. All that's left is for you to share what you've discovered with Bella. Though, between you and me, I wouldn't be surprised if she's already figured it out. She's a very observant young woman."

"What happens if she doesn't feel that way back? If she doesn't love me?"

"Kid, that is one worry you don't need to have." Esme leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead, then stood up to leave.

"Wait! Why don't I need to worry?"

Her smile turned into a smirk. "Think about it. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Time to eat," Esme announced as she came in carrying a tray.

"Maybe later. She's finally resting again," Masen replied, dipping his head down to brush his lips against Bella's hair. She had woken suddenly from the nausea and had been sick enough that Whit had given her more medication. Thankfully, she had been able to take it orally and keep it down. Now she was leaning mostly against him with her head in the crook of his shoulder and her fingers wrapped around his wrist, ensuring the arm he had around her back couldn't move.

"Edward, I allowed you to skip lunch but you are going to eat dinner," Esme ordered, sitting down beside him. "You can't take care of Bella if you don't take care of yourself."

"Alright," he agreed with a sigh. Not that his reply mattered since she'd already set the tray on his legs.

"You know, I could make you come out and eat with the rest of us but I'm attempting to be nice and allow you to eat in here."

He stopped with a chip almost to his lips and gave her the sternest look he could muster. "Mom, as much as I love you, there's no way in hell you could get me out of this room."

She ignored him as she leaned over and placed the back of her hand to Bella's forehead. "Still feverish."

"Whit said it'll probably break early tomorrow morning."

"That's good. The healthier she appears, the less her family will worry when they arrive."

"How did her uncle sound?"

"Like any parent—worried out of his mind and in need of as many details as possible."

"She'll be glad to have him here." Masen smiled as another thought occurred to him. "She'll feel horrible he came too. That he dropped everything to be here with her."

"Dropping everything is part of the parenting package, Kid." Esme smiled and stood, pointing at his tray. "You eat. All of it. And don't think I won't check."

"Oh, I know you will," he said, grinning as he watched her leave. He popped a chip into his mouth and realized he actually was hungry. He thought about trying to free his other hand to make it easier to eat but he didn't want to risk waking Bella so he cleared his plate one-handed.

He swallowed down the last bite of sandwich just as Lee came into the room. "Esme sent me to check on your progress," she told him.

"All done," he said, pointing at the tray. "But I wouldn't mind a plum if we have any left. Or some olives. Whichever we have."

"You and Whit wiped out the last of the plums but I'm pretty sure we have some olives."

"Would you bring me a bowl?"

"Last I checked, your legs were working just fine."

"Sure, I'll get them myself. But you pry her fingers off my wrist," he challenged, tilting his head toward Bella.

Lee's lips pulled up into a smirk. "One time. That's it. And it's for her, not you, just so we're clear."

"Crystal," he promised. He let her get to the door and then said, "Oh, and would you take the tray into the kitchen for Esme?"

Lee turned and glared at him. "You did that on purpose."

"Did what?"

"Waited until I was at the door."

"What? Why would I do something like that?" he asked, fighting the smile that wanted to appear as she walked over to him.

"Because you're an asshat."

"I'm hurt you would think such awful things about me, Lee."

She didn't respond; she just took the tray and left the room.

He was still chuckling over annoying her when Whit came in. "Lee's cursing you three ways from Sunday. What'd you do?"

"The usual. Got her back for being a smart-aleck by annoying her."

"Nice," Whit joked with a snort. He pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and then moved the blanket to reveal Bella's injured leg.

"Don't mess with her right now, bro. She's sleeping good."

Whit lifted an eyebrow at him. "Between the two of us I'm the medical professional so be quiet and let me do my thing. And if you can't help yourself, I'll have Gopher remove you."

Masen opened his mouth to argue but then decided the potential of waking Bella wasn't worth having Gopher come into the room, especially since it would be for nothing. No one could make him leave.

Whit carefully removed the gauze pad covering her wound and inspected every inch of the cut and the skin around it, sometimes leaning in close enough to touch her leg with his nose but never actually touching her.

"How's it look?" Lee asked, having come in halfway through his inspection.

"Really good," Whit replied with a smile. "No indications of infection and the color is more pink than red now."

"Guppy's a fighter." Lee looked as confident and proud as she sounded. "And her improving condition is proof that Masen can get his own snack next time," she added, handing a bowl of olives to him.

"It doesn't mean that at all. Besides, as long as she's got a hold on my wrist, I'm not going anywhere."

Lee crinkled her nose. "Yeah, well, you should seriously rethink that. You could definitely benefit from a trip to the shower."

Masen ignored her. "What are you doing now?" he asked, having noticed Whit was rubbing a Q-tip along Bella's cut.

"Covering the area in Vaseline. It'll keep it moist and help with the healing."

"I thought you were supposed to let cuts breathe."

"Yeah, well, that's why I'm in charge for this and you aren't." Whit grinned at him for a second and then turned his focus back to Bella's leg. Once he had a generous coating of Vaseline over the wound, he put a fresh gauze pad over it and secured all four edges with medical tape.

"Do you need to check her blood pressure again?" Masen questioned.

"It can wait until she wakes up. Just yell for me when she does. I'll be in the living room."

"Thanks, bro." He meant those words with all his heart and hoped his best friend knew that.

From the smile on Whit's face, it seemed he did. He gave Masen a salute and then headed out.

Masen had felt Lee's eyes on him while he'd been paying attention to Whit's work so he looked over at her. "What?"

Lee folded herself into the chair Whit had left beside the bed. "You're different with her," she said, tilting her head toward Bella.

Masen gave her a grin and a shrug. "You were never hurt by a ray. But if you ever are, I promise to keep you company and hold your hair back while you puke."

"That's not what I meant and you know it, Mase. You didn't question any of Whit's doctors when he was in the hospital but you've questioned his treatment for Bella at every turn and I know you trust him way more than some doctor in a hospital."

"Are you jealous, Lee?" He damn well knew she wasn't but he also knew it would irritate her to be asked.

"Please! I'm the one that ended our farce of a relationship, not you."

"Ended is a strong word. It was more like you said 'This is Gopher. Get back in the friend zone'."

"It wasn't that cut and dry, or quick, and you know it. It took time for me to figure out why being with Gopher was so much _more_ than anything you and I had shared."

Masen snorted. "And then one day you magically awoke and knew your prince had come."

Lee gave him a wry smile. "If only it had been that easy."

"I thought it was."

She shrugged. "It was easier to let you think that than to try and explain the reality. I knew being with Emmett was different. I knew what I felt for him was above and beyond everything I'd ever experienced before. But I didn't know I loved him. Not until I nearly lost him."

Lee set her chin on her knees and looked at Masen, seeing the questions in his eyes, and after a few seconds, she started to give him answers. "Emmett knew pretty quickly that he loved me and wanted a future with me. He dropped his entire life in Tennessee to create one in Hawaii with me. All he wanted in return was for me to love him back. And for a long time, all I could offer was appreciation for his sacrifice and a promise that I wanted him and only him. But I couldn't say the words he needed to hear.

"It baffled the hell out of me that he could say them and mean them so damn quickly. And if I asked him why he loved me, he would list both my good and bad qualities. It just didn't make any sense. How did he know that was love and not just a close relationship? I mean, there's plenty of stuff I love and hate about you and Whit. So what was the difference that made it love?

"One night he finally got tired of waiting and flat out asked me if I loved him. I told him I didn't know. He said he couldn't accept that. He said he needed and deserved more. I stupidly told him that was his problem, not mine. So he kissed me goodbye and left. At first, I blew it off, positive he'd be back in the morning. But then I started to wonder what would happen if he didn't come back. What would my life be like if he was suddenly not in it anymore? And you know what I figured out?"

Lee looked right into Masen's eyes as she gave him the answer. "My best day with you and Whit couldn't compare to my worst day with Emmett. As good as it feels to be your friend, it's a footnote on what it is to be loved by him. And even when he's righteously pissed at me, he _loves_ me. He lets me see it and hear it and feel it. Life without him, it would go on and it would have its happy moments. But it could never hope to compare to the wonderful adventure life with him always is and will be."

Lee shrugged and smiled. "At least that's what I believe."

"That's not a bad way to look at it," Masen admitted. "I still think Gopher was an asshat for walking out, though."

She laughed softly. "He didn't leave. Not really. He just went outside and sat on the back of his car to wait for me to wake the hell up and go after him. He was sure of how I felt even if I wasn't. He trusted that if he forced me to face my feelings then I'd know too."

Lee got to her feet and smiled at Masen. "Do me a favor, Mase, and learn from my mistake. Admit how you feel and don't make Bella force it out of you."

"I'll tell her when I know."

She shook her head though she kept smiling. "Famous last words, bro." She left him alone with Bella then.

He shifted just enough to see Bella's face relaxed in sleep. He studied her face like he would an object he wanted to sketch, searching for some sign of what it was about her that made her irresistible to him. But he already knew the answer … It wasn't her looks alone. He'd been attracted to her from the start, and now that he'd seen her heart, witnessed her strength, and enjoyed her friendship …

With his upper lip brushing her temple and his lower slightly shaking, he spoke very softly—and so quietly that even Lizzy would have had trouble hearing his admission. "I love you, kapu."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: ** What a birthday trip for our boy Masen! And he's really not going to have much time to get his head out of spin mode before Uncle Carlisle and Alice arrive in the next chapter. Sparks will definitely be flying all over that rental house!

Thanks to the wonderful Eternally Addicted, we have some photos up on the blog of the undersea creatures Masen and Guppy encountered while snorkeling.

Thanks for reading and reviewing and we'll see you again soon!


	24. 24 Band Together

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 24 – Band Together**

**Sunday, June 22nd**

Bella struggled to wake up, feeling as though she'd slept too long and not enough at the same time. She slowly blinked her eyes open and as her room came into focus it took her a moment to figure out why she was here and not in a tent.

_The ray_. The thought immediately made her aware of the throbbing in her leg and her heavy head, and her unsettled stomach. She also noticed she was propped up and leaning against Edward.

She tried to sit up more but he quickly stopped her by tucking his chin against her shoulder to keep her still. "Take it easy," he said softly.

"What time is it?"

"Late. Or early, I guess, depending on how you look at it."

She glanced at the book balanced on his leg, not entirely surprised by his wakefulness but feeling slightly guilty all the same. She was ready to apologize until she realized her throat was too raw for the lengthy apology he deserved. "Water?"

"Right here." He reached toward the nightstand on his side and when his hand came back into view, he was holding a water bottle with a built-in straw. "It should still be a little cold. Lee changed it out before she went to bed."

Despite Bella's assurances that she was perfectly capable of handling a bottle of water on her own, Edward insisting on holding the bottle in one hand and her head in the other, claiming it was to make sure she didn't drink too much too fast. Bella wasn't sure what to make of it because for all the things she considered Edward to be, a compassionate nurse wasn't one of them. She imagined him to be more the type to say "suck it up" and expect the person to keep going.

"Thanks," she said as she pushed the bottle away.

"You didn't drink much."

"Stomach," she explained as she closed her eyes and relaxed against him, hoping for the somersaults in her stomach to stop.

"Let me get Whit. He can give you something for it. Besides, he needs to check on you anyway."

"Wait," she immediately replied, opening her eyes and grabbing his arm. The last thing she wanted right now was to be poked and prodded. She just wanted to be as still as possible and enjoy the quiet with Edward.

"For what?"

"Just … not yet."

"Bella, he needs to check on you."

"Well I need a little time to just lay here with you."

He groaned a version of her name. "Ten minutes. That's it. Ten minutes and then I'm calling him in."

"Fifteen?"

"Five."

"Ten it is." She half-expected him to call for Whit anyway but he didn't. Instead he wrapped both of his arms around her and very gently pressed his lips against her temple.

"Thank you." When he didn't say anything she asked, "You're not a fan of compromise, huh?"

"I'm not a fan of you being sick."

She smiled, enjoying his attention despite how crappy her body felt. "Can't be helped. Ray venom is nasty stuff."

He didn't say anything.

"You're watching the seconds tick by, aren't you?"

"Want to try drinking some more water?"

Bella smiled and grabbed his shirt, tugging on it the best she could. "You're deflecting."

"You're annoying."

She remembered how afraid she'd been when he'd been hurt by the shark's tail and she didn't want to push him without having a clear idea of where his head might be so she changed the subject. "Did I dream that my uncle is coming?"

"No, that's really happening. He should be landing in about five hours. And your sister's with him."

Bella winced as she pictured the worried faces of her uncle and sister. "Alice is probably freaking out."

"I don't think so. Esme's been in constant contact with your uncle through text messaging so they know you've been improving."

Her forehead wrinkled in her confusion but it hurt her head so she forced herself to relax before responding. "My uncle doesn't text."

"He does now."

"Hmmn."

"I thought I heard voices," Whit called from the doorway.

"I made him give me ten minutes," Bella informed him. "And I have about eight left so you need to go away until then."

"You have six," Edward corrected.

"Which you can have _after_ I check you out," Whit said as he sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"Don't I get any say?" she asked.

"Sure," Whit replied with a grin that had her feeling she wasn't going to like what he said next. "Just as soon as you can eat and drink and keep it down."

"Fine," she grumbled, putting her arm out for her blood pressure to be checked.

Whit checked her pressure, her temperature, and even her ability to focus her eyes and follow his finger. "Your vitals are looking good. Time to check your leg."

"I can feel it's a long cut, but is it deep?"

Whit shook his head. "Just the very end where the barb was dug in but the rest is pretty shallow. I was able to close you up with liquid bandage and avoid stitches."

Bella looked down at her wound and struggled not to grimace at her first look at it. The cut was as long as it felt and looked a little jagged from her perspective.

Edward must have seen her expression because he slipped his fingers through hers and attempted to reassure her. "It's really not that bad. Plus it's already starting to scab over in some spots."

She didn't want him to worry any more than he might already be so she gave him a teasing smile and tried to joke with him. "So you won't dump me for being horribly disfigured?"

His expression was almost as distasteful as the one he'd given her after finding out who she was that night in the bar. "Not. Funny."

Whit cleared his throat and when Bella turned to look at him she found him sporting a very nudging grin. "Stop torturing Masen and talk to me. Tell me what symptoms you have right now."

"Pretty nauseous. And my head is thrumming. It's like a consistent low banging right at the base of my skull."

"Migraines aren't unusual during the first forty-eight hours," Whit assured her.

"How many hours in am I?"

Edward and Whit answered together, "Fifteen and a half."

"What else?" Whit pressed. "The more I know, the better I'll be able to help you."

"My leg stopped burning but now there's a painful throbbing."

"Does it feel hot at all?"

Bella focused on her leg, wanting to give him an honest answer. "No. Just hurts."

"That's good. Means your leg is healing. If it felt hot then I'd be worried about an infection. But just throbbing that way, it's a sign your body is working on healing the cut."

She started to nod but the jolt of pain in her head and neck stopped her. "And I'm tired. Just this little bit of talking and I already want to go back to sleep."

"You'll feel that way for a couple days, I'm afraid," Whit told her. "Do you think you could try to drink and eat just a little?"

"Anything you want," Edward promised.

She could tell from the way he already had one leg off the bed he really wanted her to try eating. And now that she was really getting a good look at him she could also tell he hadn't left her side—not even to change clothes much less take the shower he had to need by now.

"Let's trade. I'll try eating if you go take a shower," she offered.

"I don't need a shower." His immediate denial got a guffaw out of Whit.

"Edward, I'm fine. Go take a shower and relax," she urged.

He ignored her. "What do you want to eat?"

She did her best to imitate his stern look. "Shower."

"Bella."

She felt a little guilty for doing it, but she didn't really see any other option for dealing with his stubbornness. "You really do kinda smell and my stomach is queasy enough already."

Whit helped through nudging. "Come on, bro. Take the deal. You get a warm shower and she gets a meal. It's a win-win."

_And I also get to talk to Whit_, Bella thought as she waited for Edward to give in.

"Fine. But you eat first and then I shower," Edward hedged. "Just in case you get sick."

Bella grinned, sure she had the perfect rebuttal for him. "Whit is perfectly capable of helping me clean up if I have a revenge of the meal moment. You obviously trust him with my care or I'd be in the hospital. So you go enjoy your shower and I'll try to eat."

Edward looked to Whit for help but Whit just grinned and pointed toward the open door. Edward let out a heavy sigh and Bella did her best not to gloat over her win while watching him get up from the bed.

He stopped at Whit's chair and spoke too low for her to hear but she assumed it was something to do with watching over her since Whit was rolling his eyes and twirling his hand in a hurry up gesture.

"Got it, bro. Enjoy your shower," Whit said as he held his fist out.

Edward scowled as he bumped it with his own and then smiled at Bella quickly before finally leaving the room.

Whit pretended to wipe sweat from his brow and then winked at Bella. "I thought he'd never leave. And now that he is gone, what would you like to try eating?"

"Is he okay?"

"Never heard of that meal," he answered with a grin.

She folded her arms and waited.

With a small sigh, Whit leaned forward in the chair. "Write something nice on my tombstone when he kills me for this, will ya?"

She continued to wait silently.

"He's alright for the most part," Whit promised. "He's freaked out the same as you were when the shark hit him. But more than anything, he's frustrated because he has no control. I'm in charge as the medical professional and even though he trusts me implicitly, he can't help but question everything I do. For him, staying in here and watching over you is as close as he can get to controlling things."

"Why does he need to be in control so badly?"

"Because control equals safety for him. And he needs you to be safe, Bella."

She knew from the pointed look Whit was giving her what he hadn't said out loud. Edward didn't want to let her go and as long as he felt in control, he could believe he wouldn't have to. A nasty side effect of experiencing personal tragedy was the inescapable fear of the loss of others; it made it difficult to let in new people. With Edward's limited people skills, Bella could only imagine how challenging it was for him to make friends. She admired and appreciated his long friendships with Whit and Lee all the more and felt as though she finally understood his hesitance with Gopher.

"What can I do to help him?" she asked.

Whit grinned and answered with a single word. "Eat."

Bella smiled back and then rallied up all the courage she could find to go up against her tender stomach. With any luck, she'd be able to keep down a little food and water and help Edward to relax. And then hopefully he'd talk to her so she could know he wasn't feeling the urge to flee that she had felt when he'd been the one who was hurt.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

For the first time he could remember, Masen was cursing his long hair and the time it took to get it dry enough to not drip water all over the place. He wanted to get back to Bella, already having spent far more time away from her than he'd planned.

He'd been against the idea of a shower at first but once that hot spray had started beating down on his sore back and tired muscles he had been grateful for being forced into it. He'd done a lot of reflecting and thinking during his shower which was the reason he'd been in the bathroom for almost a half hour instead of ten minutes like he'd planned. There was a lot to think about … Bella, the accident, her possible reactions when she finally felt lucid, meeting her family. And then there was the biggest of all—his realization that he did indeed love Bella in a truly deep and heartfelt way. Even though he'd admitted it to himself and kind of admitted it to her, it still didn't seem real that it was happening.

There had been a time in his life when he'd tried hard to picture himself with someone, a second half of a whole unit. But after seeing Esme fall in and out love over the years and then helplessly watching the fuckery that had been Whit's relationship with Maria, Masen had decided it wasn't worth the hassle and wasn't anything he needed. _Until Bella_—a completely unexpected theme in his life lately.

While he was still undecided on the hassle part, he definitely agreed with the need. A week ago he would have been able to say with a straight face that he only cared if Bella was around for the sake of the internship. Now, in this moment, the internship was the furthest thing from his mind, which seemed impossible even as he acknowledged the truth of it. He was far more concerned with making sure Bella was comfortable and healed quickly. And with meeting her uncle and sister under strained circumstances.

Deciding his hair was dry enough, Masen tossed his towel into the hamper and stepped out of the steamy bathroom into the cool living area. He stopped to check the thermostat to make sure the air felt different only because of his shower, and then he stopped again because Whit was standing in the kitchen.

"Seriously?" he asked, his hands balling into frustrated fists.

Whit chuckled. "As impressive as your threat of pain and death for leaving Bella alone truly was, I'm still not afraid of you, Mase." He let out another chuckle and added, "Besides, she's not alone. Gopher's in there with her."

"What's he doing up?"

"Midnight snack."

"It's almost two-thirty in the morning." He knew because he'd been checking the time on his phone incessantly since getting out of the shower.

"So it's a two in the morning snack," Whit said with a shrug. "He was up, he wanted to check on her, he's in there with her." He scowled at Masen while saying, "As if I would just up and leave her alone when she's sick. Acting like a damn fool, like you don't even know me, bro."

"Whit." Masen meant it both as an apology and a thanks and knew his best friend would understand.

Whit let his scowl turn into a smile. "It's fine. Go check on her before you burst from the curiosity."

Masen grinned, gave him a nod of thanks, and then headed off to Bella's room. Just as he walked through the doorway, the lamp next to her bed clicked off and plunged the room into semi-darkness since there was still a lamp on in the living room.

"Turn it back on," he ordered the Gopher-sized shadow standing next to the lamp.

"Don't you think she'd sleep better without a light in her face?" Gopher questioned.

"I _know_ she won't," he insisted. "Turn it back on."

The lamp clicked on and Masen immediately looked to Bella. She was sound asleep lying on her side with both arms curled around a pillow. Her nausea had to have lessened considerably for Whit to be allowing her to sleep lying down instead of propped up.

He tucked her blanket around her better and then carefully pressed his lips to her temple, partly to check her temperature but mostly because he needed to touch her in some way. He didn't understand this new urge but he also didn't see any reason not to indulge it—at least for now.

"Look at you showing off your Charmin Ultra," Gopher said as Masen sat in the chair he'd pulled up beside him.

"My what?"

"Your soft and smooth side, bro."

"Did you really just compare me to toilet paper?"

"Yep. You're typically the abrasive shit that no one touches unless they have no other choice. But with Guppy—"

"Don't," Masen warned, stopping him right there. Knowing the way Gopher's mind tended to work Masen was sure the man had nothing worthwhile to say.

"Alright. But can we talk about how long you've been sneaking around with Guppy?"

"No because I haven't been sneaking around with her."

Gopher snorted and pointed toward the nightstand. "That lamp says differently, dude. The only way you can _know_ anything about her nighttime habits is if you've witnessed them."

"We did share a tent."

"Yeah, but we had a full moon that night so she wouldn't have been worried about darkness. And it wasn't the night before that because you two spent it cuddled up on the sofa together."

"Where'd you hear that?"

Gopher chuckled. "Pretty much from everyone but you. So fess up, bro. When did you start sleeping with the intern?"

"I'm not sleeping with her."

"Fine. Semantics. When did you start sharing her bed at night?"

"Even if I was doing that, it wouldn't be any of your damn business."

"Deflect all you want, Mase," Gopher said with a grin and a shoulder bump. "But I knew your ass wasn't being spontaneous with that Superman kiss. I knew you'd had to build yourself up into being that open."

Masen was equal parts annoyed and curious by this point, and a little surprised that Gopher was so damn interested in his personal life. Then again, the man had taken a shine to Bella right away. Maybe this was some sort of trolling for her sake—which was admirable but still annoying.

"Why do I feel this is a conversation you've had with someone else?" Masen asked as he got up and tugged Bella's blanket closer to her chin, having seen her shiver. She craned her head toward his hand and he found himself smiling at her wanting him near even in her sleep.

"She okay?" Gopher asked from behind him.

"Yeah, she just caught a chill."

"You should crawl in bed with her. You know, just to keep her warm."

Masen didn't need to turn around to know Gopher was grinning like an idiot; he could hear it in the man's tone. Of course, he was smiling too since he had pretty much been thinking the same thing. So he did. He dislodged the pillow from her grip under the guise of making her more comfortable and then moved her head to rest in the crook between his shoulder and neck, exactly where it had been through most of the day and night.

"Jumped right on that shit," Gopher said with a low chuckle.

"Shut up."

Gopher chuckled again. "And miss out on teasing your Charmin Ultra ass? Not a chance in hell, man."

"Just don't wake Bella," Whit warned as he sat down in the chair Masen had vacated. "The more rest she gets, the quicker her body will heal."

"Wouldn't she rest more if Masen wasn't taking up half her bed?" Gopher challenged.

"Actually, his being there is good for her. Cuddling releases oxytocin in the body, a calm-inducing hormone that helps promote healing."

"Look at this slick fucker," Gopher said, grinning and shaking his head while keeping his eyes on Masen. "He has a doctor's note to cuddle up with the intern."

Masen ignored Gopher completely. "Did she follow through on her end of our bargain?"

"As much as she could. A few bites of toast and almost half a glass of grape Gatorade," Whit answered.

Masen nodded while Bella nuzzled her head into his shoulder for a few seconds before sighing and relaxing in her sleep. He smiled even as he rolled her eyes at her cat-like behavior.

"She also took an anti-nausea pill, and a couple Tylenol for her fever and the ache in her leg and head," Whit added.

"And she said Whit's a great doctor and you're an okay nurse, just a little on the overprotective side," Gopher added, chuckling the entire time. "I asked her if she wanted you in scrubs, Mase. She blushed bright red but she didn't say no. Bet you could order some online and have them here in a couple days."

"She'll be up and walking around by then," Whit pointed out. "Besides, she probably prefers him in boardshorts and nothing else."

"Yeah, a little harmless ogling until she gets him naked," Gopher said, laughing and elbowing Whit.

"If you two asshats wake her up with your ridiculousness, I'll tell Esme," Masen threatened, hoping the fear of disappointing his mom would shut them up.

"That would be our cue to exit," Whit said as he got to his feet. "I'm camping on the sofa so yell if you need me," he told Masen. To Gopher he said, "Get back to bed before Lee wakes up missing you."

Gopher stood up and for once looked serious as he addressed Masen. "All jokes aside, it's good to see you this way. Happy. And with Bella."

Masen only nodded, not sure if he was supposed to take that as a compliment or a slight. It wasn't like he'd been unhappy before Bella. He'd completely loved his life and his work. With her, there was just a little more on the life side than the work side, that was all.

Now that he was finally alone with Bella, he took a minute to check her over, starting with pressing his lips to her forehead to see if her fever was still on the low end. He then checked the color in her cheeks to make sure she hadn't gone back to that gray paleness she'd exuded early on in her sickness. From what he could tell she seemed to be doing fairly well and steadily improving—he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled against her cheek as he softly placed a kiss there.

He glanced at the nightstand and saw Gopher's iPad resting on it. He picked it up and clicked it on, suddenly positive Gopher had been showing it to Bella, and too curious to resist finding out what they'd been looking at.

Some kind of website was pulled up and in large bold letters was the following question … _If women think men only think with their penises, do you think they would be offended if I asked them to blow my mind?_

Masen snorted, imagining a tomato red Bella rolling her eyes at a chuckling Gopher. Of all of the crew he'd expected to make friends with Bella first, it had definitely not been Gopher. But looking back on it now, Masen could see the appeal of Gopher's silliness to Bella. Here she was in new surroundings, plagued by worry and fear, and there's this big, goofy guy with an even goofier sense of humor.

_And a really good heart_, he told himself as he thought of his conversation with Lee. He could picture the man nervously sitting on the trunk of his car, watching the entrance of Lee's building for any sign of her. There was no question in Masen's mind that Gopher wouldn't have charged right back up those stairs if Lee hadn't come down on her own. The whole incident hadn't been about leaving like Masen had first thought when he'd heard the story—it had been about being open and honest. Sure, it was a dramatic and maybe even drastic way to handle it, but then again, Lee was pretty damn stubborn and thick-headed so subtly rarely worked.

Bella softly breathed out "Edward" and instantly had Masen's full attention. "I'm here," he whispered, lightly hugging her against his chest to prove it.

"Mmm … You smell much better."

He snorted at her comment. "Glad you think so."

"I tried to wait up."

"You shouldn't. You need to rest. In fact, you should be sleeping right now."

"I ate."

He grinned and pressed his cheek against her head, her soft hair tickling his skin. "I heard. Glad you held up your end of the bargain."

"Sorry for scaring you."

"You don't need to worry about me. You just need to rest and focus on getting better."

"But I do worry."

He both sighed and smiled, knowing the futility of trying not to worry and enjoying the knowledge that she cared about him.

"How about another compromise?" he offered. "You get some sleep and I won't worry while you rest?"

"I can't sleep. Not until I know this isn't going to make you change your mind."

Masen shifted just enough so that she could clearly see his face and see the promise in his eyes because for once he knew exactly what to say to make things right for her. "_This_, having you hurt, it _is_ scary. I admit that. But it's one moment, Bella. And it's not what I'm going to remember when I look back on this birthday. What I'm going to remember is you laughing while my family teased me, and your teasing comments when I was flat on my ass at the tidal pool … I'll picture the way your eyes lit up and your hands shook when I sang for you … I'll think of the warmth of your skin when you blushed from me kissing you in front of everyone. I'm going to remember _you_, kapu. Not this moment."

He had almost said the words, those three new ones he'd never thought he would say to anyone in that unique heartfelt way others seemed to experience so easily. Those words had been seconds away from tumbling off his tongue. But then Bella had hiccupped and his sole focus had become stopping her tears and calming her.

She quickly fell into an exhausted sleep and Masen found himself feeling glad for the interruption now that he thought back on it. Not because he didn't feel ready to say the words where she could actually hear them. It was because he wanted her to be fully awake so she would truly remember the moment, just as he would remember the highlights of having spent his birthday with her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen jerked awake, struggling to pinpoint what had startled him out from his nap. He checked Bella from head to toe in search of any sign of discomfort but came up empty. She was still sound asleep, lying on her back with her head craned toward him and her right hand clutching the bottom of his shirt. She looked better—healthier. Her cheeks had color in them and the visible pain lines around her eyes were mostly gone. A wave of relief swept through him, allowing him to finally see just how worried he'd been about her. And how much would still remain until she was up and on her feet.

It was while he was snuggling up to her again that he figured out what was different about her room—there was a young woman sitting in the chair beside the bed. She had short brunette hair that was a similar but slightly darker shade than Bella's.

The young woman smiled and as soon as she was sure he'd seen it, she turned her attention to Bella.

It was the smile that had clued him in to her identity; it was the same lurking sadness he'd seen behind Bella's fake smiles. "You're Alice."

The girl nodded.

"I'm—"

"Edward," she finished for him. "Bella sent pictures of her new friends. Though she seems to have failed to mention how close of a friendship she has with you."

"It's a new development," he said as he lifted up onto his elbow to make sure Bella was still sleeping.

"She hasn't woken at all," Alice informed him. "Not even when Uncle Carl and I hugged her when we first got here an hour ago."

Masen wasn't sure what to say to that and he definitely wasn't ready to think about her uncle seeing Bella for the first time sharing a bed with her mentor. "Bella will be happy to see you," he finally said.

"Not as much as you might think."

He felt like he should reassure the girl for Bella's sake. "Of course she'll be happy to see you. She's missed you a lot."

Alice looked directly at him; her lips were curled into a smile but the fire in her eyes made it clear she wasn't the least bit happy. "I'm surprised she had time to miss me with her being busy cuddling up to sharks and taking photos with them."

Masen blew out a breath while wondering which would piss this girl off more—his silence or his defense of Bella's actions. And technically it was Lee's actions because she'd been the one to tape the photos up above Bella's bed. _Bella's going to wake up to a mess with Alice_, he thought as he continued to hold her little sister's fiery gaze.

Whit chose that moment to come barreling into the room with his head down like a charging bull, his tell that he had reached the limit of his patience. "Mase, you've gotta do something with Lizzy. My toes are not—"

The sparkly pink flats had almost certainly caught his attention but it was the face of Alice Cullen that Whit stared at in wide-eyed wonder. Masen had never seen Whit act this way and he wondered if his friend was suffering from sleep deprivation.

"Whit, this is Alice. Bella's little sister," Masen introduced, hoping to break Whit from his stupor.

"It's you," Whit breathed.

Alice surveyed him from head to toe and then she began to smile. "What took you so long?"

Whit quickly ran a hand through his hair and then tried to smooth the wrinkles from his shirt and shorts, all while keeping his eyes firmly focused on Alice's face. Masen almost told him to try rubbing his stomach and patting his head at the same time—it would do him about as much good.

"This isn't how I pictured this," Whit finally answered.

"I suppose that's just as well since this isn't _when_ I expected it," she responded. "You've kept me waiting an awful long time."

"Do you two know each other?" Masen asked, his blue eyes switching from his best friend to Bella's sister.

Whit and Alice smiled at each other and answered together. "Yes."

Maybe Masen really did need a full night's sleep because as hard as he tried to figure out what the hell he was witnessing, he was still clueless. "Since when?"

"Since the first time she walked through my dreams," Whit answered as he continued to look only at Alice.

"Not quite," Alice said with a short, soft laugh. "You stumbled into mine first."

"Wait a minute," Masen said, trying to sit up and not jostle Bella at the same time. "_She's_ your dream girl? Bella's sister?"

"Edward?" Bella's sleepy call had his immediate and full attention.

Masen leaned over her and cupped her cheek with his large hand. "I'm right here, kapu."

She gave a sleepy smile while pressing her cheek against his hand. Her skin felt much cooler than the last time he'd touched it and he hoped it meant her fever had finally broken.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, hoping she would be hungry or at least thirsty.

"Tired. So tired and achy."

He was about to tell her to go back to sleep but from the corner of his eye he noticed Alice vibrating near the end of the bed. He remembered how anxious he'd been to hear Whit speak in the hospital and that made him change his mind.

"Kapu, your sister's here," he said softly so only Bella could hear him. "Think you're okay to sit up and talk with her for a minute?"

Bella's eyes popped open and she turned her head to search for her sister; he could tell the second she found her by the huge the smile that appeared on her face. "Alice."

Her sister practically jumped the distance to her and sat down so fast that Masen never had a chance to stop her. Thankfully she missed bumping Bella's leg—just barely.

_Damn girl moves like a hummingbird. Didn't even have a chance to stop her. Wonder what Whit will think of calling her Hummer_, Masen thought.

"Bella, I was so so so worried about you." Alice's fast way of speaking had Masen lifting his eyebrows at her. Between the speed of her mouth and the speed of her body, Hummer was seeming more appropriate by the second.

"Alice, switch sides with me," Masen told her as he stood.

"I'm fine right here." She seemed to be under the impression he was asking.

He walked around the bed and looked down at her, wanting to make sure she could clearly see he wasn't making a suggestion. "It's better for everyone if you sit on the other side."

Alice slowly rose to her feet, her eyes glued to his face and her expression every bit as serious and stubborn as his. "And if I don't want to move?"

"Children, play nice," Whit warned from his spot at the edge of Bella's bed.

Alice finally moved and went to sit on the other side—far away from Bella's injured leg—while he sat in the chair.

"How are you?" Alice asked, holding her sister's hand.

"I'm okay," Bella assured her. "My friends are all taking good care of me, especially Whit and Edward."

"How did this happen?"

"We were snorkeling and I startled a ray."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I know that part. I meant you being here with them and them," she demanded, pointing at Whit and Edward first and then the photos of the sharks.

Masen gave Alice a warning stare while saying, "I'm sure you have lots of questions and I know Bella will be happy to answer them all, but now isn't the time."

Alice's jaw dropped as if he'd slapped her. And then her face became pinched and red and she looked like she was ready to release one hell of a tirade on him.

Bella stopped her, though. She patted her sister's hand and smiled gently at her. "Sweetie, I promise we'll talk later. I'm just a little tired right now."

Alice responded with a terse nod to Bella and a side-eye glare to Masen.

_Little sister can be pissed all she wants so long as she's not stressing out Bella_, he thought as he held back his grin. No one—not even her family—was going to derail her progress on his watch.

Whit walked up behind Alice and smiled down at Bella. "Bella, I hate to interrupt, but I really need to check your vitals."

"Oh, okay. Alice, why don't you get Uncle Carl for me while Whit does his doctor duties?" Bella suggested.

"Why don't you send your friend?" she challenged, nodding toward Masen.

_Hummer's insane if she thinks I'm gonna be the one to leave this room_. He almost said those exact words—minus the nickname for now—but he decided to see what Bella would say since this was her sister.

"Please, Alice?" Bella's gentle plea was answered with a loud sigh and a terse nod, and finally the departure of her sister.

Bella held her arm out for Whit while setting her sights on Masen. "You need to be nice."

"I was very nice. I didn't push her off the bed after she almost sat on your injured leg."

"There was plenty of room between her butt and my leg."

"Not from what I saw."

Bella sighed and then softened her eyes, giving Masen an adorable yet infuriating visual for the term "doe-eyed". No matter what she said next, he knew he was going to agree to it just to get her to stop looking at him like that. She looked so damn sad and all he wanted to do was fix it for her.

"She's a scared kid, Edward. Can you please be nice to her? For me?"

He set his arms on the edge of the bed, leaning in to her. "I'm not trying to be mean. She just … She needs to be more careful is all."

Bella smiled sweetly at him and slipped her fingers through his hair, gently sliding her fingertips along his scalp. Having her touch him that way—it was damn hard not to close his eyes and get lost in the feeling. If this conversation wasn't about her health, he would have gladly given in to it. But it was so he held on tight to his focus.

"I'm glad you're watching over me." From the set of her lips he already knew there was a 'but' coming his way. "But I really am feeling better so please dial it down some."

"She's right, Mase," Whit stated with a grin. "Her blood pressure is back in normal range and her fever's broken. You can relax."

Masen shook his head. "She needs rest, bro. You know her fever will spike and her pressure will tank again if she doesn't rest."

"She'll rest, Mase. We'll all make sure of it. Now move so I can check her leg."

Masen glared at him but got up from the chair all the same.

Whit peeled back the bandage and carefully inspected Bella's injury. "It's scabbed over end to end with no sign of redness or infection. Bella is officially off the injured list and on the healing one."

"I think we should hold off on updating her status until after she eats."

"Hey, I ate last night," Bella defended.

Masen's lips curled in a smirk. "A few bites of toast is not eating."

"It's a form of it," Whit replied, giving Bella a wink. "Besides, she hasn't had breakfast yet so you can't pull that claim yet."

"So how about it, kapu? What do you want for breakfast?" Masen asked her. He wanted her to ask for a real breakfast and then be able to eat it all and keep it down. He truly did. But he also had a tiny little part of him that wasn't quite ready to let her leave this bed and have to share her with everyone else. That part wasn't anything to worry about, though. He knew he would do what was right for her. And now he knew why he felt that way … He would do it because he loved her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella didn't give a request for breakfast because her uncle came into the room with Alice and Esme right behind him. She honestly forgot all about it in her excitement to see her family and her desire to ease whatever worries they might have. She really did feel better this morning despite also wanting to go back to sleep.

"It certainly seems like you have the best care here," her uncle said, using his fingers to brush her hair back from her face. They'd both did their best to calm Alice and then she'd gone off to the kitchen with Whit to fix some food for Bella, though she doubted she'd be able to stay awake long enough to eat it.

"Sweetheart?"

"Sorry. Tired," she said, giving him a smile to hopefully reassure him. "I have the best care. It's a perk of having friends who are also a great team. They really know how to work together to take care of each other. And Whit knows his stuff. He's an excellent doctor."

His smile was that knowing one that had always made her feel like confessing, even if she hadn't done anything. "Edward seems … _attached_."

Bella grinned while toying with the fit of the word for him. Edward was still technically in the bed with her; he was sitting on the edge and facing Esme, the two of them talking too low for Bella to hear them.

She pulled her eyes away from them and looked at her uncle once more. "Uncle Carl, it wasn't anything expected and it's not his normal behavior. We just … we care for each other a lot. So much that we can't ignore it, but we are also being respectful of our careers and the internship."

"You plan to continue then?" he asked. He didn't seem surprised about it, just curious.

"Absolutely. When I tell you everything they've helped me do so far … It's so much more than I had hoped and I can't quit now. I won't."

He looked above her head, his eyes moving swiftly and taking in every detail of the photos taped there. And then he looked at his niece, smiling softly. "Then I support you."

Bella opened her mouth to thank him but a loud yawn came out instead.

"You need to rest, sweetheart." Her uncle tucked her blanket up to her chin and kissed her forehead gently. "We'll talk again after you've had a nap."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Bug. Sleep well." No sooner than he was standing, Esme was holding on to his arm and leading him out of the room while Edward was snuggling up to Bella.

"Bug?" Edward questioned once he was under her blanket with her.

Bella hummed and nodded while pulling herself closer to him. "I want to tell you but I'm so tired."

"Sleep, kapu. We've got plenty of time to talk later."

She was awake only long enough to feel his lips on her forehead, completely missing his promise to get the story of the nickname from her later.

When Bella woke again, she could tell from the light in the room that it was early afternoon. She was still tired but more than anything she wanted to wash away the carpet-feel of her tongue and the icky feeling from her entire body. She considered asking Alice to help with a shower but she knew her sister wouldn't be able to hold off on her questions alone in a room with her and Bella wasn't anywhere near ready to answer them.

_Lee would help_, Bella thought. _We're friends now and Edward will trust her_.

As if she knew Bella was thinking about her, Lee came into the room. "Hey, hope I didn't wake you," she said as she set a water bottle on the nightstand next to Bella. "I just wanted to change out your water for you."

"No, I was already awake. In fact, I was wondering if you would help me take a shower. I feel like there's a layer of filth over every inch of me."

Lee pressed the back of her hand to Bella's forehead. "Still feels like your fever is gone. If you think you can stand long enough for a shower, I can handle Masen."

"He's still worried?"

Lee chuckled. "Like a momma bear with an injured cub. But that's just his way of feeling in control in an uncontrollable situation."

She was about to confide her conversation with Whit to Lee when Alice came into the room. "You're finally awake."

Bella smiled at her sister. "For a little while anyway. Have you met Lee?"

"I've met everyone," Alice answered with a nod.

"Good. I hope you and Uncle Carl can stay for a few days and really get to know all of my friends."

"A few days?" Alice questioned. "It shouldn't take that long to pack your things," she continued. "You only have the trunk and one backpack."

"Pack?" Edward asked from the doorway. He had Lizzy in his arms and Bella figured he must have been out taking his puppy for a walk.

"No one's packing," Bella said firmly, looking only at Edward. "Alice just got a little ahead of herself."

"No, Alice did not," her sister declared, her face pinched and her arms crossed. "You're obviously delirious from your fever if you think you're staying here."

"She doesn't have a fever," Lee told her, crossing her own arms and taking on a guarded stance next to Bella.

It was wonderful to have Lee being protective of her but it also hurt to have Alice looking so angry and confused. Bella wasn't sure what to say to her sister to make this right.

"Everything okay?" Esme asked, entering the room with Carlisle right behind her.

"It's fine," Edward assured her. "Alice was just under the mistaken impression that Bella would be leaving."

Alice glared at him. "She _is_ leaving."

Uncle Carl gripped her shoulder and turned her to face him, taking both of her small hands into his. He spoke in his calmest voice, laced with a bit of authority. "Alice, this is your sister's choice and she has chosen to continue the internship. We must support her."

"No. No, no, _no_!" Alice declared, punctuating each word with a tap of her foot on the wood floor. "Absolutely not! She's coming home with us."

The worry in Edward's eyes had Bella feeling angry with her little sister for the first time in a long time. "Alice, I'm a grown woman and this is _my_ choice."

Alice shook her head and then spun around, grabbing the first thing she found, which ended up being one of Whit's medical books. She marched it over to Bella's trunk, dropped it right in, then spun around to make sure Bella had witnessed her act of defiance. "You aren't thinking clearly. Once you're home, safe in your own bed, you'll see how insane it sounds for you to stay here."

Bella folded her arms, making it clear she planned to be just as stubborn. "First of all, that's Whit's book you just tossed in there and I'm sure he'd like it back. Second of all, my thinking is clearer than it has been in years. For so long I have been afraid of what I love most … being out on the water. Every day that I've been here, I've conquered a little more of that fear and regained the joy in it. I'm _not_ leaving."

Alice's face turned bright red and her dark eyes narrowed into a steely glare. "Not until you've been killed. Not until you die the same way Daddy did."

Bella felt a sharp stabbing pain in her chest and suddenly found herself unable to breathe. It was sort of like one of her panic attacks, only she'd never had one so quickly or one that hurt so much.

And yet she was acutely aware of everything going on around her. She heard her uncle roar her sister's name and she saw him trying to usher her out while Whit pleaded with Alice to leave before she said something else she'd regret. Esme was doing her best to prod them all toward the doorway, urging them to talk in another room. Gopher, Lee, and Edward were surrounding Bella, each of them asking if she was alright and why she had her hands pressed to her chest.

"Bella, look at me," Edward ordered.

"Sister or not, I'm gonna beat her ass for this," Lee threatened.

"She's not breathing right. Maybe I should get Whit," Gopher suggested.

Bella struggled both with breathing and processing everything going on. She had expected her family to be worried but she'd never expected for Alice to lash out like that. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the moment when Alice finally started hating her for not swimming fast enough, for leaving their father in the water long enough to be attacked. Her breathing hitched once more and then the tears and sobs began pouring out of her.

"Bella, what can I do?" Even with her feeling so devastated she could hear the begging in Edward's voice.

Her hands weren't doing any good at stopping the pain in her chest so she wrapped them around his neck in hopes he could help stop the hurt. Edward held her tightly, rocking her and assuring her everything would be alright.

She hated this. She didn't want him to see this, to worry it was going to change her mind. Because it wasn't. As much as Alice's words had hurt her, as much as she loved her little sister, she belonged _here_. She had earned her spot on the team and her work here wasn't done yet. And also, she loved Edward. There was no way she could leave here before she knew for sure how he felt about her.

Bella forced herself to calm down, to lock down her hurt and her tears. She needed to be strong, to reassure Edward there was nothing to be worried about. She was not going to let this thing with Alice derail her relationship with him or set it back at all. She would talk to her and make her sister understand. And if she couldn't … Well she would just have to tackle that problem if it arose.

"I'm okay," she said, forcing a smile for Edward and ignoring her hurt as best she could. "She just caught me off guard. And with all the medication and the pain … I'm fine. Really."

Edward pressed a kiss to her forehead and then tucked her head under his chin. "You're not fine. You might want to be but I can see you're not. You don't have to pretend with me, Bella."

"I just don't want you to worry. I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, I know you aren't. I already told you, I'm not letting you go." He hugged her tighter to back up his words.

"Well you will for just a little while," she told him, once again looking up into his worried face. "I want a shower."

"Your leg _just_ scabbed over. I don't think a shower is a good idea."

"I'll cover it up and make sure it's waterproof on that one spot but I'm getting a shower."

"Bella."

"Lee's going to be with me and help me. Right, Lee?" Bella asked, looking over at her in hopes she would agree.

Lee smiled devilishly, always happy to prove to Edward that he wasn't always in charge. "Absolutely."

"Bella, really—"

Lee cut him off by yelling out loud enough for the entire house to hear. "Whit! Bella wants a shower. That cool with you?"

Whit's quick response was loud and clear. "Go for it."

"Doctor's approval," Bella said, forcing a grin for Edward's sake.

He actually looked defeated and it made her feel bad. She decided the best way to make it up to him was to grab hold of his face and kiss him as hard as she could handle, to prove that she really was alright.

He looked much more content when she let go of him and he actually let her get off the bed without too much of a fight. But he also followed Lee and her all the way to the bathroom door.

"You make sure she's careful," he ordered Lee for the sixth or seventh time.

She chuckled at him. "Unclench your sweet cheeks, Mase. I've got your girl." She shut the door on him and locked it for good measure before turning to face Bella. "Before we do anything in here, level with me. How are you?"

"My legs feel a little rubbery but I think that's just because I've been in bed so long."

"That's not what I was asking."

"I know but I can't think about that right now. Just please believe me when I say I'm not going anywhere. I want to be here, whether my sister understands or not."

"I'll do what I can to help you make her understand. We all will. First though, let's get you cleaned up. Oh and nice job on forcing Mase into a shower last night. Whit told me all about it."

Bella grinned without having to force it this time. "He did smell a lot better after."

Lee chuckled. "Come on, Guppy. Let's get you smelling better too."

Bella grabbed her arm and stared into her eyes, wanting her to believe completely what she said next. "I don't want to hurt him or worry him with this. I want him to feel sure that I'm staying."

"If he had any concerns, he wouldn't still be in control-mode over you. He'd be trying to shut down and I'd be kicking his ass for it."

"Thank you."

Lee shrugged. "We're a team. We look out for each other."

"So when does my shirt arrive?" Bella hedged with a grin.

Lee laughed. "Let's get your leg waterproof so you can hop in the shower. Then we'll discuss your shirt."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

The bathroom door finally opened and Lee poked her head out of it. Masen was on his feet and halfway there before she even got the first word out.

"She's wiped out and I didn't want to risk her falling," Lee said as she opened the door further.

Bella sat on the edge of the tub looking down at her feet with her hands resting on her lap. He thought for a second she might have already fallen asleep but then she lifted her head and gave him a weak smile. All the color was gone from her cheeks and she didn't fight at all when he lifted her up and carried her out of the bathroom.

"Thank you," Bella said as he set her down on her bed.

Masen tried to keep his frustration out of his voice. "I'm going to kick your doctor's ass. I knew it was too soon for you to be moving around so much."

"I'm fine. And really, it's my fault. I should have eaten first."

He finished tucking her blanket around her and then sat down beside her. "Is that really all it is?"

She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against his chest.

He wrapped a hand around her damp hair, noting the way it curled at the edges, and then moved it aside so he could kiss the back of her neck. "What can I do?"

"Just be with me."

"I'm here, kapu."

Masen felt the bed shift and looked up to see Lizzy at the edge of the bed, crawling toward them on her stomach. She knew she wasn't supposed to be up here and that was why she was trying to be cute with the crawling thing.

"Lizzy, living room," he ordered.

"No, I want her to stay." Bella let go of him and grabbed the puppy, cuddling her to her chest and accepting a lick to the cheek. "I bet she's missed you."

Masen reached out and scratched behind Lizzy's ear, getting a happy growl from her. "I've missed her too. But you come first right now. Besides, I took her for a walk earlier."

"Maybe tomorrow we can walk her together?"

He frowned, wondering how she could possibly think she could handle a walk in the sand if she could barely handle standing in a shower. "Doubtful."

"Can we at least go out on the patio later? I'd like to see some sunshine."

"Maybe. If you eat. Whit put a plate of food in the oven for you. Want me to grab it?"

"Yeah. And some of the grape Gatorade I had last night?"

"I'll get it," Lee called from the doorway. He hadn't realized she'd stayed. Even without her worried expression he'd know something was up just from her offering to grab the food instead of trying to make him go get it. Whatever had happened in that bathroom, it wasn't just a shower.

Masen put his curled finger under Bella's chin and lifted until he could see her eyes. "Talk to me please. I promise I'm not going to say anything to your sister. I just want to help you feel better."

"I don't want you to form an opinion of her based on this. She's really not bad at all."

"My opinion of her is going to be a hell of a lot worse if you don't talk to me."

She sighed and took hold of his hand, gripping his fingers hard. "I get it. I do. I'm on the other side of the world and I get hurt. I get where that's scary for her." She lifted her eyes, letting him see the pain she felt. "But I was alright when I woke up this afternoon. I honestly felt so much better. That should have eased her fears. So why did she say that? Does she finally hate me?"

"No," he said sternly. "Don't even think that. What she said, she said because she was freaking out. It's not you being sick right now that has her acting like that." He tilted his chin up toward the pictures. "It's those photos above your bed."

"But … She's never shown any fear the way I do. She'll watch shark movies and not even bat an eyelash. She even owns that stupid _Deep Blue Sea_ movie about the sharks with the altered brains."

"Everyone deals with fear in a different way, Bella. Whit and I went right back to surfing, determined not to show any weakness. Maybe that's what those movies are for Alice. Maybe that's her way of not letting the fear get to her. And maybe it's worked up until now. Until she saw you with your hand on a shark."

"What if she doesn't let me explain? What if she won't listen to how it was a safe and controlled environment?"

He shrugged. "Then it'll be her loss. She'll never get to know how brave and determined her sister is and that'll be a shame."

Bella shook her head. "No. It can't end like this. Not after everything we've been through."

"Sorry to interrupt," Lee said as she came in with a tray of food and drinks. "He made enough for you too, Mase. Want me to pull the door so no one interrupts?"

"Yeah, that'd be good," Masen replied, helping her to settle the tray on the bed.

"Thanks, Lee," Bella said, managing a small smile for her.

Lee smiled back. "Try to eat and not worry. I'm sure you'll work things out with your sister once she calms down."

Bella nodded while wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand. "I hope so."

Masen waited until Lee was gone and the door was closed to speak. "What if I ask Esme to step in? She's great at moderating shit between me and Whit and Lee. I bet she could get Alice to understand."

"I appreciate that. But she's my sister. I should be the one to talk to her."

He hated seeing Bella look so sad and in his urge to fix it he made a stupid joke that he immediately regretted. "I could always tie her up and hang her upside down from the winch base on Galeos until she agrees to listen."

She glared at him. "Oh I'm sure that would have her feeling really agreeable. Is that something you think of doing to me whenever I disagree with you?"

He knew he was already in trouble so he figured he might as well go all in. He pulled out his shitty grin and said, "Tying you up sure, but not to the boat."

She flicked him in the forehead hard enough to sting her hand and his head—but she was also fighting a smile. "I'm going to eat now. You should probably eat too to keep from saying anything else stupid."

Masen managed to keep his own grin under wraps while handing her one of the plates. "Gopher's iPad is still in here. Want to watch some _Jeopardy_ while we eat?"

"First to answer gets a point?"

"You want to keep score?"

She smiled for real this time. "Unless you're afraid of losing to me."

"Kapu, I'm already lost to you." He kissed her cheek quickly and then jumped up to setup the iPad—and to give himself a moment to deal with how close he'd just come to admitting his true feelings. He wanted to. Badly. But now wasn't the time. Not when she was hurting over her sister. Even with his lack of people skills he knew better.

For the next hour, they ate, drank, and yelled out questions. For sixty minutes he gave her a reprieve from the shitstorm with her sister. The fact that it actually seemed to help made it easy for him to handle losing to her despite her win coming from a ridiculous question that hardly any man on Earth could have answered in his opinion.

The Category had been In Between and the answer had been "In the Twilight Saga, this book was written in between _Twilight_ and _Eclipse_." With no hesitation, Bella had called out, "What is _New Moon_?"

He'd never heard of the books or the author. But Bella had. Even worse was finding out Lee had introduced her to the series. Not only was he going to get razzed for losing to her at his favorite game show, he was pretty damn sure Lee would find a way to force the entire team to read the books.

_Still … Seeing Bella smile for even a little while … Mostly worth it_, he thought as he leaned in and kissed the side of her neck.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Which kind of loser are you?" Bella asked as Edward moved the tray with their empty dishes to the floor. Now that she'd had time to calm down and eat, she had a lot more energy.

"Are you never playing with me again? Or will you become super competitive?" she questioned.

He flashed a cocky smirk while stretching out beside her. "I have plenty of plans for playing with you."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, with very pink cheeks and a different kind of knot settling low in her stomach.

"As far as Jeopardy is concerned, there will absolutely be a rematch."

She studied his eyes and his smile for a moment. "You think it was a lucky win," she accused. "Admit it."

"Yeah? So?"

"That's just …" While she was floundering for the right adjective, he was smiling away and brushing soft kisses along her arm.

When he reached her shoulder, his smile widened. "You were saying?"

A knock on the door interrupted which was just as well since she had lost the ability to think. She could technically blame it on the headache that had yet to go away but she knew the truth would be in her pink cheeks.

The door opened and her uncle poked his head in. "Bella, sweetheart, is it alright if I come in?"

"Absolutely," she answered with a smile for him.

Edward immediately got up but her uncle waved him off. "Stay, Edward. There's a perfectly fine chair right here."

For once, Edward was the one with the pink cheeks. "I just thought you might like some privacy."

Uncle Carl grinned. "So it's not to make sure I don't sit near my niece's injured leg?"

Bella let out a groan. "What did Alice tell you?"

Her uncle chuckled. "Just that Edward was very persistent in his mission to take care of you."

Edward remained silent, scratching at the bridge of his nose.

_Ha_, Bella thought. _It is his nervous tell! Busted!_

"So, Edward, are you staying or going?" Uncle Carl asked.

"Whatever Bella wants." His blue eyes never left her face while he waited for her answer.

She smiled and patted the bed. "Might as well stay. He'll get me to tell him everything later anyway."

Edward snorted while Uncle Carl chuckled.

"So seriously, what did Alice say?" Bella asked, turning her attention to her uncle.

"First, tell me who this little one is curled up in your lap," he said, running his hand along Lizzy's back.

"This is Edward's puppy." Bella lifted the puppy's paw and waved it gently. "Lizzy, this is Uncle Carl."

Lizzy gave his hand a lick and yipped once, then curled right back up into her spot in Bella's lap.

Her uncle grinned and gave her a knowing look. "Another admirer of my niece then."

"Yes, I'm all kinds of popular. Now what about Alice?" She didn't mean to short with him—she just couldn't take not knowing how her sister was doing. They so rarely fought and for it to be over something that meant so much to Bella … She just didn't have the patience to wait any longer.

Carlisle sighed as he put his hand on her knee. "Alice is very upset. She doesn't understand your choice to come here initially or to stay now. But she's also not ready to listen to anything anyone has to say."

Bella nodded as she tugged at the corner of the blanket covering her legs. "She's so stubborn. If she'd just let me explain, she'd see I have to be here."

"She's the pot to your kettle," Edward joked.

"Shut it," Bella replied, elbowing him in the side while trying not to smile. It was remarkable that he was able to make her want to with as worried as she was about her sister.

"Alice just needs time to calm down," Uncle Carl assured Bella with a gentle pat to her hand. "Once she's had time to think about her behavior, she'll be ready to apologize."

Bella nodded, hoping he was right. "Well until then, you should be with her. I don't want her alone on top of being upset."

His lips twitched but he didn't say anything.

It was Edward who spoke up. "Pretty sure Whit's got that covered."

"Yes, your friend certainly seems to have taken an interest in my niece. If not for Bella being sick, I'm sure he'd be coming along on the trip to town we'll be taking shortly." Carlisle turned his attention to Bella and continued, "Esme suggested Alice and I accompany her on a grocery shopping run. She thought it might do your sister some good to get some fresh air."

"Whit can go if he wants," Bella replied. "I'm feeling fine. And I want Alice to become friends with my friends. Besides, I'll have Lee and Gopher and Edward here with me."

"Define that _fine_," Edward challenged.

"Fine. Okay," she answered, turning her head to look at him. "As in able to be without his medical supervision for a couple hours."

"Fever still broken?"

"Yep."

"Stomach still queasy?"

"Only a little. You saw me eat half of the plate of food he made. _And_ it's staying down."

"Headache all gone?"

Bella didn't respond.

Edward smirked while repeating his question.

"Well, no, but—"

"Then you still need medical supervision."

"Medication, yes. Medical supervision, not so much," Bella argued.

"Then it's settled," Uncle Carl said, giving Bella a wink. "I'll let Whit know he has his patient's permission to travel with us."

Bella chuckled at the gesture and then snuck a glance at Edward, finding him pouting. She swallowed down her laughter and said to her uncle, "Tell him to bring back plums to appease his best friend."

Her uncle smiled and then got up and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Bug."

"I love you, Uncle Carl."

He reached over and shook hands with Edward. "Edward, make sure she doesn't overdo it. She still has mending to do according to Whit."

"I'll keep a close eye on her," he promised. Now that he'd basically been given permission to boss her around by her own uncle, Edward was all smiles.

As soon as her uncle was out of hearing range, Bella shifted to face Edward. "What's going on with Whit and my sister?"

He shrugged but she saw the sparkle in his blue eyes.

"Edward, tell me."

"It's not my story to tell."

"There's a whole story? How? She hasn't been here that long."

He chuckled and shrugged.

"You _have_ to tell me. What do you know?"

"The only things I _have_ to do are breathe, eat and drink so I can live." After a short pause he added, "And respect my mom because Esme would kill me quick if I didn't."

"Alice is _my_ sister. I should know what you know."

He scratched at the bridge of his nose for a few seconds and then sighed and looked at her. "Does your sister have vivid dreams sometimes?"

"Yes, actually. She dreamed I would get promoted to the dolphin exhibit two months before it happened. I'd thought she was nuts at the time because all the positions were filled and there was a hiring freeze. But then a couple staff changes happened and I was in."

"Whit sometimes _knows_ when things are going to come along. Not often and usually not anything big, but he knows sometimes. He knew he was going to be meeting a woman but he had no idea it would be your sister."

"Whit thinks he was destined to meet my sister?"

"You'll have to ask him. And really, he'll explain it better than me anyway. Besides, there are a couple things I don't know. Like how he didn't realize from the picture of her on your dresser."

"Oh that's easy…He wouldn't. He's never really been in my room on Galeos. I think there was one day he was there but it wasn't for long at all."

"Talk about rough luck," Edward said with a chuckle. "He's seen her now for damn sure."

"Enough that my uncle has noticed."

"Your uncle seems like a stand-up guy."

"You only say that because he basically gave you permission to boss me around. But you are not my boss when we're not working."

Edward's smile turned into a cocky smirk. "I may not always be the boss, but I'm always in charge." And to make sure she couldn't argue, he gave her a slow, sensual kiss that made her toes tingle and her face flush. It also served as an effective end to their conversation for now.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

_It all comes back to perspective_. And Whit's thoughts had come back to that conclusion multiple times throughout the very strange dinner he was having with Esme, Carlisle, and Alice. Esme and Carlisle were chattering away like old friends while Alice poked at her food and avoided eye contact with everyone, including him.

_If I look at my life from the viewpoint of all the things that have gone wrong, then I'm one unlucky fucker. But if I look at it from a big picture stance, if I take into account my family and my friends who mean just as much to me, then I am one of the luckiest bastards to walk this earth. And as strange and strained as this situation is, Alice is here. Whether her arrival comes with complications or not, my dream girl is finally here. What I have to do is simple in theory and I mainly just need to figure out how to effect the necessary change—I have to fix Alice's relationship with Bella so that Alice can begin one with me._

"Whit, sweetheart, you're awfully quiet on that end of the table. Is our conversation _that_ boring?" Esme had that look in her eyes that always made him think she knew everything he was thinking. His own mom couldn't pull that look with him but Esme had been doing it from the very first time Masen had taken him to their home.

"Of course not," he answered, smiling to show her he was okay. "You just seemed to have the conversation well at hand and I didn't want to risk interrupting your unique train of thought."

Esme looked to Carlisle and grinned. "That's his nice way of telling me to shut the hell up because I'm boring." Her comment had Carlisle laughing and even got Alice to crack a small smile.

"Actually, I was trying to guess what form of punishment your boy will have waiting for me for leaving our patient," Whit told Esme.

"I wouldn't worry too much." Carlisle's grin looked very similar to the one Esme pulled out when she meddled with Masen without him realizing. "He seemed pleased with the idea of watching over my niece while you were out."

Esme snorted so hard she made herself cough. "You gave my kid permission to boss your girl? Oh, Carlisle, you have no idea what evil you've wrought."

Alice's head popped up and she stared questioningly at Esme.

"Oh, no, sweetheart, I didn't mean anything by that," Esme assured her, giving her hand a pat. "Edward would never do anything to harm your sister. He's used to being in charge so much from our work, that's all. In fact, I'm pretty sure Bella could get him to agree to just about anything right now since he's afraid to argue with her and risk tiring her out."

"Think we should text her and let her know she momentarily has the upper hand?" Whit asked, already pulling his phone out.

"No, let's leave her to rest," Esme instructed. "Besides, from what I've seen so far, she's quite capable of gaining the upper hand all on her own."

"I just wish it wasn't _his_ hand."

Whit was pretty sure he had been the only one to hear Alice's remark. It was surreal to feel torn between a girl he'd technically just met and his best friend. He very much wanted things to work out with Alice but as they stood right now, if he was forced to choose, it wouldn't be her. And not just because Masen had stood by him through a lot. It was because Alice was wrong and Masen really, truly loved Bella.

_So much I want to ask Alice but it doesn't feel like it's the right time. And then there's Bella. She's my friend and I do feel a certain guilt for being here right now with her sister instead of being home making sure she's okay physically and mentally. It had to rip her heart up to hear Alice talking to her that way. But again, I am here partly to figure out how to get Alice to see her errors and apologize for them so I shouldn't really feel guilty._

"Whit, can I ask you a question?"

He lifted his head and smiled at Alice as he answered, "Anything, anytime."

"Were you with my sister when she was posing for pictures with that shark?"

As much as he knew it would hurt her, he could only give her the truth. "Yes, I was. I took the photo."

"Why?"

"Why did I take the photo? Or why do I do what I do?"

"I think … Yes, both, please."

"I took the photo because that moment was a major accomplishment for your sister both personally and professionally. And I took it because like me, she sometimes needs physical reminders of her abilities. As far as my part in MMR … There's really no one answer. I do it because being in the ocean is a part of me. I do it because it needs to be done. I do it because Masen relies on me to be his right hand and because I'm damn good at it. But I think more than anything I do it simply because I can. It's an option that's open to me that not everyone has, that I myself almost didn't have. I had every intention of becoming a nurse at one of the hospitals in Hawaii."

"Why a nurse and not a doctor?"

"Nurses help more people." He'd answered this question a lot over the years—except with Bella because she'd guessed right on the first try.

Alice was quiet for a minute and then stiffly nodded her head as if she'd come to some decision with herself.

"Care to share?" he asked.

She smiled while tucking a strand of hair behind each ear, allowing the light to really hit her face and make her brown eyes shine. "When I realized it was you, I was afraid for the first time. I've loved having you in my dreams and I've been excited to get to meet you. But then there you were and all I could think was sometimes dreams are incapable of becoming reality. Hearing you talk just now … You're better than the dream."

_Better than the dream? Fuck yeah! Wait 'til Mase hears this! Oh, but I really gotta fix things between him and her. And that might start with actually talking to her and not myself._ Whit focused his attention on Alice. "I'm honored you feel that way. I hope that means you'll trust anything I say to you is as much for your benefit as it is for everyone else."

"I will give it my best try," she promised.

"Whisper, whisper, whisper," Esme said, leaning across the table toward Whit. "That's all I'm hearing over here. Speak up for the rest of the class to hear."

"Alice was just asking about my career choice," Whit said, giving Esme a wink to let her know he'd confess all later.

"Whit, I want to thank you again for all you've done for Bella," Carlisle stated. "I was not expecting her to look as healthy as she did when we arrived. And your work on her leg, keeping her from having stitches … Truly, I owe you."

"No, you don't," Whit replied immediately and sincerely. "Bella's part of our family now and we always look out for each other."

"It's true," Esme agreed with a nod. "No matter what, my misfits band together to help each other."

"Why do you call them misfits? Are they prone to getting into trouble?" Alice asked.

"No more trouble than any other young adults their age. It's just something I started calling them long ago. Originally, it was just Edward and Whit. Then Lee joined us in college and Gopher arrived just before we set sail on our first research expedition. And as you know, Bella became part of the band this summer."

"There's always room for more," Whit mentioned, watching Alice's face closely for her reaction. "We've learned a lot already from having Bella aboard so having another fresh mind around would double that."

Alice vehemently shook her head, releasing her hair from behind her ears. "No. Never. Not me. And hopefully not my sister for too much longer."

_Well that was an epic fucking fail_, Whit thought as he let out a sigh. _But this is far from over. If I can nudge Masen into realizing his future has been standing right in front of him, I can get Alice to agree to stick around. I'll just need a little help to get the job done and I know just the man to turn to._

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:**

Sorry it took a little longer to get this chapter out, everyone! Real life has been enjoying getting in the way too much! We hope you all enjoy!

Shout out to tds88 for the Charmin Ultra line Gopher says to Masen! I know it took us a while to use it but we wanted a really good spot for it. Hope you liked where it ended up.


	25. 25 For Love & Tacos

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 25 – For Love & Tacos**

**Monday, June 23rd**

The sounds of sea birds and waves woke Bella and she smiled as she stretched in the sunlight. The ache in her leg was so much better, her head didn't feel as heavy, and her stomach didn't feel twisted in knots like before. She must have been looking pretty good too because Edward wasn't in bed watching over her.

After taking some time to test her weight on her leg and make sure she was steady, Bella limped across her room and into her doorway.

"Guppy, do you have your nurse's permission to be doing that?" Gopher called out.

She looked up to find him in the kitchen with Lee. "I'm okay. I promise." She wasn't about to take his bait and say anything to the "nurse" comment after all the teasing Gopher had done about Edward wearing scrubs.

"Let her alone." Lee smiled at Bella and lifted her chin toward the sliding glass door. "If you're looking for Masen, he should be down on the beach. Lizzy forced him to take her for a walk."

"Thanks," Bella said with a laugh, tickled that such a stubborn take-charge guy could be subdued by his puppy.

She looked toward the patio door, trying to gauge the distance and her ability to limp it without falling over. She probably could have managed just fine but Esme happened to hop off the sofa at that moment and offer to help her out.

"How is he this morning?" Bella asked as she lowered herself into a patio chair.

Esme sat on the arm. "He's better. Less stressed. He actually didn't put up too much of a fuss when Lizzy whined for him to take her out instead of me."

"That's good. Hey, thank you for making room for my uncle and sister to stay here."

"Of course, sweetheart. Your family is our family. Plus your uncle is an absolute doll."

"Esme, are you crushing on my uncle?"

"Breakfast!" Esme's cheery cry had Bella lifting her eyebrows. It also had her wondering if the woman's cheeks were a slightly darker shade than they'd been just seconds before.

_Esme not cracking a joke and changing the subject … Interesting_, Bella mused. She had only meant to tease Esme but now it seemed there might be some truth there.

"You should have breakfast while you wait for Edward," Esme continued. "We have some fruit and bagels with cream cheese."

Bella swallowed down her laughter to answer her. "Sure, I'd love a bagel. And if we have any grape Gatorade left."

"We've got plenty. I'll be right back."

Bella laughed under her breath at Esme's quick exit. She then relaxed into her chair and closed her eyes, humming in contentment to be out in the sun—even if it was just on the patio. A pang of guilt hit her, making her wonder what adventures they were all missing out on because she was sick, because she'd been too absorbed with following that fish to pay full attention to her surroundings. She'd been so worried about sharks that she'd forgotten all the other dangers in open water.

That was one of her main reasons for needing to see this internship through—she would never be able to hold her focus if she continued to be this freaked out by sharks. She should absolutely be cautious and wary but she shouldn't be worried to the point that she didn't notice her immediate surroundings. She should have seen that ray. She knew they loved hiding in the sand to camouflage their bodies, just as she knew they didn't like being startled. She was damn lucky she hadn't been bending over or she might have been hit in the face.

"Gimme my ball."

Bella smiled, picturing Lizzy running hard with a tennis ball wedged in her mouth and Edward pretending to chase her. She'd seen them playing this game at Buffel's Beach that first day.

Lizzy's growl reached her ears and it was followed right after by Edward's laugh. "You're not getting away. I've got you."

The next sound was Edward groaning. "Lizzy, come on. Not the face."

Bella covered her mouth and nose with her hands to quiet her giggle.

"What am I gonna do with you? Huh?" He must have gotten a lick to an acceptable body part because he was back to being soft and sweet with her. "My best girl. Coolest puppy ever to strut around the world."

Lizzy gave a couple of yips in response and then Edward told her, "I love you."

Bella had to bite the inside of her cheek to hold onto the "awe" that wanted to come out, knowing it would embarrass Edward even though he had absolutely no reason to feel that way in her opinion. She thought it was great that he loved his pet so much, that he treated her like a valued member of his family.

"What is it about those words, Lizzy? How come I can say them to you and mean them and that's it. No worrying about if it's the right time to say it or if you'll like knowing it or if you'll feel the same."

Bella squirmed in her seat, feeling uncomfortable about listening in now that the subject had taken such a private turn. She was halfway out of the chair and would have gone inside to respect his privacy but then she heard her name.

"Why can't it be that way with Bella? Why does it feel like I'm forcing it with her when I'm not. It _is_ how I feel about her and I want to her to know."

_He loves me? Edward loves _me_? I didn't … How is that possible? I mean, not how, how because that I get but … _A slow smile spread across her face as she said the words in her head as a statement of fact and not a question._ He loves me._

Edward started speaking again and Bella craned her neck, not wanting to miss a single word. "The first couple times it just wasn't right with her being so sick and then her bratty little sister upsetting her. But then last night when we were on the sofa together I really wanted to tell her. I just couldn't get the damn words to come out."

_Little liar! I knew he had something on his mind last night. Then again it's not like I've been in an all-fire hurry to tell him. But in my defense he was freaked out just by the fact that he liked me so I seriously doubted he wanted to know just how deeply I care about him._

"There really needs to be a chart for shit like this. If Woman is Type A, then follow Guide 1. If Woman is Type B, then follow Guide 2." His sigh was followed by a long pause. "I don't know … I'd ask Whit but he's so damn distracted with Alice ... What do you think, Lizzy? Should I just keep waiting? Or should I go talk to Esme about it?"

"Sweetheart, I forgot to ask what type of cream cheese you like," Esme said as she walked out onto the patio with a tray. "I brought regular and honey-nut just in case."

Bella tried not to look guilty but she could feel the heat in her cheeks.

"Everything alright?" Esme questioned.

Bella nodded and reached for the glass of Gatorade. "Just great!" she said with a smile, hoping Esme would believe her. "Thank you so much for putting this together for me."

"No trouble at all. I'll leave a crack in the patio door and you can just yell if you need anything."

"Or I can just get it for her." Edward was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and what appeared to be a barely refrained smile.

Bella was pretty sure he was going to try and say she shouldn't be outside yet and she also knew she would tell him where to stick that idea. As long as she was honestly feeling better she planned to stay out of her bed.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked her while smiling at Esme as she passed him and patted his arm.

Bella pointed her very threatening butter knife at him. "As far as I know, I'm not contagious and quarantined to my room. Besides, it was all fine and well for me to be out of my room last night when you wanted to watch that movie with Lee and Gopher."

"It was supervised release," he said, grabbing a couple strawberries from her bowl and taking the seat beside her.

"Asshat."

He snorted. "You've been spending too much time with Lee and Whit."

"Right. It has _nothing_ to do with your overprotective behavior."

"I knew you'd see things my way." He showed off his shitty grin for a few seconds and then he leaned in and kissed her softly. "Morning, kapu."

"You know, you make it very hard to stay mad at you when you do things like that."

"Can't be helped. I was born this irresistible."

Bella laughed and rolled her eyes. "You are a mess, Edward Masen."

He completely invaded her personal space but it didn't come with a kiss, just a comment that turned her cheeks pink and made her heart beat a little faster. "Then clean me up."

_Yep. A big giant mess_, she thought as she shook her head at him and his smirk. She was absolutely going to have to talk with him about what she'd overheard but it didn't have to be right this second, not when he finally seemed to be relaxing. Soon, though.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Stop it," Bella ordered.

"Stop what?" Masen knew exactly what she was referring to but he thought if he pretended otherwise she might let it go.

"You know what."

"I'm just sitting here with you."

"I can see your reflection in the glass of the patio door."

"Alright, I'll stop." He'd stop glaring at Alice but he damn sure wouldn't stop being pissed at her for being such a brat to Bella. She was acting like she had an actual reason to be angry and was still ignoring her sister despite Bella's repeated attempts to talk to her, including twice just this morning. The damn girl had only been here for twenty-six hours and all she'd done as far as he could tell was wreak havoc.

"Come on, Edward. Please? I just want some sunshine and relaxation with you."

"And I want your sister to get her shit together and let you explain."

Bella snorted. "Tell me how you really feel."

"Alright … She's being a brat."

Bella sat up and turned sideways on his lap to see his face. "Maybe she is, but can you honestly say she doesn't have a right to be? She had no idea what I was really doing here and she had to find out from a photo because I was too sick to tell her. And let's not forget that she also has been dealing with a certain overprotective shark researcher she doesn't know at all giving her orders."

While everything she had said was true it didn't make it any easier for him to stomach her unhappiness. "I'm just trying to take care of you."

She must have seen in his face how miserable he felt because her annoyed expression melted away and she gave him a tender kiss. "I'm not being very fair to you, am I? It's not like this situation isn't new to you too."

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it," he promised.

"I wish I could. I wish I could give you a book to read or a website to review, that you could research it the way you do a new territory before you move into it. But, Edward, personal relationships don't work that way. I know this whole situation has you feeling out of your element but I also know you're capable of anything you set your mind to. You have to work on relating to people on a personal level rather than you giving out orders and expecting them to be followed."

He nodded, knowing she was right but not feeling any closer to understanding how to do what she was asking. The only comment to come to mind was a smart-ass one. "If you all just came with guides, this would be a lot easier."

She smiled while running her thumb along his earlobe, doing a damn good job of driving him to distraction without even realizing it. "For someone who swears he likes challenges, you seem to be trying pretty hard to get away from this one."

"I'm not going anywhere, kapu."

She studied him for what felt like a long time and as hard as he tried to read her expression, he couldn't figure out where her head might be at.

"I think maybe we should talk."

He couldn't help snorting. "I thought that's what we were doing. Exchanging words and ideas. That generally qualifies as talking."

Her expression remained unreadable. "I just … I need you to listen and not freak out."

"Come on," he said, rolling his eyes. "When have you ever seen _me_ freak out?"

She started lifting fingers as she listed locations of instances. "The bar. Your project room. The de—"

"Lies, all lies," he joked as he covered her lips with his hand.

Bella moved his hand so it was pressed against her heart. Her eyes searched his for a moment and then she very clearly said the three words that had been filling his head for days. "I love you."

He jerked in his seat from a combination of shock and worry; it didn't seem possible she would so easily express what he'd been struggling with for days.

"Please don't freak out," she begged, rubbing at his ear again with her thumb. "I know this is a big deal for you and I hope you realize that it is for me too. It's not something I say to just anyone and I would never say it unless I felt that way one hundred percent."

For the first time in a long time, Masen's mind was completely blank. He felt that he should say something, and that he should know _what_ to say, but he could only stare at her in wonder.

"I love you, Edward, and I just wanted you to know it."

_She loves me. Bella loves me. Esme said but I … Holy shit! She loves me._ He cradled her precious face in his hands and kissed her tender lips, trying to show her he felt the same even if he couldn't say it as easily.

Then he looked at her, really looked—he saw the love and light in her caramel eyes, the happiness in her smile, and felt the strength in her hands holding tight to his wrists. She not only loved him, she didn't want to let go either.

He was gripped with the sudden need to have her hear those words and he decided to try using Hawaiian first and then English. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe. I love you, kapu."

Tears slipped from her eyes and she sniffled as she said, "Now was that really so hard?"

Laughter shot out of him and he just had to hug her and hold tight to her. "I love you and I promise I'm going to try harder with your sister. And you. And people," he promised, his voice rising with his excitement.

"Edward." It was a strange mixture of a sigh and a laugh. "I'll help you. Whenever your skills are lacking, I'll pull you aside and explain how and why so you're aware of it. The more you know what you're trying not to do, the better you'll be at avoiding it."

"That's a lot of trouble for you to go through. You sure you want to do it?"

"Yes." Such a simple answer, but also full of honesty.

He smiled while toying with a lock of her hair, feeling luckier than he could ever remember. "You're pretty amazing."

"Thank you," she said and let out a short giggle.

"Don't you have something to say to me?"

"I just did. I thanked you."

"You know, I'm starting to see where Alice gets the brat in her from."

Bella laughed fully and playfully slapped his chest. "Esme would disapprove of you fishing for a compliment this way."

"Probably," he agreed with a nod. He took a few minutes to just hold her and revel in the knowledge that she felt the same as he did, and that she was willing to accept him as he was—mostly. "So this whole trying with people … Where do you suggest I start?"

"No more glaring at Alice for starters."

"Done. I will keep my annoyance private."

She let out a heavy sigh but then laughed right after so he didn't feel too worried. He felt even better after hearing her smart-ass comment. "Some messes can be cleaned with a mop and some require complete demolition. And then there's Edward Masen."

He smiled and hugged her tighter, amazed to have stumbled upon this fascinating woman and to have her as his own. All those times Esme had told him it would someday happen for him, he'd never believed it. He'd thought both her and Elizabeth were crazy to think there'd be someone willing to deal with him twenty-four seven. And to have it end up being a woman afraid of sharks—yeah, his life was definitely stranger than the fiction he typically read. _Except for those Stephen King books because that guy's monsters are in his brain instead of his closet._ He shook off that thought and focused once more on the woman in his arms. There had to be something he could do to fix things for her with Alice and he needed to figure it out quick.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

"I cannot believe her," Alice growled, staring hard through the glass patio door. She had her arms crossed over her chest, gripping herself hard enough to mark her skin. Her foot had yet to quit tapping against the floor. She felt like a kettle about to boil over and erupt—and it was all that Masen guy's fault. He had done something, found some kind of way to make Bella believe she needed to stay here with these crazy shark-loving people.

Except for Whit. She'd never expected to meet the man in her dreams, assuming he was a manifestation of her wish list of desirable boyfriend qualities. But he was real and he was here sitting beside her. He seemed exactly as he had in her dreams—calm and safe, with a big heart. But even that caused her confusion because how could he be the man from her dreams and be that Masen guy's best friend? That guy was nothing but a controlling jerk. And a brainwasher too.

"How can you expect to believe Bella when you still haven't spoken to her?" Whit asked.

Alice chose to rant rather than answer his question. "She's acting like she's known him for months instead of weeks. Laughing with him out there like this is all so normal."

Whit lifted an eyebrow at her. "How is that any different from the two of us having dreamt of each other for months, and only just now meeting?"

She rolled her eyes, wondering how he could possibly think their unique relationship in any way compared to what was going on between Bella and that Masen guy. "You're not changing me."

"You didn't come here for a change. But your sister did. I know she hid it and you couldn't see how unhappy she was before. Looking at her right now, though, you can't deny she's more relaxed, more at peace with herself."

"I can't see anything with _him_ in the way." She couldn't believe he'd had the nerve to order her around like she was just some random person instead of Bella's family. And her sister had _let_ him!

"Alice …" The cool calmness Whit had been showing since yesterday's argument was finally starting to crack. "Please trust me on this. He's truly a good guy. You just happen to have caught him during a bad time when he feels protective."

"She's _my_ sister."

"I know. But she's also his kapu."

"His _what_?"

"Kapu. It's a term of endearment and means sacred. He's in love with her and he will do anything to protect her. Including ordering her sister around."

"She's been here three weeks and six days. He can't possibly even know her, much less love her. And even if he does, that doesn't mean she feels the same. She's just confused and he's taking advantage of that."

"You don't really believe that. I _know_ you don't. For one, you believe in love at first sight and soul mates. For another, you know how incredible of a person your sister is, how easy she is to befriend and to love."

Alice shook her head to deny the idea even as she felt the truth of it deep inside. Her sister was an amazing person and everyone always loved her—but Alice needed that to not be true this one time. Bella couldn't love this guy or Alice would never get her home where it was safe.

"I can see in your eyes that you know it's true," Whit stated. "What I don't get is why you hate the idea so much."

"I don't mind the idea of my sister being in love. I just want it to be with someone worthy of her. I'm not sure this Masen guy is the one." Deep down, Alice wanted him to be a bad guy to make it easier to convince her sister to leave this place. _I know it's such a wrong way to feel. I know I should be happy for my sister. But isn't the most important thing to protect her rather than allow a dangerous relationship to continue? She's not safe here!_

Whit's voice interrupted her internal debate. "You're hurt and angry and rather than deal with those things, you're prolonging the pain for both you and Bella. You're avoiding her and finding reasons not to like Masen. I don't know why you've chosen to be this way when you've shown such great kindness to others."

He was right. As much as she wanted to protest and argue, she was the one who was refusing to speak to Bella, to let her explain her actions. But it wasn't being done to hurt her sister; Alice loved her far too much to ever purposefully hurt her. She was avoiding Bella to avoid losing her.

She replayed that thought in her head and realized how silly and pointless her stellar plan truly was—ignoring Bella would guarantee distance whereas talking to her might lead to changing her mind.

Alice uncrossed her arms and offered her hand to Whit. He immediately took it and smiled, completely forgiving her awful behavior. "I haven't handled any of this well," she admitted. "Maybe it is time for us to talk. Of course, that depends on if she's still willing to talk to me."

Whit grinned. "She loves you. She'll always be willing." He looked out onto the patio for a moment. "I'll get Masen to take a walk with me and you make things right with your sister."

"Thank you. Here I am, suddenly showing up and showing off my worst behavior, and yet you have made every attempt to be a good friend to me."

"We share more than a friendship."

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "And we will talk about that. At length. But I have to fix things with Bella first."

Whit kissed her hand and then popped off the sofa. Alice really doubted he would be able to get Masen away but she appreciated his attempt all the same.

She was surprised and delighted when the two men walked past her just a few minutes later. Alice took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before making her way onto the patio. She would remain calm, Bella would apologize, and then they'd make plans to head home.

Her sister was relaxed in one chair with her legs resting in another. She had her eyes closed and a smile on her face; she really was at peace. It was such a strange thing because her favorite place had always been the gazebo at home but even there she'd never been this relaxed.

"Bella?"

Her sister opened her eyes, revealing the mix of love and hurt she was feeling. "Hi, Alice."

"Can we talk?"

She put her feet down and sat up, offering the chair to Alice. The two sisters sat face to face without speaking for as long as Alice could stand, which probably wasn't all that long even though it had felt that way.

"Listen, I'm sorry for yesterday. I just … I don't understand. Why are you here with _sharks_? Why won't you come home? Why are you letting that Masen guy order you around?"

Bella had the nerve to snort at her. "Alice, you've got the wrong idea about Edward. He's not ordering me around and I'm certainly not listening to everything he says. He's just doing what he thinks will help me heal in the best possible way. And I'm letting him feel like he's taking care of me by giving in on a couple of the things he wants."

"It's more than a couple."

"He's been scared for me, the same as you, only he shows it differently."

She tried not to feel irritated at Bella for defending Masen but it was proving very difficult to do at the moment. "Whit says this Masen guy loves you."

Bella's entire face lit up, her eyes going to their soft brown happy color. "He does, and I love him."

"More than you love me and Uncle Carl?"

"It's a different kind of love, and I think you know that, Alice. I've seen the way you look at Whit." She reached out and took hold of Alice's hand. "I love you so much and I would never do anything to purposefully hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the full reason I was joining MMR. I only did it to keep you from spending your entire summer worrying for me. I always planned to tell you everything after the summer was over."

"I can see where you might have thought that was a good idea then but, Bella, staying here _now_? For a guy no less!"

After shaking her hand free of her sister's, Bella sat back completely in her chair, putting up an emotional wall that made Alice want to scream even as she felt guilty for causing it.

Her sister seemed to be picking her words carefully since she didn't normally speak this slowly. "I can't believe you would say that to me. You know I'm not that kind of person. You know that I have a true reason for everything I do. I'm staying here because it's really what's best for me. In the weeks I've been here, I've already learned so much from the team."

"About _sharks_," Alice snapped.

"Yes. But also about _me_," Bella confided. "About the kind of life _I_ want to live. Alice, they really can help me."

"They? Or Masen?" She couldn't control her petulant tone any more than she could the hurt she was feeling for Bella picking these people over her family.

"All of them. Once you get to know them, to see how each of them is brilliant and special in their own way … You _will_ see why I'm choosing to stay."

Alice could feel the color draining from her face and she hoped with everything in her that she was misunderstanding her sister. "You not only want to stay, you want _me_ to stay too?"

"What better way for you to understand than to experience it firsthand. Think about it, Alice. You could swim in open water again."

She jumped to her feet, enraged that her sister would act as if there wasn't a legitimate reason for her refusal to set foot in unsafe water. "What have they _done_ to you? What kind of brainwashing is this?"

Bella used the table to stand and steady herself. "It's not brainwashing. It's seeing for the first time that I don't have to be afraid. I can enjoy the oceans again. And I will, Alice. I'm staying and I'm working with MMR and I'm going to love being in the water again. As my sister, as my family who loves me, please try to understand this _is_ important to me. And if you can't … Well, then, I'll see you when the summer's over." She gave Alice a tight hug and then she went inside.

Alice dropped down into the chair, feeling shocked and confused that the conversation had gone so far from how she'd imagined it. She'd been sure Bella would apologize and they would make the necessary plans to go home—together. Instead, Alice was the one with a decision to make. Stay and support her sister. Or go home and let this distance between them grow even wider.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Esme's POV:**

Carlisle shook his head as Bella's bedroom door closed. He was genuinely concerned for his girls and it was clearly evident that their pain was his own. Esme knew how heavy of a burden it was for him; she'd been carrying a similar one since Beth's passing. It was a tricky thing to replace a parent while also keeping his or her memory alive, figuring out the best way to promote healing and prevent further pain. She had really begun to fear she'd messed up that balance with Edward but then Bella had entered their lives.

A heavy sigh came from Carlisle. "Esme, I just don't know what to do. My girls have never had a rift like this before."

"Maybe some space and a chance to hear what cooler heads think will help."

He turned just enough to let her see his smirk. "And you think your Edward is a cooler head?"

"Heck no!" she said as she joined him in the doorway. "But he truly loves Bella and will do whatever is necessary to ensure her happiness."

"What about the young man with the interest in my Alice?"

"Whit is the sensible one in my lovely band of misfits. He'll find a way to help repair things. He always does."

Carlisle shook his head, once again looking completely miserable. "I wish I could be so confident."

"You know what you need?" Esme didn't give him a chance to answer. "Fresh air! There's a gorgeous beach waiting right outside and a warm sun begging to be enjoyed. Let's indulge the day."

"That doesn't seem very fair when both of my girls are miserable."

"Oh, I don't think they're nearly as miserable as you imagine," Esme said as she watched Edward slip into Bella's room while Whit headed for the patio.

"Maybe fresh air would be best." Carlisle offered his arm to Esme and she quickly and happily took hold. "No shoes?" he asked, glancing down at her feet.

"Nope. And you need to lose yours. Beaches are meant to be enjoyed by bare feet."

He shook his head. "No, not me. I haven't been barefoot in years."

"Then you are way overdue."

He debated his options for a bit before smiling and giving in to her request. She couldn't help laughing at how white his ankles and feet where compared to his legs. She also couldn't help swooning like a teenage girl when he blushed. He might have arrived as a button-upped businessman with only his girls on his mind but he certainly wasn't going to leave that way. Esme planned to make sure of it.

"That smile … I've seen it before and it's never brought me anything but trouble."

She lifted her head to meet his gaze while giving his arm a light squeeze. "There are different kinds of trouble in the world and I can guarantee I'm the good kind. Besides, I'm not trying to get you to streak across the beach …" She paused on purpose and widened her smile. "Yet."

While Carlisle was busy chuckling, she said, "I'm just trying to get you to relax. The girls will work this out. They're sisters. They don't have a choice."

While they walked silently side-by-side through the warm sand, Esme reflected on how things had changed so quickly. Bella had been seriously hurt but was already healing. Edward had been unsure but now he knew he loved Bella, and Esme hoped he would tell her soon. Whit seemed interested in someone for the first time since Maria. Lee had shown she'd whole-heartedly accepted a new person into the group by defending Bella.

And then there was Carlisle. He'd sounded much older on the phone than the man who had arrived on her doorstep. He couldn't possibly be that much older than her and even if he was, he had damn sure aged gracefully. And to go with that handsome face of his was a killer smile and a kind heart. Watching him with Bella and Alice … seeing how much he adored them … He was definitely one of the good guys in this crazy world.

"Esme?"

She smiled even as she told herself she was being ridiculous in liking the sound of her name in his voice. "Yes?"

"What if their choice is not to work it out?"

"Then you whip out your parent card and demand a fix."

"Is that how you would handle things if it was Edward and Whit?"

"Oh no," Esme answered with a laugh. "No, no, no. That would never work with my Edward. No, I'd talk privately with him and subtly make suggestions that would lead him to proclaim that he needed to fix things."

"Make him think it was his own idea? That's brilliant."

She blew on her knuckles then brushed them against her shoulder, pretending she felt she was much more awesome than she actually believed she managed to pull off. "I got a late start on the whole mom thing but I'm pretty good at it now."

"From what I've seen so far, you've done a wonderful job stepping in as Edward's mother."

It was Esme's turn to blush. "That's … Thank you."

"Since you are so good at this, I'd like your opinion. I've been hesitant to get between my girls but I also expected them to have fixed this by now. Should I step in and talk to Alice? Maybe hearing why I give Bella my full support will make a difference."

"I think Alice is too hurt and confused to listen to her family right now. She feels a sense of betrayal since she didn't know the real reason Bella joined MMR. I truly think our best bet at this moment is Whit."

"What about you? You seem to see this from every side."

"Unfortunately, she's going to see me only as Edward's mother right now."

"Esme, I don't think anyone could ever see you as _only_ a mother."

A blush and a swoon and a silent Esme followed his comment.

"Have I made you uncomfortable?"

"_No_!" she shouted out of shock. "I mean, of course not. Me? Uncomfortable? Not happening."

Carlisle did a mostly good job of not smiling. He at least didn't come right out and laugh at her for being such a spaz.

"So how about that sand under your feet? Good, right?" she asked, wondering if he'd notice if she fanned herself to cool the heat in her cheeks.

"It's not bad. Still feeling a little rusty with walking and not sinking so far that I fall."

"We could hold hands. For the sake of your balance."

"Balance." He'd repeated the word slowly while studying her face.

She shrugged on the outside while screaming at her sudden attack of teenage-angst on the inside. _You're thirty-five for Pete's sake! You left fifteen and awkward back in the land of far, far away. Get it together and stop being a spaz._

"It's probably just an old wife's tale I heard somewhere in my travels with the team," she told him, hoping it sounded plausible to him.

He bowed slightly while offering his hand. "I've never been one to tempt fate."

"Me neither," she said, grinning too much and not being able to help it. "At least not on a Monday," she added as she put her hand in his.

She may have also taken a quick glance at his ass—in her defense, it was a really nice ass. And it was all just a little harmless flirting anyway. Carlisle would relax, she would have some fun, and they'd both enjoy each other's company until it was time for him to head home.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

While Esme was busy flirting with and reassuring Carlisle in almost equal measure, Masen was lying in bed with Bella, smiling at the obvious love she felt for his puppy. Despite his protest that it was a bad habit to teach Lizzy, Bella was thoroughly enjoying their game of tug of war with her sock.

"You might be the coolest puppy ever, but you're not getting this sock," Bella teased. "Nope. Not getting it."

Masen's eyebrows lifted. _What are the odds she would come up with that phrase versus hearing me say it this morning? If she did hear me, why hasn't she said anything? And do I care if she heard me? Isn't the important part that we both admitted to how we feel?_

Bella suddenly let go of the sock and Lizzy tumbled over onto her side then rolled into the dip Masen's body had made in the mattress, finally coming to a stop against his chest. She whined while she struggled to get onto her feet and then she barked and charged at Bella. He grabbed hold of his puppy seconds before she would have bumped right into Bella's face.

"Enough rough-housing," he declared, tucking Lizzy into the crook of his arm and petting her to calm her. The last thing he needed was for Bella to get a busted nose or black eye from his excited puppy.

"Admit it," Bella said as she set her head in her hand. "You're jealous she likes me so much."

He snorted. "Why would that make me jealous?"

"Because you're used to her really only wanting your attention and you've been pretty much ignored while we were playing."

"Actually, I was wondering about you calling her 'the coolest puppy ever'."

Bella blushed. "Oh yeah?"

_So busted_, he thought as he forced his face to stay neutral. "Yeah. Thought maybe you might have overheard me call her that."

"Probably. At the beach. We played with her a couple times at the beach."

"We did but I'm pretty sure it wasn't on _that_ beach that you heard me say it."

Her cheeks went from pink to red. "I didn't mean to do it. I promise. I just … You said my name and I couldn't help listening. I was going to tell you, just not on the same day. I didn't want you to think that was the only reason I said it."

He believed her and that was why he leaned in half the distance to her and waited for her to fill in her half. He figured she'd hesitate a little before giving in but she surprised him by immediately smiling and bringing her lips to his. He made it a good kiss, the kind that would get her past her embarrassment over being caught.

He brushed his lips along her cheek and brought them to her ear. "I love you." Now that he'd said it a couple of times, it was as easy to do as breathing.

He had every intention of kissing her again but Lizzy decided he wasn't sharing his attention properly and nipped his chin. He jerked back and then lowered his head so he was nose to nose with his puppy. "Not. Cool."

"But really funny," Bella said through her giggles.

He set Lizzy on the floor and then rolled over to face Bella again. "You know all about my conversation with Lizzy, I think it's time I know about yours with Alice."

She wrinkled her nose as if she'd smelled something gross. "We are definitely going to have to work on the impression you made with her. She calls you 'that Masen guy' like you're some shady character not to be trusted."

He shook his head, sure he'd heard her wrong. "Why would she think that? What did I do to her?"

Bella's eyes grew wide and after fighting her smile for a few seconds, she managed not to laugh at him. "Edward, you've done nothing but boss her around and glare at her. What did you expect her to think of you?"

"How is this my fault? She's the one who threw a tantrum and said some pretty cruel shit."

Bella pressed her hand to his cheek and he nearly closed his eyes from how good it felt to have her soft palm rubbing against his stubble. "I never said it was your fault. I only said we need to work on it. And you're right. She hasn't made a good first impression either. But here's the difference to me … You know why she flipped out and she knows next to nothing about why I trust you enough to stay here."

Between her touch and her sensible argument, she could almost get him to stop being annoyed with her sister. _Almost_. "Even if I agree with that, it's still her own fault. She's the one not willing to listen."

Bella grinned and pointed out a time when he'd done something similar. "I seem to recall you not wanting to hear any explanations my first night in Hawaii."

Masen couldn't argue with that so he went for a distraction. He quickly slipped his arms around her, pulled her against him, and growled against her neck. She laughed just as he'd hope she would and then she surprised him by putting her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"Everything okay?" he asked, wondering if he should have waited to talk about Alice tomorrow. Bella was definitely on the mend but she wasn't completely herself just yet.

"What time do you guys leave tomorrow?"

"Who said anything about leaving?"

"You have to get back to work and I know Whit isn't going to clear me to join you guys. I'm not mobile enough to be useful."

"I'm not leaving you here to deal with Alice on your own."

Bella pulled back enough to see his face. "Yes, you are. And I won't technically be alone since your mom and my uncle will be here with me."

"Bella, we—"

"_No_. There's not even a discussion here, Edward. You're going back to work and staying on schedule while I stay here and finish healing. I messed up your birthday by not paying attention and getting myself hurt. No way am I going to let this impact MMR's plans."

From the rigid set of her jaw to the fire in her eyes, he had no doubt she would do her best to argue him into submission. If he'd felt she was well enough for it, he would have enjoyed letting her have at it. But he knew she still needed rest so he put an end to it. "I'll go if you promise to take it easy and really rest up. I want you fit and ready to work by the time we get back."

"I will be ready for duty by Friday," Bella promised.

"Alright. You've got a deal then. Want to help me prep or would you rather grab a nap?" He knew her answer from the way her eyes both widened and brightened. "Sit tight and I'll be back in a minute with my gear."

No sooner than he was off the bed, Lizzy was on it and stretching out beside Bella. He couldn't believe she was choosing to stick around with Bella instead of following him like she normally did. Then again, he had just been ready to stay on land a couple extra days to wait for Bella to be well enough to board Galeos. He shook his head at the strangeness of feeling this way and then headed off to find his gear.

When he got back to her room, Lee was on the bed with Bella, and Gopher was sitting in the chair. All three of them were laughing while Lizzy had decided Bella's lap was a perfect place for a nap.

"What's got you three so tickled?" he asked as he set his backpack on the edge of the bed.

"We're discussing dinner plans," Lee told him.

Masen hugged her from behind. "Yes! You're making your tacos. I love your tacos. And you. And tacos. Did I mention I love tacos?" He had them all laughing again with his excitement over tacos.

"So you _do_ like tacos? You weren't really clear about that," Bella teased.

"Lee makes the best tacos but she only does it a couple times a year," he explained. "She does it specifically to torture me."

Lee snorted and tilted her head back to see him. "You gonna cry if it's not tacos?"

"Yes. Yes, I will," he assured her, almost completely joking. He wouldn't cry but he would be disappointed.

"It's tacos."

"But!" Bella called out, getting his eyes to lock on hers. "In order to get your tacos, you have to invite Alice to join us for dinner."

"_Me_?" he questioned with a snort. "We were just talking about how she can't stand me."

"All the more reason for you to extend the taco branch," Gopher pointed out.

He surveyed each of their expressions while he tossed around the pros and cons of their request. If the invite and the dinner went well, it would help smooth things out with Bella's sister and thereby make Bella happy. Plus he'd really be able to enjoy his tacos rather than being concerned about Bella being upset. If the invite or the dinner tanked, it would be that much harder for Bella to sort things out with Alice. Knowing Whit and Lee would be at the table, he seriously doubted even he could manage to tank a dinner. His friends were always the life of any party they attended.

He let out a sigh while shaking his head. "The things I do for tacos."

Lee got up from the bed and gave him a playful push to the shoulder. "You're doing it for the woman you love, asshat. The tacos are a bonus."

Gopher managed to pull her into his arms before Masen could retaliate. "Dinner's at seven. We'll give you until noon to deliver the invite."

"An hour?" Masen questioned.

Lee chuckled. "For a genius like you, an hour should be plenty of time to come up with a good way to handle it."

"I have prep work to do," Masen pointed out. "Can't you just tell me what to say?"

Gopher grinned and pressed his finger into Masen's chest. "Only _you_ can prevent forest fires. And invite the little sister to dinner."

"But you can also use a lifeline and get suggestions from Bella," Lee added. "You just can't have her tell you exactly what to say or it won't be genuine."

"I want a minimum of five tacos for this," he stated while purposefully showing her six fingers.

Lee laughed and pushed his fingers against his face. "Invite the sister."

He sighed while saying, "If I must." Then he pushed his friends out of Bella's room, closed the door, and turned to face her. "This your idea or hers?"

Bella grinned. "Both."

"Then there's no other choice … I hereby ban you two from hanging out together." His demand was met with a snort.

"As if you could."

"If only," he said, plopping down beside her on the bed. "Once Lee is your friend, it's set in stone."

"So what do you plan to say to my sister?"

He dropped his voice an octave to say, "Come to the dark side! I have tacos!"

Bella almost chocked trying not to laugh at him while swatting him on the shoulder.

"What? She doesn't like _Star Wars_?" he joked.

"Whether she does or not, that's not a proper invitation and you know it."

"Don't worry, kapu. I'll get your sister to the table."

"Ropes aren't allowed."

"Damn it, woman! Stop vetoing my ideas." They both laughed and then he gave her a sincere promise. "I'll make sure she wants to have dinner with us. Trust me."

Her soft palm grazed the stubble on his cheek. "I do trust you, Edward."

For half a second he debated on the best smart-ass reply and then he decided to go with an option that would show her he truly cared—he kissed her soft and slow, and long enough to make her smile fill her face.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

"Alice, you're looking at this only from the point of view of what you think is the safest choice. Could I offer you a different view?"

Alice had been leaning against the railing, looking down at the beach, but now she stood and turned to face Whit. "If this is about Bella liking that Masen guy—"

"_Loving_ is the word. And that's only part of it. If you look at this situation from the angle of what's best for both you and Bella, then staying is the only one that makes sense. Bella gets to tackle her fears without feeling guilty for upsetting you, and she also gets to explore her relationship with Masen. I realize you aren't sold on them being together but you need to realize that together, they make each other happy on a deep-down level. And while Bella is doing those things, you can be learning more about me and vice-versa. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed our dreams thoroughly. But the chance to get to know you better face-to-face … I want that, Alice. Don't you?"

That should have been one of the first thoughts in her head but until he'd said it just now, she hadn't realized that leaving here meant leaving him. _But Bella's safety. Those sharks. How can I risk losing her forever?_

"If you can't believe me when I say that Masen will protect Bella, then can you believe that _I_ will protect her?"

"Whit, I'm sure you're an amazing man, but that's just it … You're a man. And those are _sharks_ out there," she said, jabbing her finger toward the blue-green waters surrounding this stretch of beach.

"I've been diving with tigers, lemons, hammerheads, white tips … I've even been in a cage while a Great White circled around me. And while I may have been in a dangerous situation, I was never in danger. There were protections on top of protections, the biggest being Masen himself. He puts hours upon hours of research into our plans before he ever lets any of us touch the water."

"He doesn't seem much like a planner to me," she replied, thinking of how quickly he'd ordered her around.

"Let me show you then. He's prepping right now for tomorrow's leave. Let me show you just a few of the many things he verifies before we even board the boat."

Alice didn't get a chance to agree or disagree because the patio door slid open and Masen stepped outside. He gave a nod to Whit and then set his focus on her. "Alice, would it be alright with you if we talked alone for a minute?"

She looked to Whit and wasn't surprised at all by his pleading look. He really did believe this Masen guy was a good person. She turned to Masen, "_One_ minute."

He seemed like he was going to smile for a second but he didn't. "I'll be as brief as I can but it will probably be longer than one minute. I have a couple things I need to say to you."

As much as she didn't want to do anything he wanted, she also wanted Whit to see she was trying. "Fine."

"I'll be right inside." Whit followed his promise up with a kiss to her cheek and then gave Masen's shoulder a pat before leaving.

"Do you want to keep standing or sit?" Masen questioned.

"Whatever floats your boat." Just because she was going to let him speak didn't mean she had to like him—or even pretend to like him.

He sat in a chair, put his arms on the table and linked his hands together, looking her right in the eyes the entire time. It was slightly unnerving but at the same time it gave her a sense that everything he planned to say would be the complete truth.

"I was ready to like you. Bella told me all about this little sister that was bubbly and fun and whose passion in life was helping people. I wanted to meet that person."

Alice was so shocked by his confession that she didn't even try to speak.

"And while I can understand to a point why I met this scared, angry girl instead, it doesn't completely justify your behavior with Bella. I'm sure you don't think I've known her long but I can testify to her devotion to her family, to her need to take care of everyone she loves. You've known her your whole life and yet you're acting as if you don't know a thing about what drives her. You say you can't understand why she's choosing to stay but I think the truth is that you just don't want her to stay. You want to keep her locked away in a bubble, safe from everything you deem harmful."

"Why shouldn't I? Why should I let her risk her life with you and those awful creatures out there?" she barked.

"You're right. You should lock her up," he replied, thumping the table with his fist. "Doesn't matter if she's happy or not. Just so long as she's safe for you. Right?"

She couldn't explain it but she somehow knew his anger wasn't directed at her, that it was just in general at the whole situation. It made her want to give him an honest answer. "No, not entirely. I do want her safe but I also want her happy."

"Then support her decision to stay. Let her finish what she started."

"I don't know if I can."

"Bella needs you to do this for her, Alice. She's not here to touch sharks. She's here so she can handle seeing them without reliving the worst day in her life and feeling the loss and the guilt all over again. I want that for her. My team wants to help give that to her. As her sister, shouldn't you want that more than all of us put together?"

Alice spun around and gripped the railing she'd been leaning against. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't handle the sincerity in his eyes or the way he visibly ached for her sister's pain. She also couldn't stand the idea of him seeing her cry, of him knowing that he'd gotten to her. Just because she now believed he loved her sister didn't mean he was forgiven for being such a bossy beast.

"Was there anything else you wanted to say?" she asked, still refusing to look at him.

"There is actually. Dinner tonight at seven. No hassle. No talk of sharks. Just a group of people having a meal together. I'd really appreciate it if you joined us."

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "You mean _Bella_ wants me to join you."

"Of course she does. But this is _my_ invite. My best friend's dream girl has finally arrived in the flesh. That requires a family celebration and we've got tacos."

She couldn't believe it but the bossy beast actually had her smiling and facing him. "Tacos? For a celebration?"

Masen smirked at her. "You haven't had Lee's tacos."

"I'll consider it."

"You do that. And if you're half as amazing as Whit and Bella both say you are, I'll see you at seven." He turned and went inside without waiting to see if she had a response.

"Stupid bossy beast," she grumbled under her breath.

"Everything okay?" Whit asked, looking at her from the doorway.

"That friend of yours …" she said as she pointed in the direction Masen had gone, "… he's a real piece of work."

Whit laughed, joining her on the patio. "He went on and on about the tacos, didn't he?"

"You seem just as excited as him. Are these magic tacos?"

"Magically delicious."

She laughed while he studied her face.

"Admit it. He charmed you some," Whit pressed.

"He did no such thing." She crossed her arms for emphasis but doubted it held any power since she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.

"I know that look, Alice Cullen. He's got you thinking even if you don't yet want to like him."

"You only think you know my looks from our dreams. There's still tons you don't know about me," she assured him.

"Maybe so, maybe no. Doesn't matter because I'm going to learn everything there is to know about you. How long that takes will all depend on if you stay here with us."

"Still think that's a good idea, huh?"

"Honestly … I think it's the only one that will bring happiness to both you and Bella. Whatever you decide, I'll still be here for you."

"You really mean that?"

Whit grinned. "It'll take more than a bad decision to run me off."

_And maybe it will take more than a bossy beast to send me home_, she thought but didn't say. She had to make a choice and she definitely needed to get it done soon but maybe it really would be helpful to put it aside. At least long enough to find out why Whit and Masen were so excited for some tacos.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"So how long did she last?" Lee asked, lifting her chin to indicate Bella. Seated between Whit and Gopher at the dining room table, she had a smile on her face and seemed to be intently listening to whatever story Gopher was sharing.

Masen snorted, careful not to take his eyes off the tomato he was dicing. Since he'd wanted the tacos so much he'd felt it was only fair for him to be Lee's assistant in the kitchen. "Hour, hour and a half. Then she curled up under the blanket and watched me for maybe another ten minutes before passing out."

Lee laughed softly while shaking her head. "Told her she had no idea what she was getting into helping you prep."

"It was good for her, though. She really sees that I don't just jot down a few notes and call it ready."

"Nope. There are current weather predictions, historical weather patterns, topographical maps, ocean current maps, a daily plan with individual staff details, a backup for the daily, and then a backup for the backup. Hell, I'm getting tired just talking about it."

"You might not enjoy the work, but you love the benefit."

"Yep. Everyone aboard safe and sound that night."

Esme's laugh caught Masen's attention and he watched her for a bit, taking in her facial expressions and body language as she shared the floor with Carlisle. Masen pretended not to notice she had the family photo albums spread out around them. However, he did admit he'd seen something different about his mom every time he'd seen her with Carlisle the past couple days. He wasn't sure if it was just having someone in a similar parenting situation or if she might really be into the guy; he just knew he hadn't seen her this quick to entertain since the early months of her relationship with the athlete guy. She had really liked him but he'd decided to take a trade and had moved back to the states; neither of them had felt a long distance relationship would work.

"Stop spying on your mom."

"I'm not spying. I'm decoding. Besides she's in full view of the public."

"She's also crushing big time on your kapu's uncle."

"You think?"

"Mase, she pulled out the photo albums. That's typically tenth date material," Lee replied, waving around the hand with the knife in it.

He reached out and pushed the hand and the knife further away from both of them. "I don't know … I think she's just glad to know a parent in a situation similar to hers."

Lee snorted. "And you're just friends with the intern." Lee glanced at the table. "Where do you think her sister's gotten off to?"

"I'm sure she's sulking somewhere. Maybe even debating on joining us for dinner when she's not too busy thinking of how unfair all this is for her."

Lee set her knife into the sink and then turned to face him while wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "You're really taking this tiff between sisters personally."

"That look of pain on Bella's face when her sister brought up their dad … Alice went straight for what she knew would cut the deepest. I don't understand how she could do that. And it's not helping that Bella described this loving little sister but all I've seen so far is a selfish brat."

"I'm sure Whit being gaga over her is making it that much more confusing for you. I know I'm not doing that great at wrapping my mind around it. But I'm not worried, and you shouldn't be either. Bella knows what she wants and she's not going to let her sister bully her into changing her mind."

"I'm not worried about her leaving. I'm worried about her getting hurt."

"You can't protect us all every second of every day, Mase. As much as you would love nothing more, shit's gonna hit the fan from time to time. The important part is that you're always there for us when it does."

_But I'm not going to be here_, he thought as he caught sight of Bella laughing and leaning against Whit's shoulder.

"You're going to miss her." Lee wasn't guessing or asking.

"I don't know …" He shrugged. "It kind of feels like it, but that doesn't make any damn sense. This is work. It's why we're here at all. It's what we do."

"That's all true, but it doesn't mean you can't miss her. And believe me, you're _going_ to miss her. Just don't be an idiot about it and try to hide it. All you'll end up doing is pissing yourself off and then pissing off the rest of us."

He rolled his eyes. "It's a three day stint. That's nothing. I probably won't even notice she's not there."

Lee stared at him wide-eyed. "Masen!"

"What?"

"Talk about putting the nail in your own coffin." She took him by the shoulders and forced him to face her. "Fighting what you feel is only going to intensify it. Especially when there's no need. You're going to miss her. It's expected and natural. I get that it's strange for you and that you're probably confused as hell that you're not excited to race back to the boat for the first time in forever. But, Mase, it's a good thing. Missing her is a good thing. It means you have someone."

Masen was just about to thank Lee for trying to help when Alice entered the kitchen. "I hope I'm not interrupting. I was just wondering if you needed any help."

Lee smirked at Masen and completely ignored the slight head shake he gave her in return. "Perfect timing! Masen was just about to set the table. Why don't you help him out?"

_Lee is a dead woman_, was his first thought. His second was about Bella and how she would probably enjoy seeing him getting along with her sister, no matter how briefly. "I'll get the plates. You get the glasses." He only did it for Bella but he added a "please" and a friendly smile.

Once they had their hands full, he led the way to the table and found it curiously empty. A quick glance around revealed that Esme and Carlisle had also disappeared. _If this is supposed to be some way to encourage me to like Alice, they're all delusional_, he thought as he set the first plate down on the table.

"Why is everything phrased as a command with you?" Alice asked, reaching out to set a glass next to the plate.

He didn't even attempt to hide his smirk. Maybe it was wrong to be proud of irking her without even doing anything but it kind of felt like getting her back a little for being cruel to Bella. Absolutely childish, of course, but still the way he honestly felt.

He turned Alice's question around on her. "Why do you consider delegation to be the same as a command? It's a team effort here and we all pull our weight."

"Let's say I believe that. Why do you get to do the delegating?"

He looked back at her over his shoulder. "Who do you think should be doing it? You?"

Alice's face took on a total "fuck you" look that made him want to laugh; he'd always found angry kittens to be hilarious. "I really don't get what they see in you," she told him.

He stopped, the plate in his hand hovering just above the table. He considered for a second being a smart ass but then he figured some truth might do this girl good. He set all the plates down and turned to face her. "You don't get it because you don't know me. You haven't made any effort at all to get to know me. And you won't. Not because I'm a bad guy. Not because you think I'm commanding. You won't do it because you don't want to know me. You don't want to risk liking me. Because then you'll actually feel guilty about trying to get Bella to end both our personal and work relationships and leave here. There's just one little thing you're forgetting … Bella makes up her own mind."

After picking the plates back up, he looked at her once more. There was no smile on his face, no anger in his expression or his tone. There was just the truth as he saw it at that moment. "Something else you might want to remember … Not getting what they see … That goes both ways."

He had expected her to storm off, to go cry to Whit about how terrible Masen was. Instead she stood her ground and maybe even looked a little apologetic. "You meant what you said earlier, didn't you? About being excited to meet me?"

"I did. I wanted to meet the girl who loves pink and is a glitter magnet. The girl who cleaned out her closet to send her clothes to people who needed them more. The girl who loves my kapu and looks up to her."

"I lied." Alice's eyes were so big that he knew there was no way she'd meant to say that.

He set the plates down and gave her his full attention, leaning forward with his arms resting on the back of the chair in front of him.

"Well … Not completely. I mean, she didn't come right out and say it. But I suspected."

He held in his laughter but the smart ass in him couldn't be restrained. "The babbling, it's cute and all, but I have _no_ idea what the hell you're saying."

"Bella's emails about the team and you … I knew she felt something for you because she speaks so highly of you. She finds you highly annoying at times as well, but overall, she admires you. She says you're the protector, that you stay detached so you can see every angle and keep every person safe. But that underneath that hard shell, there's a heart full of love and light."

He shook his head, not out of denial but from pure disbelief that Bella would describe him so kindly. He found "annoying" to be a weak and lacking word for the past mistakes he'd made with her and yet he had no doubt she truly thought of them as just that. He had that feeling again that his life had become stranger than fiction, that he could find the one woman capable of dealing with him simply by selecting an essay from a pile on his desk.

"Wait … You … You're actually _modest_?" Alice's wide eyes and high-pitched tone nearly had him laughing for shocking her so thoroughly.

There was a lot he could have said and maybe some things he should have said, but in that moment he really didn't think she was ready to believe much of anything from him. So he gave her what felt true to him. "Alice, all I am is a guy trying to figure out the oceans while keeping my team and my family safe."

He followed his truth up with a smart ass comment, "And occasionally, I'm a guy trying to get dinner and that's me right now because I can smell the taco meat. So let's get this table set so we can all eat."

For the first time since she'd arrived, he saw her smile and in her face saw a younger version of Bella. Same caramel eyes and same laugh lines, and almost as pretty. "Are you actually going to let anyone else have these magic tacos you keep raving about?"

"Depends on what's in it for me," he joked. "What are you offering?"

"A truce during dinner. I don't ignore you, you don't glare at me, and neither of us makes my sister unhappy."

"And you make an honest effort to get to know all of us, not just Whit," he countered.

She offered her hand to him. "Deal."

He repeated the word while shaking her hand. It wasn't a permanent fix but a nice strong band-aid was still a step up from where they had been.

Masen had always figured the others were listening in but he knew it for certain when Whit suddenly popped up and declared that he was starving and couldn't wait any longer.

"Come and get it," Lee called out as she set a platter full of shells in the middle of the table. Gopher was right behind her with a big bowl of taco meat. Before they left to get the toppings from the kitchen, she winked at Masen and signed with her hands "good job".

He wasn't so sure about that but he did hope she was right.

"Kid, do you want me to make your plate while you make Bella's?" Esme asked as she walked up to him.

"How did you know I was going to make her a plate?"

Esme chuckled and patted his cheek. "You're my kid. I know everything about you. Besides, it's what I would have done."

"Speaking of what you would and wouldn't do … Want to tell me anything about you and the uncle?"

"Yes. We like long walks on the beach and a good bottle of wine. But that's where the similarities end. I'm a papaya gal and he's barely a pineapple guy. We're fruits of different trees, Kid."

Masen snorted and pulled her into his arms for a tight hug. After a quick kiss to the crown of her head, he let her go and said, "You don't fool me for a second. I know you too."

She only smiled and then scooted past him to jump in line in front of Gopher.

Masen turned his attention to Bella, finding her exactly where he wanted her—already seated at the table. She sat at the end, probably to prevent him and Alice from fighting over who sat next to her.

"So how many tacos can I get for you and what toppings would you like?" he asked.

Bella grinned, her happiness lighting up her face and turning her eyes caramel. "Top secret info like that has a pretty big price tag on it. Sure you can afford it?"

Holding on to her chair and the table top, he leaned in so close that he could feel her breath on his cheeks. "Sure you can handle finding out?"

"You're in my personal space again. It had better come with a kiss this time."

He smirked, positive he had the upper-hand and would end up making her cheeks turn pink just for him. "I _could_ kiss you now. But it would be small and company-friendly. Or I could kiss you later, alone in your room, as hard and for as long as you can stand. Your choice. Just let me know."

Her cheeks did turn pink but he had badly misjudged her ability to knock him on his ass. She licked her lips and then so quietly that he had to lean in to hear, she said, "That night in the bar … that kiss we shared, pressed against each other … _you_ pulled away first, not me. So you might want to be careful about promising to kiss me for as long as _I_ can stand. Wouldn't want to risk your safety."

While he was still struggling to get some of his blood to flow back into his brain, she kissed his cheek and asked for two tacos with everything on them and a glass of tea. He shook his head once. Twice. On the third time he popped his neck and still he couldn't see anything but her that night in the bar, couldn't swallow without tasting her skin.

"Edward … Sorry … Your face." Bella's stuttered words between her giggles acted like a glass of ice water being tossed at him and he grinned as his head finally started to clear.

"You know you're gonna pay for that later, right?"

"Nope," she replied, still laughing a little. "I'm injured. Remember?"

"Oh, I remember how you were injured. I also remember you getting your doc to clear you."

"Hey, that's not fair."

"I agree. And yet I'm still gonna make you pay." He could hardly kiss her with his smile being so big but he also couldn't walk away without feeling her lips on his.

Gopher turned as soon as Masen was standing behind him in line. "You know, you keep being all Charmin Ultra with Guppy and I might just start to think you have feelings for her."

"Shut up, bro."

"Oh! Look at that smirk! It's true! The tin man does have a heart."

"Gopher, seriously, shut the fuck up."

Gopher held up his fist like a mic. "The tin man, not often seen in the wild, usually prefers a solitary life among—"

"I'm gonna prefer to have my foot up your ass if you don't stop."

"It's cool. I know it even if you aren't ready to say it yet. And I just want you to know, Mase … I love you too. Come at me with a hug anytime, bro."

Masen found himself laughing and squeezing the big guy's shoulder. "I wish this was your neck, but Lee would kick my ass. You can never just shut up. I swear your brain is wired to not let your big mouth close."

"I often observe without commenting. Way more than you ever realize. But now that you aren't being a stupid dick by trying to hide what everyone can see, I'm happy for you. This is my way of expressing happiness. Deal with it."

"Are you actually giving me an order?" Masen asked, humored by the thought.

Gopher stood up taller and straightened his shirt as if he was trying to be serious—his dimpled grin ruined the effect he was going for, though. "Yeah. So shut the fuck up, bro."

"Only if you move your ass so I can get some tacos."

"You do know you have to leave some for the rest of us, right?"

"Yeah, I know. And you'll have your chance since I'm making Bella a plate first."

Gopher stepped back against the wall. "In that case, go right ahead."

"Seriously?"

"Guppy needs nourishment for the healing process."

"You know, you're kind of a good guy when you're not being an ass."

Gopher clamped his hand over Masen's shoulder. "Mase, I say the same thing about you all the time, bro."

The two men stared at each other for a second and then burst into laughter that had everyone else looking at them with confused expressions.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

Alice looked away from the two laughing guys and found her sister to be smiling where everyone else appeared confused. "Do you know what they're laughing so loudly about?"

"No, but it's nice to see them laugh together."

"I thought everyone here was a fan of Masen."

Bella leveled her sister with a warning glare. "Everyone respects him and understands his motivation is the safety of everyone on his team—_his family_. He's not out to be mean or bossy to anyone. He's just doing what he believes to be the safest course of action."

"You know, you don't have to defend him every time."

"And you don't have to try to vilify him."

Alice let out a breath. "Can we start this conversation over? I really don't want to upset you or argue with you."

"What do you want, Alice? Besides to get me to go home with you?"

"I don't know … I guess to understand you, and you with him." She glanced up at Masen, still a little thrown off by seeing him smiling and looking so friendly. "Would he be that way with me if our argument hadn't happened?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation at all and complete confidence in her sister's tone. "He's a good guy. Not a perfect guy. Not even close to perfect. Just a real guy with real feelings and real flaws. Sometimes he's too literal and gets lost in his head. But when he lets you get close, when he lets you in …" Bella shook her head and said no more.

"Here, Alice," Whit said, putting a plate before her and sitting beside her with his own.

"Thank you, again. I really wouldn't have minded making my own."

He gave her a sweet smile and said, "I know." Then his attention shifted to his tacos and not another word or glance came from him until all three had been decimated.

Alice noticed the same behavior from Esme, Lee, Gopher, definitely Masen, and even Carlisle and Bella. With a shrug of her shoulders, she finally picked up her taco and gave it a try.

It wasn't magic but it was really, really good. Even better than her favorite Mexican place near her college. While she took her time and savored her food, she observed the others talking, teasing, and laughing. It felt odd and she had trouble pinpointing why for the longest time.

And then it hit her. This was a _family_ dinner. Her eyes welled up with tears as she remembered the last family dinner she'd shared with her parents and her sister and her uncle. It had been the night before her uncle had taken her father and sister on that fishing trip. Alice had never blamed him for taking them. Or her father for going. Or her mother for allowing it. Or her sister for being there. How could any of them have ever known there would be a huge, horrible monster in the water?

But there was anger with Bella. Not for that day, but because she'd still chosen a career path that would put her back in that water. Sure, she'd said she was happy at Sea World, but Alice had always known deep down that Bella would never be satisfied being that far away from real water. As much as Bella seemed excited about the job in Atlanta, even that held doubt for Alice. More animals … bigger animals … How much longer before being in a tank wasn't enough and Bella ended up in an ocean?

_If you really think she's destined for the ocean, aren't these the people you would want watching out for her?_ Alice asked herself as she surveyed those at the table.

Her eyes landed on Masen and she took in his relaxed state, leaning on the table, his head on his arms and her sister's hand running through his hair. He actually appeared content, a stark contrast from the intense man she'd seen so far.

"Kid, you are awfully quiet. Did you put yourself into a food coma?" Esme asked Masen while rubbing his back.

Whit groaned lightly and patted his stomach. "I feel like I might be headed for one."

"Lightweights." Alice couldn't tell if Gopher was joking or not but she figured it was the latter since he bit off another piece of taco.

"Lee, I have to say, these really are the best tacos I've had in a long time," Uncle Carlisle complimented.

"Thanks, Mr. Cullen."

"Carlisle, please," he insisted.

"Carlisle," Lee replied with a smile. "My mom always says a woman has to have one signature dish to bring the men in her life to their knees." She pointed at Gopher first, the most recent to drop his head to the table. Her finger moved on to indicate Whit next and then Masen. "Tacos are mine."

"What's your mom's?"

"An apple stuffed pork chop."

Whit, Gopher, and Masen groaned together—Alice assumed this was a sign they'd enjoyed the pork chops at least once.

"Do you cook often for everyone?" her uncle questioned.

"Oh, no," Lee answered with a shake of her hand. "Cooking is not my forte. We leave that to Gopher. He enjoys it and he gets better with every meal."

"Lee is our linguistic magician," Esme confided, her hand resting on Carlisle's arm. It seemed a little familiar for her to be doing but she also seemed the friendly type so Alice shrugged it off.

"She has this amazing ability to pick up quickly on languages and speak them nearly flawlessly," Esme continued. The visible pride she felt made it easy for Alice to see she truly respected Lee and wasn't just boasting.

"And can I just say how lucky it is for your kid that I can do that," Lee said, smiling as her eyes moved to Masen. "He nearly got his entire wallet cleaned out for some plums."

"They were awesome plums," Masen mumbled, his mouth hidden behind his wrist since he was using his arms for a pillow.

Esme eyes seemed to be sparkling as she said, "I know for a fact he thoroughly enjoyed his plums."

Alice couldn't be a hundred percent sure it wasn't just the lighting in the room, but she thought she might have seen Masen blush.

"Alice, sweetheart, you've been awfully quiet tonight. Feel free to jump in at any point," Esme offered.

"I like listening," Alice replied, smiling kindly and hoping she sounded genuine. The truth was that she wasn't sure what to make of any of them. On the surface, they all seemed like lovely individuals, together making up a fun, loving family. But they were also shark people. And they wanted her sister to be a shark person with them. The two sides just didn't mesh in her mind.

Whit sleepily announced, "You snooze, you lose."

Esme snorted and reached across the table to ruffle his hair. "You need to hush. In fact, you need to go to bed. All of you nearly comatose men need to go crawl under your blankets. You've got an early wake up tomorrow. And you too, Lee."

Over the sounds of chairs being pushed away from the table, Alice heard her uncle ask, "Is this the parent card you told me about earlier?"

Esme nodded. "I use it sparingly and only when it seems they don't see the best option for themselves."

Alice grinned, sure that grown adults—especially Masen—would never fall for that kind of thing. She was too shocked to react when she realized they were all listening to Esme. One by one, they kissed her goodnight and then disappeared into their rooms. Even Whit followed along, though he did stop long enough to tell Alice goodnight and wish her happy dreams.

"You cleared the room," Alice squeaked, staring in awe at Esme.

"Yes, I believe I did. Would you mind helping me to clear the table?"

Uncle Carlisle answered before Alice could. "I'll help you, Esme. It's only fair since Lee and your son cooked and Alice helped set the table."

"But—"

Alice's protest was cut off by her uncle's insistence. "It's only fair, Alice. You sit and talk with your sister."

"But Bella went with Masen." Alice's reply was missed—her uncle was already in the kitchen asking Esme for more details about her parenting card.

_Bella likes Masen. She likes everyone here. Uncle Carl definitely likes Esme. He seems okay with everyone else, even Masen. Am I really the only one with reservations about these people?_

Alice laid her own head on the table, sure that she'd spend another night sleepless and worried and questioning what she should do.

A hand on her shoulder, barely a touch, but she knew who it was and smiled. She lifted her head and turned to share her smile with him. "I thought you'd gone to bed."

"I did but then I felt your sadness and I knew neither of us would sleep if I didn't fix things."

"Whit, you're so sweet, but I don't think you can—"

"I know I can't fix them all, but I can fix our sleep problem."

"How?"

Whit smiled and though it was a sleepy one, it was perfect to Alice. "I've got an air mattress big enough for two and you're my plus one."

"I'm not sure my uncle would be okay with that."

"I'm asking you to sleep with me, Alice. He can wait to worry when I ask him to marry you."

"Is that something you think you'll do? Ask him to marry me?"

Whit offered his hand to her. "Let's sleep on it for now and talk about it later."

She was skeptical she would be able to sleep but she put her hand in his anyway. The second her skin touched his, a wave of relief coursed through her and sleep seemed not only possible but highly imminent. In fact, she just barely made it through kicking her shoes off and getting her head onto a pillow before she was out cold, lost to dreams of the man asleep and snoring beside her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: **We hope you all enjoyed this chapter! EA has posted a fun little video on the blog :)


	26. 26 Twinkle Twinkle

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 26 – Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star**

**Tuesday, June 24th**

"How did it turn midnight so fast?" Edward asked, hugging Bella tighter against him.

She laughed against his chest. "Time flies when you go on and on about your favorite foods. You spent an hour glorifying tacos alone."

"Smart ass," he said as he pinched her on the butt.

She squealed and tried to roll onto her back but he was holding too tight. She was sure he'd let go if she asked but she wasn't done enjoying his cuddling yet. She was surprised he was so good at it—and a little worried about what was causing this new level of affection. She was also surprised he was still awake with how close he'd seemed to falling asleep at the table earlier. She suspected he wasn't ready for the night to end and tomorrow to begin; he hadn't even suggested at all that she try to sleep.

The press of his lips to her forehead brought her back into the moment. "What are you thinking about, kapu?"

She scratched her fingernails along his jaw, enjoying the way it made him hum in pleasure. "I was just wondering if there might be something you wanted to talk about, something that's keeping you awake."

"Why would you think that? You know I don't sleep often and when I do it's erratic."

"It's not so much the not sleeping as the not letting there be any room between us."

He immediately relaxed his hold. "I thought you were enjoying it."

"I am and you better tighten those arms back up right now," she demanded, pulling his chin down so he could see how serious she was about it.

The size of his smirk was a good match for the tightness of his hold. "Like this?"

"Don't be a jerk."

He tried to look contrite but he couldn't contain his smirk. He was enjoying this as much as she was and she was sure the only reason their limbs weren't completely entangled was his worry for her leg.

"Yes, you're very cute but you're not getting out of answering my question," she told him.

He shifted a little, causing her to sink further into the dip his body created and giving him access to the side of her neck. Her hands clenched in anticipation of feeling his lips but all she felt was his warm breath hitting her cool skin. "I've got something better we can do with our lips." His kiss finally came and she sighed in relief while arching up for more.

_Don't let him distract you_, she ordered herself. _Resist his tempting temptation. His dastardly distraction. His—Holy hell! How does he make a tiny kiss feel so good?_

His fingers trailed across her cheek and then slipped under her jaw, turning her face so he could reach her lips. The contrast of his soft lips and scratchy stubble caressing her face had her shivering in his arms.

"You cold?" he asked quickly, not really giving her a chance to answer. But just as swiftly he disappeared from her arms to grab the blanket from the end of the bed and cover her up.

Bella found herself smiling and shaking her head at him, not knowing what else to do with someone so intense one second and loving the next. He had already shown he could be kind before, but the attention he'd been giving her since her injury, it was above and beyond.

"Better?" he asked, tucking the blanket around her first and then wrapping his arms around her for good measure.

"Thank you. Not just for the blanket. For taking care of me these past couple of days. For trying this morning and at dinner to get along with Alice. And for being brave enough to let yourself love me. I know none of this has been easy for you and I appreciate your willingness to try."

"Bella, I—"

She put her hand over his mouth just the way he'd done to her in the past. "Let me finish, please. I know leaving later this morning is going to be different for you, and probably feel a little strange. You won't be here to watch over me and make sure I'm eating and resting and being a good patient." She paused to pull in a breath and hoped he wouldn't misunderstand the rest of what she wanted to say to him. "It's actually a good thing you're leaving without me. You need to see that as much as things have changed, the basics are still the same. You have a job to do, an important one that needs your full focus. It's okay if you don't think of me at all while you're working."

He pulled back, his expression suspicious and wary and his tone somewhere between angry and hurt. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Did you change your mind about staying?"

She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "I'm not leaving." She softened both her grip and her expression. "You know, it's a lot easier to reassure a person when they admit to what's bugging them. I can even understand why you would worry that Alice could change my mind. But I don't get your refusal to talk to me about it."

"I'm not refusing and I wasn't worried until you told me not to think of you."

Bella pressed her lips together to keep from calling him a liar. While she understood this was all new to him, she wasn't about to put up with half-truths and face-saving white lies. "Edward, I'm going to slowly count to five in my head. I suggest you take that time to replay your words and decide if they're really the ones you want to stick with."

He rolled onto his back and pressed his palms against his eyes.

She scooted closer and put a hand on his chest. "Talk to me, please."

His hands moved up into his hair, allowing him to peer up at her. "You make my head spin."

"Does it help at all to know you do the same to me?"

"No." He slid his right arm under his head and opened his left arm in invitation for her to lie against him. Once she was settled, he started sliding his fingers up and down her arm. "I know you make up your own mind. But I also know it's hard not to listen to your family, especially when they're being very vocal and insistent."

"If this is because I told you she can be bossy—"

"It's because she loves you, Bella. She loves you and she's terrified of losing you."

"The same could be said for you."

"She's your sister. There's no choice there."

"There's always a choice. And _my_ choice is to be here. I'll be right here when you get back on Friday and I'll be going with you on Saturday when you board Galeos again. In the meantime, I want you to focus on your work. Earlier I wasn't telling you not to think of me. I was just assuring you that it's okay if you don't. I know this is new for you and that you need time to adapt to all the changes. I don't want you to feel bad or guilty if you get deep into your work and don't miss me."

"The missing you thing … I don't have any idea how that's going to go. Usually when something confuses the hell out of me, I push it aside until I feel like coming back to it. But that doesn't work with you. The more I try to not think about what's confusing me with you, the more it becomes the main focal point.

"As far as Alice goes … I can't say that I'm entirely worry-free, but I do believe you, that you want to be here."

"That's not quite the same as believing I'll be here when you get back."

He sighed into her hair and then kissed her head. "It's all I can give you."

She nodded, understanding his hesitance to fully commit to expecting to see her on Friday. She didn't like it, but she understood it and respected him for being honest. She just also wished she knew how to make him feel as completely certain as she did.

They were both quiet for a long while; the only way she could even tell he was still awake was the gliding of his fingers along her arm. The silent room and his warm body began to make it hard to resist sleep and her eyes were halfway closed when Edward asked her a question. "Do you know the constellations, kapu?"

Bella propped herself up on her arm a little and set her chin on his chest, deciding to see where this question would lead rather than force him to stay on topic. "I know some of them."

"My mom … Beth. She started teaching me the constellations right before we ended up moving to Hawaii. The house we lived in with my grandparents had access to the roof and she'd take me up there at night. She'd say 'Okay, Sailor, we—'"

Bella couldn't help interrupting or giggling. "Sailor?"

"You want to hear this or not?"

She mimed zipping her lips closed.

Edward waited a moment to make sure she'd really stay quiet. "She'd go over four or five constellations with me and then she'd tell me to pretend we were lost at sea and that our only hope of getting home was for me to find the constellations to guide our ship safely to port. She'd make me find all the ones she'd shown me and then declare us safe and me a hero. She always made me feel like I was her champion.

"When Esme took up teaching me, she tried to do it the same way but failed every time, mostly because she didn't know the stars like Beth. It didn't help that she couldn't read a star chart either and often held it upside down. Then one night, she turned it into a team effort, had me help her figure out the star chart. From then on, we learned them together."

He blinked and the far off look in his eyes faded while his lips turned up in a smile. "Probably not the easiest way to learn them."

"I think it's perfect." Bella hoped he only saw her smile and not the tears standing in her eyes. She loved it when he shared bits about his past like this and never wanted to give him a reason to think he should stop. She wasn't sure she could get him to understand the tears were from how happy she was to know he had received so much love and attention from both Beth and Esme. He wasn't the kind to ever ask for it, no matter how much he might need it. She could tell he just wasn't built that way.

He brushed her hair aside and then cupped her cheek. "Do you feel up to coming somewhere with me?"

"Edward, it's after one in the morning. Where could you possibly want to go?"

"Just come with me. Please?"

She had never had any intention of denying him, she'd just wanted to know what he was up to. But the "please" beat out her curiosity and she gave him a nod as her answer.

He was smiling as he slipped out from under her and got up from the bed. He held his hands out and asked for hers. When he had her standing on the bed, he turned around and offered up his broad back. "I don't trust your limp on the stairs or in the sand."

"So the beach is involved?" she asked, carefully hooking her injured leg around his waist.

"What is it with you? Are you allergic to surprises?"

"My dad always said it was because my curiosity is stronger than my patience."

Edward snorted. "Yeah, I can agree with that." He took a test walk away from the bed and after getting her to tighten her arms around his neck he took her outside and onto the beach.

While he slowly trekked across the sand with her perched on his back, he said, "So tell me about 'Bug'."

Bella smiled, amazed that he actually remembered hearing the name that one time and excited that he still wanted to know more about her. The incident with the ray really hadn't scared him off—and neither had her sister.

"It's not a very long story. And it's definitely not as fun as some of the ones you've shared about your moms. Actually, mine's pretty practical compared."

"There's no need to compare, kapu. We're not in competition with each other."

"I know. I just don't want you to think it's an awesome story behind it and then feel letdown after you hear it."

"Nothing about you has been a letdown."

She smiled and kissed his neck in thanks. "My dad named me 'Bug' when I was really little. As soon as I could move around on my own, I started following him everywhere. He'd get up from the couch to get a snack in the kitchen and there I'd be there, crawling right behind him. He'd be trying to get ready for work in the morning and I'd follow him in and out of the closet and bathroom. He worried he wouldn't see me one day and he'd accidentally step on me, just like a bug. But he always saw me. And he would pick me up and hug me and say 'Bug, I'm not fascinating enough for you to follow me like this'.

"But he was, Edward. He was the smartest man I've ever known and I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to dream big the way he did, and then work as diligently as him to make it come true. I wanted to be as kind and as generous, and definitely as strong."

Edward stopped walking and after gently setting her feet down in the cool sand, he turned and held her face in his hands. "Kapu, you are like him. You're smart and dedicated and so strong. If you didn't dream big, you wouldn't be here right now. Everything you've done since you've joined MMR has shown all those qualities and more. Do you honestly think we would be together if you weren't kind and generous with me? If you hadn't forgiven my mistakes and given me new chances?"

Bella shook her head in denial, causing her tears to spill from her eyes. As hard as she always tried, she never completely felt like she was doing enough to make her dad proud. "I'm not like him, Edward. I'm not. He'd be so much better at all of this."

"He wouldn't. He'd do it in a different way, but that's just because he's not you."

"Edward—"

"Kapu, please shut up and listen for once." He waited to make sure she wasn't going to say anything else. "Esme told me this, and she reminds me when she feels like I need to hear it again." He paused and scratched at the bridge of his nose, turning on Bella's curiosity and setting her mind spinning with ideas on why he might be nervous.

"I hate to admit this, but she reminds me a lot. Probably more than she should ever have to," he confided. He set his hands on her shoulders, his thumb brushing along the side of Bella's neck, making it an effort for her to focus on his words and not his touch. "Maybe you can hear it and catch on to it better than me. And if not, then it'll be my job to remind you of it.

"Kapu, every day that you get up and give your absolute best to who and what you love, is a day that makes your father and your uncle proud of you. Just like every day that I do it makes Esme and Beth proud of me."

"If you have to be reminded a lot, doesn't that mean you don't believe it? And if you don't, how can you expect me to?" she questioned while he used the tail end of his lucky shirt to dry her tears.

"It's not that I don't believe it. It's that I want it to be true so damn much. Bella, I'm not blind. I know I'm not an easy person to get along with. One of the reasons I love Whit and Lee so damn much is because they've never hesitated to tell me when I'm being a jerk. They know that I'm not acting that way on purpose, that there's something causing it, driving it. Usually it's just my inability to understand the way other people think, even Esme at times.

"My brain doesn't look at a situation and think of how it might make someone feel. All I see is how it's going to change things. Gopher makes me strip a bolt on the boat and all I see is the actual damage, the potential for damage to have been caused to some other part of the system, the trip time for parts, and the extra hours Lee and I will have to put in to fix everything. I don't think of how badly Gopher might feel about causing the problem. I don't care if it was an accident and he's sorry. I know that sounds cold, but it's how I think right then in the moment. It's not until I get a chance to step away and see a bigger picture that I notice whether or not he's sorry and if I gave him a chance to apologize.

"And it's when I've stepped back that I worry about letting my moms down. I worry about Lee being mad at me, and Gopher thinking I'm a jerk and wanting to leave the team, possibly taking Lee with him. Esme always knows when I'm thinking that way and that's when she reminds me. Not so that I feel better about having been a jerk, but so I know that I still have a chance to give my best to the day and make things right."

"This is why." Bella shook her heavy head, weighed down by swirling thoughts and a new insight into Edward.

He gently lifted her chin until they could see each other's eyes in the moonlight. "Elaborate. Please."

"I couldn't figure it out. That day at the ocean center. You were so angry and I was positive you were going to cancel the internship. But that night … You were kind and encouraging and really wanted me to stay. I couldn't figure out what had caused you to be so different in the same day. I'd doubted even Esme talking to you would have changed you that drastically. But you changed yourself. You stepped back and then you gave your best effort to fixing things."

"And you were kind and generous, kapu, giving me the chance to fix things." His mouth settled over hers in a whisper of a kiss. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"How could I when you keep on me believing in me?"

"You're too strong not to." He pulled back and gave her the smile everyone called 'shitty'. "Now! The reason we came out here … Guppy, I'm going to teach you about one particular constellation." He moved so that he was standing behind her. He wrapped his left arm around her waist and then used his right to lift her right arm up and point it toward the sky. He moved it toward their left sides just a little and then further up.

"What do you see, Guppy?"

"Stars. Oh, but they look so much brighter here than back home."

He folded her fingers under his except for her index finger. "Focus on the pattern," he instructed, slowly moving her hand in a slanted line across the sky. He moved it up for a bit and then back across to where they'd started.

"An open rectangle, right?" Bella questioned, turning her head to see his face.

He was smiling and from the size of it she was pretty sure he was impressed and pleased with her answer. "That is the constellation Gemini."

"Like your astrology sign?"

"Not really. Do you know any Greek mythology?"

"Just the basics."

Edward lifted her hand again and helped her trace the constellation once more. "The Gemini constellation is made up of two brothers, identical in looks but not twins. Their mother was married to a king and only one of them was his son. The other was the son of Zeus. They were born together and raised together and loved each other very much. They went on all kinds of adventures together, even joining in on the search for the Golden Fleece. One of their trips turned tragic when their cousins decided to turn on them. The son of the king was killed and when the son of Zeus found his brother dead, he couldn't bear to be without him. He asked his father to take away his immortality. Zeus did as he asked and then placed both brothers in the sky together, a reminder of the strong bonds love creates, bonds that not even death can break."

He brought her arm in so that her arms and his were hugging her and holding her against his chest. "Maybe if you start to miss me, you might look up at Gemini and know that I'm thinking of you too."

Bella didn't need to ask—she could feel it. Esme had taught Edward about Gemini, about love lasting beyond death. She could picture it. A lost little boy and a nervous aunt, both of them looking up at the stars and trying to figure out how to navigate through the pain of a world without Beth.

"Think you'll be able to find it on your own?" he asked, his voice a whisper in the dark.

"Always."

"Good." He kissed the crown of her head and then let her go. "We better get inside. It's getting colder and you should probably try to sleep some."

She waited until she was settled on his back to respond. "I'll sleep after you leave for work."

"Damn you've got a stubborn streak."

She smiled while pressing her lips to the side of his neck. "Almost as big as yours."

His only response was a grunt.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

With her cheek pressed to his, she made him a promise she knew she'd never want to break. "I love you."

"I love you too, kapu." No hesitation, no nervousness, and no sign he was saying it just because she had. She believed with everything in her that he was being completely honest; she hadn't felt this happy and at peace in years.

So strange how right her father had been, that a guy would enter her life and turn it upside down. She wondered if he'd told her about the rest of it, about feeling so happy her heart might burst in her chest … she wondered if she would have been able to believe him.

"What do you want to do since you don't plan to sleep?" Edward asked as he crouched down and set her on the edge of her bed.

She waited for him to look at her and then grinned impishly at him. "You mentioned earlier kissing me for as long as I could stand."

If her grin was an imp, then his smile was a full-fledged devil. He leaned in and over her, forcing her to lie down on the bed. "I vaguely recall a conversation like that. Think you can remind me of the details?"

She lightly scratched through his stubble before pressing her palms to his jaw and drawing his lips closer to hers; the anticipation had her body temperature rising and heartbeat quickening. She realized she wanted so much more than a kiss, but more than anything she wanted his happiness. If she pressed for more, he'd give it willingly but he'd also end up regretting it, especially if it caused any issues for either of their careers. She had to respect his line and hold it for both of them.

"Kapu, you gonna kiss me or just stare at me all night?"

"Haven't you ever heard that good things come to those who wait?"

"Everyone has. I just didn't believe it." He shifted onto his side and brought her with him, holding her close in his arms yet leaving room so they could see each other without their eyes crossing. "Then I met you."

She did end up kissing him. Small and sweet and definitely shorter than she had planned. But she didn't feel unsatisfied. Not even a little. How could she when she got to spend the rest of their time together in his arms? He told her some other constellation stories he remembered and she shared how her dad had taught her to read and write through her marine journals. It was everything she didn't know she needed and when it came time for him to leave with the team, she was able to honestly smile and be happy he was heading back to work without her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Lee called, flapping her hand and trying to get the attention of the three cackling men sitting at the helm with her. They were swapping the snack bowls Esme had made for them, along with stories of what was new for each of them. "First of all, what was Carlisle doing up at that hour? Secondly, how the hell did Alice end up in your bed?"

Whit brushed at his eyes, having laughed himself to tears. "Apparently he stayed up all night talking to Esme and she asked him to help wake the team. Alice ended up in my bed because I invited her. She needed comforting."

"Oh, I bet you showed her all kinds of comfort," Gopher joked, playfully socking Whit in the arm.

"Sorry to disappoint but the truth is that we slept. That was it."

"Boring!" Lee declared. "Mase, what about you? Did you share a proper goodbye with Guppy?"

He pretended not to hear her, focusing instead on the olives he was tossing into the air and catching with his mouth.

"Obviously you've forgotten what I did to you the last time you were a jerk to me," she warned.

Falling ice cubes immediately filled his head and caused him to shiver. It also forced him to answer her question. "We had a nice goodbye. She stayed up all night with me."

"What's she going to do about her little sister?" Gopher asked.

Masen shrugged. "She says her sister can either accept her choice to stay or stay angry."

Lee looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup. "Did she tell you she invited Alice to stay and watch MMR work?"

"I told her to make the offer."

"Thank you for that," Whit said, passing over the bowl of cheese cubes. "Seeing us in action, seeing Bella in her element, that's got to make a difference with Alice."

"What if it doesn't? What if Alice runs back to Florida?"

Whit shrugged. "Then it's going to be a long distance relationship."

"Whit, we're not talking about a state or two over," Lee pointed out. "It's Hawaii to Florida for part of the year and then whatever oceans we're docking in for the other half."

He swiveled his chair to face her. "If it was Gopher, would it matter?"

She nodded to show she understood and reached out to take hold of Gopher's hand. Masen remained silent, unsure if he could handle that kind of distance and lost as to what kind of person that would make him if he couldn't. He tossed a cube of cheese into his mouth to give himself something else to focus on.

"These Cullens are something else," Gopher declared. "They're like little natural disasters wrapped in attractive packaging. Bella happens first, getting Mase all tied up and then getting him to relax. Kind of.

"Then you've got Carlisle. Esme has been tripping all over herself around him. Blushing and flirting. And he's obviously enjoying it because the stiff dude who walked into our home is not the relaxed vacationer who wished us a good trip this morning. Well, except for that five minute window when he was going to throttle Whit for sleeping with his niece.

"And Alice … Never seen such a little thing be so hugely annoying. She's got Whit hanging from her every word … Mase wouldn't mind hanging her off the back of the boat … And Bella—that girl has the patience of a saint. If that had been one of my little sister's saying that stuff, I'd have given her the five-finger-shut-up."

"Alice didn't make a good first impression," Whit said as he looked at each of them. "I know that. We all know it. But, Gopher, if you'll give her a chance, you'll see she's really a wonderful woman."

Gopher grinned and clamped a hand on Whit's shoulder. "Pull your tights out of your arse, bro. I never said anything about not giving her the chance to show us another side. I'm just saying the one we've seen so far is Two-Face ugly."

"Two-Face?" Masen questioned, not sure which comic book character the man was referencing this time.

"Enemy of Batman. Used to be a friend but got hurt and went psycho. His brain short-circuited, kind of like Alice's when she saw the photos of Bella with Bruiser."

"Thanks for that," Masen said, pointing at Lee. "We wouldn't have had nearly as big of a shit-storm if those hadn't been taped up above the bed."

"That's bullshit and you know it," Lee replied. "Alice's sole intention of coming out here was to take her sister home. It could have been a photo of Bella petting the freaking roaming gnome—Alice still would have flipped out."

"I gotta agree with Lee on this one," Whit stated. "Alice is extremely attached to Bella and anything that takes her out of Alice's sight is a bad thing."

Masen gritted his teeth, knowing all too well what Alice thought of Bella's choices. "That's Alice's problem. Not Bella's." Even as he said it he knew it wasn't true anymore than it would be true for him if anyone in his family was facing a problem.

"They're sisters so the problem belongs to them both," Whit replied. "But so does the solution. Alice needs to take Bella up on the offer to stay and Bella needs to let Alice see the depth of her fear and her determination to ease it."

"If Alice stays, she pulls her weight," Lee declared. "She helps Gopher when she's not observing Bella working with us."

Masen understood where she was coming from and even agreed to a point, but he also knew Lee was only looking at it from the view of Alice being a bratty tagalong. She wasn't seeing that for all of Bella's fears, Alice's were worse because she wouldn't admit to them.

"Alice will have to earn her keep just like the rest of us, but as much as I hate to say it, we have to be more careful with her than we ever have with Bella. Guppy knows her fears and she can feel her attacks coming on. Alice is still in denial that she has issues. She thinks it's perfectly reasonable to pretend seventy percent of the world isn't covered in water."

"I don't buy that," Lee argued, shaking her head. "She just wants to call the shots and have things done her way."

"Think about it Lee," Masen urged. "Haven't you noticed that _I'm_ a shark person but none of you have been tagged that way? Especially not you, Whit. Alice is so blinded by her fear for Bella and her fear of sharks that she hasn't even processed that you three being part of MMR means you're shark people too."

Whit backed him up immediately. "Masen's right. Alice's fear comes out as anger and bossiness. She didn't bring up their dad to hurt Bella. She did it because that's her greatest fear—losing Bella the same way they lost their dad. And for all her talk about leaving with Bella, she never once realized it meant leaving me too until I pointed I tout to her."

"None of it matters until Alice makes a decision, so let's set this topic aside and focus on today," Masen ordered. They absolutely had to deal with the situation between Alice and Bella but his first priority right now was making sure everyone got home safely so they could be there to help fix things.

Gopher's arm shot up into the air. "I read over the plan for today and I have a question."

Masen sighed. "Put your arm down, bro. We've been telling you for years you don't have to do that."

"It feels necessary since I know I'm about to be schooled."

"Whatever," Masen replied with a snort. "What's your question?"

"You have Whit and Lee switching out in the cage after a couple hours. Is there any way I can convince you to let me in on the rotation?"

"We're not just getting in the cage to watch what the sharks do. We're getting film and photos to help plan for tomorrow when we use the decoy seals."

"I know and I've been practicing my camera skills. There's hardly any shake now."

"How hardly is that shake?"

"Very hardly. You know I wouldn't lie and risk fucking up a mission."

Masen looked to Whit first and received a barely noticeable nod. He looked to Lee next, finding her smiling, her expression daring him to turn Gopher down.

He set his eyes on Gopher. "I'll give you an hour when it's expected to be slow. If your camera work is good enough, I'll give you a slot during the action tomorrow."

"Bro, you will _not_ regret it," Gopher promised.

"We'll see. Go study the underwater current map so you'll know what to expect."

"I'll help him," Lee said, getting to her feet. She gave Gopher a pat on the back and a smile, then moved behind him so she could use her hands to sign "thank you" to Masen.

Whit and Masen looked at each other silently for a moment and then fell apart into snorts and chuckles. "Sisters," Whit said, shaking his head and letting out another snort.

"I take back my previous claim. This shit is hands down the weirdest thing to ever happen to us." Masen shook his head and then dropped it into his hands. "Fucking ridiculous."

"Not the adjectives I would use. I was thinking more like incredibly awesome."

"You know what I mean. The craziness of it is ridiculous. Bella is awesome."

"I promise you'll see Alice is too. We just have to help her see what's right in front of her. She has to recognize her own needs and then she'll be able to see Bella's." Whit took the cheese bowl back, surveyed the few pieces remaining, then shook his head at Masen. "Six tacos last night and you're acting like you've been starved for a week this morning."

"That was last night."

"I'm still full, though. So what did you do to burn off the tacos, bro?"

The image of Bella smiling in the moonlight came to Masen and caused him to smile. "I talked with my kapu."

Whit chuckled and socked him in the upper arm. "Fess up. You did more than talk if you're grinning like that."

"How did you put it? Sorry to disappoint? 'Cause all we did was talk."

Whit stared at him like he was waiting for more. When he didn't get it, he said, "That's different for you."

Masen shrugged. "She's different. There's absolutely the urge to be physical there, but it's not all there is. It's not the main goal. And that confuses the shit out of me, just like most things with her. But somehow when I'm with her, I'm so focused on her that I forget about all the confusion and enjoy that time.

"We talked last night and it was pretty great. I'm not going to lie and say it was as good as sex, but I think it meant more than sex would have too. I told her some stuff about Beth and Esme, and she talked about her dad. It was the first time she's really brought him up since she told me about losing him. She trusts me with his memories—that really means something to me. Maybe because of how careful I guard mine of Beth. I don't know. I just know I don't feel like there's anything I didn't do last night that I wish I would have."

"The sign of a man truly in love. The ability to be comfortable and content no matter the activity."

Masen rolled his eyes, finding that explanation to be too simple and cheesy, and changed the topic. "I've been thinking that maybe it would be a good idea for me to talk to Carlisle alone. I'd like to see if he can fill in some of the big blanks Bella has in her memory. I know she dreams about what happened but she can never seem to remember when she wakes up."

"Probably because it's so sudden, ya know? Startled out of her sleep by fucked up images. I hated that phase right after."

"What do you think makes the difference? That you're past that and she's not?"

"Age for one. She was only fourteen. Plus, mine happened directly to me and other than a chunk off my leg, no life was lost. Poor Guppy lost her father." Whit paused and eyed him curiously. "All this talk about her dad … Mase, where's her mom?"

He blew out a heavy breath; he still didn't understand this business with her mom and doubted he ever would. "She kind of lost it. Renee, her mom, she was already on her way with Charlie gone so when Bella told her she still wanted to work with marine life, Renee went bat shit crazy. Carlisle sent her off to live with extended family in California and brought the girls to his home in Florida."

Whit shook his head and sighed. "No wonder Alice has such an extreme attachment to Bella."

"They were both dealt shitty hands so that's no excuse for Alice's behavior."

"You really don't see it, do you?"

"See what?"

"Alice is a controller, just like you. If she's in charge of the situation, then she can make sure the ones she loves are safe. Bella is happy to take a seat and enjoy the ride until there's something she really wants for herself."

"Alice is nothing like me," Masen argued. "Her choices are based on a selfish desire to have Bella safe in the way Alice feels most comfortable with. My choices are based on the true physical and emotional safety of my team."

"How about the part where you both believe you're right, without any thoughts of compromise at all?"

He turned Whit's words over in his mind a couple times before answering. "If—and this is a pretty big fucking if—but if there was going to be a compromise, what would that be? I'm not going to set Bella's progress back to ease Alice's fears."

"I'm not saying you should. But maybe you and Bella can sit with Alice and go over everything she's accomplished so far. Show her the safety plans that have been in place at each step of the way. Have Bella describe the challenges and the achievements and really let her sister see why Bella believes so strongly in our program and us. Then once you've done that, get Bella started on her next task."

He could see the wisdom in his friend's suggestion and the potential for success along with the gloom of possible failure. "Let me think on it some more. I agree we need to do something but I want to make sure it's as right for Bella as it is for Alice."

Whit grinned while gripping Masen's shoulder. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you, bro." He gave him a clap on the back and left him to captain his boat and his team to Seal Island.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

"Alice?

"Sweetheart?

"Yo, Thumper!"

Esme's call startled Alice out of her thoughts and she turned from Bella's doorway to face the woman sitting on the sofa. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Everything okay? You've been standing in that doorway tapping your foot on my floor for the past five minutes. It's not exactly a catchy tune."

Alice grinned, as surprised by Esme's humor as by how much she liked it. "I was just checking on Bella. She's been asleep a long time."

"Actually, it's only been a couple hours. She stayed up last night with Edward and didn't get to bed until the team left. Why don't you come sit with me?" Esme patted the empty cushion next to her. "Let's talk."

"If this is some attempt to convince me your son—"

"Edward is perfectly capable of convincing you of his love for and belief in your sister all on his own. I want to talk about _you_. What do you do for fun? What are your dislikes? Maybe there's a town you'd like to see while you're here. We have three days to ourselves before the team returns. And I have the keys to Edward's Bronco. It's ours for the taking."

She knelt on the sofa and then sat back on her legs. "To be honest, Esme, I'm not entirely sure I want to be here when they return."

"Afraid they'll convince you to join them?"

"Yes." Alice's eyes widened as she realized what answer she'd given. "No! No, that's not it. I just don't think I _should_ join them."

"Because of your job?"

"Well … I did make a commitment."

"If not the job, then maybe it has to do with your friends back home? Carlisle mentioned you're in a sorority. Will staying here cause a problem for you there?"

"No, they know why I'm here and they're cool with it. My sorority big sister and the other girls in charge all said to take as much time as I needed to be with Bella."

"Then what is so important that you need to return home right away?"

She didn't have an answer and she certainly didn't like the corner Esme had backed her into. She liked even less how subtly it had happened.

"Edward, Bella, and Whit would all like you to stay, Alice. _I_ would like you to stay."

"Why would you want me to stay? Don't you think I'm being selfish? Your son certainly does."

"My son and I have never based our opinions of others solely on what we each think. We decide for ourselves. Personally, I don't think you're intentionally being selfish. I believe you're reacting out of fear."

Alice shook her head to deny the claim. She didn't feel afraid outside of thinking of Bella next to a shark and she didn't feel selfish at all. _Well, maybe a little but there's a greater good involved so that sort of wipes it out_, she thought. To Esme she said, "Staying won't change my mind."

"Whether it does or doesn't remains to be seen. However, I can tell you it's best to have all the facts in any situation you're facing. Staying with us will allow you to see what it is we actually do and how we do it. Knowing what Bella's days truly consist of is much better than letting your mind come up with misguided theories. Wouldn't you agree?"

She didn't respond.

"Besides, you can't really be ready to leave Whit so soon after finally meeting him."

Her neck audibly cracked from how fast she raised her head to meet Esme's eyes. "You know?"

Esme laughed and nodded. "There's very little my misfits don't share with me. And boy has my Whit got a crush on _you_. Since you allowed yourself to accept his comfort last night, I'm pretty sure it's mutual."

"Everything I know about him from our dreams and the past few days … He seems like such a great guy."

"So if he's so great, how is he friends with Edward?"

Alice's mouth silently opened and closed, making her look a lot like Bella had that night on the beach when she'd found out she was sharing Edward's tent and not Esme's.

Esme's eyes lit up as she laughed again. "You are as easy to read as my kid. There's no way he's not wondering how his best friend could have fallen for a girl wanting to force her sister home. Just as there's no way you can understand Whit's friendship with Edward when you think he's brainwashed your sister.

"Now imagine if you stay. You can see that there's no brainwashing involved. Edward is a great mentor, the team is very supportive of Bella's efforts, and your sister wants very badly to conquer her fears. Edward will see that you are a fun, sweet, loving person who is very loyal to her big sister.

"You can go home. You can return to your life in Florida and continue to not understand Bella's relationship with Edward, or Whit's friendship with him. You can allow your mind to run wild with concerns for her safety. And you can learn about Whit from dreams, short phone calls, and occasional emails.

"Or you can stay. You can give yourself the chance to get to know Whit up close and personal. Hopefully you'll see firsthand what it is your sister does, and the relationships that confuse you will become clear. Don't you at least owe yourself those opportunities?"

Alice had to admit it was appealing. Especially the parts about getting to be with Whit and having Edward not think of her as a selfish brat. Still, she was reluctant to commit to anything just yet. "I'll think about it."

"Good," Esme replied with a smile and a gentle pat to Alice's knee. "I've got to take Lizzy out for her mid-morning walk. Would you like to come?"

She looked around until she spotted the small dog lying in the doorway of Bella's room. It seemed really attached to her sister which was weird because they'd never been pet people. "Does she bite?"

"Only Edward and only when he deserves it."

She laughed at Esme's answer. "I think I could be friends with a dog like that."

"Let's try it out and see. I'll get her leash on her and you can lead her around the beach."

Lizzy was all too happy to accept the leash and the invitation for a walk. She had been trying to round the corner of the house before Alice and Esme were even out the front door.

Alice was surprised at how strongly the dog tugged against the leash for being such a little thing. Then again, she wasn't very big and always had a ton of energy bubbling up out of her.

The two women were quiet as they walked along the beach together so Alice filled up with the silence in her head by going over everything Esme had shared with her. After the first run-through, Alice came to a conclusion that she hadn't expected. She went through everything two more times before she finally gave in and admitted what she'd learned. Esme hadn't said a single thing Alice didn't already know—she'd just said it in a way that hadn't left room for excuses. And without those excuses, the choice wasn't a choice at all. It was a necessity for both Alice and Bella's futures as individual women and sisters.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella's phone chirped with a call and she smiled, positive of the identity of her caller. "Hi."

"What are you doing?"

Her smile widened as she looked up at the night sky, her eyes finding the constellation immediately. "The same as you."

Edward's silence was answer enough.

Bella closed her eyes and pictured him. He was most likely frowning over her being right but his blue eyes were sure to still be glued to the sky. She had him out of his element again, something he both enjoyed and loathed. He couldn't stand to feel confused, and missing her when he had never felt that way before for anyone was a big muddy mess.

"How was your day? Did you get some sleep?" he asked. "Did you take it easy with your leg? How were your head and stomach today?"

She laughed at how switching his mind to her health made him so talkative. "I'm fine. No stomach issues today and only a slight headache earlier. I did take it easy with my leg but I also worked on strengthening it so I'm not limping as much."

"Did you sleep?"

"I had a very nice morning nap," she assured him. "What about you? How was your day? I read on the daily that Gopher took a turn with the underwater video. How did that go?"

"You read the daily?" He sounded genuinely shocked.

"Of course I did. Despite my issues with sharks, I've always been interested in what you guys do. Though, I have to admit tomorrow's daily will be a little harder to read with what you have planned."

"It's not as dangerous as it reads on paper, Guppy. I'll be in the shark cage so technically I won't be in the water."

"But you will be luring sharks near Galeos with decoy seals."

"It's not really that near. That's why we'll be using long range lenses. I don't want Galeos in range of the decoys until I know for sure how the sharks will react to them."

Bella waved her free hand in dismissal, not up to discussing it any further while they were apart this way. It was so much easier to brave when he was standing beside her. "So what about Gopher?" she questioned. "How did he convince you to let him have a try? And did he do okay?"

"He asked for a chance and told me he'd been practicing his camera skills. I could tell he was being serious and that his only goal was to help complete the task. And he ended up doing pretty good. He still has too much of a shake to let him be involved on a regular basis, but if he continues to practice and improve he could eventually become a backup for Whit."

"I'm sure Gopher was really grateful for the chance."

"He was and I was glad to give it to him. You have to know that I've never excluded him from a mission because of any personal feelings about him. It's always been a question of safety, especially his own. When he first joined MMR, he would have done just about anything to prove to Lee he really wanted to be here. Then for a while he wanted to prove to Whit and me that he could do anything we could. I couldn't let him in the water with his head focused on showing off. When he's beneath the surface, his mind has to be on the task at hand and his surroundings. Anything less puts his life at risk and I can't allow that. But when he asked today, I could tell it was all about the work, about getting the best footage in the safest way."

"Just so we're clear, I've never thought for a moment that you were holding Gopher back because of personal feelings. While I haven't always agreed with your methods, I have understood that there are real reasons for implementing them. And no one can argue with your results. Anyone who would try only has to look at the pictures on my wall."

"I prefer your journal entries."

Bella grinned, hearing both the honesty and smile in his voice. "I'll have to make sure to write about our snorkeling adventure before you get back so you have something to read."

"I'm sorry, kapu. I wanted the snorkeling to be fun so you could have at least one entry without any mention of worry or fear."

"Edward, you have nothing to apologize for. _I_ wasn't paying attention. _I_ startled the ray. You made sure I had immediate help and the best care. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me for cutting your birthday short."

"You didn't cut it short. You just changed the location from the beach to your room. Sharing a comfy bed with a beautiful girl—nothing to complain about there."

She laughed at his cocky tone and then tried to knock him down a peg. "You know, it's typically not a good thing for a man to be so attached to his puppy."

"Hey!" Edward bellowed, making her laugh all over again. "Come on, kapu. That wasn't nice."

"Did I bruise your ego a little there?"

"Not nearly as much as my ass when you made me fall at the tidal pool."

"_Made_ you? We obviously have two very different memories of that afternoon."

"Favorite moment that day?"

Bella quickly replayed every single second with him through her head, but she already knew what she would pick. "Your song."

"_Your_ song, kapu."

Even from a boat in the middle of the ocean he had the power to make her cheeks flush and her insides warm and melt. "Will you sing for me again sometime?"

"Maybe. Not tonight, though. I have to get inside and finish a few things up for tomorrow. And you need to get to bed. You need a full night's sleep."

"It's weird without you now."

He didn't say anything and she thought maybe he hadn't heard her. But then he sighed into the phone and she knew he'd heard. "So much of this feels weird, Bella … I wasn't … It didn't seem like falling in love with the confusion and the worry. The missing you thing now … I don't want you to think I only see the negatives. I just … I don't know how to say the positives."

She smiled while looking up at the constellation he'd shown her. "You know, Edward."

When he spoke this time, there was no awkwardness in his voice and there might have even been a bit of a smile coloring his tone. "I love you, kapu. Go get some sleep."

"Good luck tomorrow to all of you."

"Thanks, Guppy. Hold down the fort there and give my girl a treat for me. Night." He ended the call so suddenly she wondered for a second if maybe his battery had died. But as she thought about what they'd each said during the call, she came to the conclusion that he'd most likely been as honest as he could stand and wanted to get off the phone before his annoyance over all the changes became visible.

As she settled under the covers on his side of the bed, she realized that he'd been in such a rush to get off the phone that he'd thrown her off and she hadn't had a chance to say something she felt he should hear. Two somethings, actually.

She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and scrolled to his name to send him a text message. _Wanted to make sure you know I love you too. Can't wait for Friday. Stars are poor substitute for seeing you. Good night, your kapu._

She knew he probably wouldn't see it tonight since he typically turned his phone off when he worked but that was okay. He would eventually turn it back on and find her message. Bella drifted off to sleep with images of his green eyes and playful smirk filling her head.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Whit's POV:**

"That smile … It's familiar yet foreign. You're happy about something but you're also finding it ridiculous. You don't typically combine those two emotions." Whit's head moved to the right as he continued to survey Lee.

"Mase has a girl."

Whit laughed. "Yeah, I kind of noticed that."

Lee was still smiling as she sat down in the chair next to him. "He's in her room, passed out on his stomach, with his face buried in her pillow. That part is completely ridiculous because that's so not him. He's not that guy who misses someone and gets sentimental. But just maybe he is and that makes me so happy because despite his ability to be a complete fucktard, he's a great guy with a big heart. He deserves the chance to love and be loved."

Whit nodded, agreeing with everything she'd just said. "He called her tonight. I saw him coming down from the upper deck with his phone in his hand."

"Do you think he admitted to missing her?"

"If he did, it was in his own way." Whit snorted and added, "Lucky for him Bella seems to speak Masen."

"Grasping Masen-Speak is harder than any of the foreign languages I've had to learn," Lee joked. "On a serious note, I'm pretty impressed with how Guppy's handled the whole ray incident. I was worried it would set her back and maybe even make her quit, but she's more determined than ever."

"If she can stay this determined, then Masen will absolutely be able to help her work through her fears."

"What about you? Think you're going to be able to do anything with your dream girl? She seems pretty damn set on busting Masen's balls and dragging Guppy home."

"Alice wants her sister safe, Lee. You can understand that desire."

"I do. I totally get it. But I can't see letting your own fear stand in the way of someone you love." She put an arm around Whit and rested her head on his shoulder. "As afraid as I was for you, I never once thought of keeping you out of the water, not with knowing how much you love it."

"It's all perspective, Lee. It's how you look at life, both your own and those of the ones you love. I think for Alice, she's so afraid of losing the loved ones she has left that she honestly can't see she's standing in the way of Bella's happiness."

"Does Alice know about you yet?"

"No. She's not ready. She can't handle it yet."

"Are you sure about that? Or are you comparing her to Maria?"

Whit shrugged. "I don't think I'm exactly comparing them but I'm definitely thinking about Maria. She was a hot-head but she had a good heart.

Lee interrupted with a snort. "Most days."

Whit grinned, knowing that was pretty accurate. "But Maria also wanted life to be perfect and she couldn't deal with anything less than that. Seeing my leg before it was repaired, she just couldn't stomach it. At the time, I was pretty pissed at her. I mean, there I am in a hospital bed with a chunk of my leg missing, having nearly died, and all she seemed to care about was whether or not I'd walk with a cane and a limp. But after the anger and the hurt, came the realization that I was better off without her. Someone who can't stomach sick people isn't a good match for a guy wanting to be a nurse."

Lee lifted her head and grinned at him. "Well that and she was a harpy in a bikini body."

Whit snorted and laughed. "Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "She was that too."

"And there was definitely no love lost between her and Masen."

"She didn't want to give him a chance, and he got tired of giving her new ones."

"Think that'll happen with Alice?"

"Nope. I'm going to make sure Alice gives him a chance and Bella is going to make sure Masen doesn't give up on Alice."

"Team effort. Fastest way to get things done around here."

"And get them done right." Whit held his fist out and Lee bumped it with hers.

She widened her smile and he knew right away she was going to be a smart ass with him. "So the dreaming of each other, how explicit does that get?"

He laughed and pushed on her shoulder. "You're ridiculous."

She grabbed him up in a hug and squeezed hard, letting him feel the depth of her happiness for him. "And you're in love. Even if it is with a sparkle-shoe wearing tiny tornado of disharmony."

"Love you too, Lee."

She gave his cheek a loud kiss before letting him go. "Love you, bro. I'll be in the kitchen making a late night snack if you need anything."

"Coffee would be awesome," he called, watching her shadow move down the hallway wall.

"One fresh pot coming right up!"

Whit's phone had vibrated a couple times during his conversation with Lee and now he pulled it out to check his messages. He found one from Alice that made him feel hopeful.

_**A-Dream:**__ Thinking of you and opportunities we would have if I stay. I know you'll still talk to me if I don't, but I'm also thinking it won't be nearly the same. I don't want to talk about it tonight, but I wanted you to know I'm thinking about it._

And one from Esme that made him snort so hard it hurt.

_**Esme-MisfitMom:**__ Accidentally got Carlisle drunk. I know it's bad form to make a pass at a drunk, sexy, drunk man, but it's so hard to resist. Tell me again why we must be good?_

He rubbed at his sore nose while reading over Esme's text a second time and then typed out a reply to her.

_Resistance is not as futile as it feels. Besides, you know you prefer the sexy over the drunk. Hold out for a sober moment and get extra sexy. That's my advice._

Next he sent a text to Alice, hoping it would make her smile.

_Off helm duty in a couple hours and then I get to dream of you. Warning you now, thoughts of Paris and croissants in my head. I feel a romantic stroll coming on ;) See you soon._

Whit had his phone halfway into his pocket when he suddenly felt the need to send one more text.

_Guppy, hope you had a good day. You are missed by us all. Masen most. Keep following my orders. I'll know if you don't._

_There_, he thought as he put his phone away. _Bella has been reassured, Alice has been comforted, and Esme has been reigned-in. This nudger has done his duty for the night._

**"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

The corners of Alice's mouth were sore from how wide she was smiling as she re-read Whit's text message. A romantic stroll through Paris sounded like a perfect dream after this long day.

"Did you get a message from Whit?"

Alice nodded as she looked up at Bella, finding her still playing with the puppy. She had gone to bed earlier in the night but then had been woken by Uncle Carl and Esme giggling out on the patio. The two sisters had sat in Bella's doorway watching them carry on for a bit before deciding to leave the drunken adults to their flirting.

They'd made themselves a late night snack of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, just like they did back home when they couldn't sleep. Now they were in Bella's room watching a movie, though neither of them paid much attention to the iPad screen.

"You've never smiled so big for a guy. Not even your first boyfriend. What was his name? Tommy? Timmy?"

Alice thought hard but she couldn't remember either and that made her giggle. "It was kindergarten. That's too far back to recall his name."

Bella looked up from the puppy and smiled at her sister. "This is nice … Us talking and not fighting."

"You do know I don't want to fight with you, right?"

"Yes. But that doesn't do us much good."

"I know," Alice admitted with a sigh. "Even though they were flirting when they said it, I think Uncle Carl and Esme really do believe I should stay."

"Of course they do. They want what's best for both of us, Alice. They don't want either of us to be so afraid that we can't live our lives the way we want."

"Well if I stayed, would you make that Masen guy be nice to me?"

Bella snorted. "First of all, you _really_ need to stop referring to him in that way. Secondly, I can't make him be nice any more than I can make you. You want him to be nice, try being nice to him first."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest. "It would be a lot easier if he wasn't so hell bent on getting you near sharks."

Bella reached out to take hold of her sister's hand and tugged her arms loose. "Alice, I really want you to listen to me. Edward is only doing what I asked him to do—to help me not be crippled by my fear of sharks."

"But why does it matter? Isn't fearing a monster the smart thing to do? I mean, you don't want to be around them, right? You aren't planning to become a shark expert at the aquarium in Atlanta."

"If I want to reach my full potential there, then I have to be around them. The aquarium's largest exhibit has multiple species of sharks living in it. I can't be in the middle of talking about a manta ray and then freak out in front of a bunch of kids just because a sand shark swam up to the glass."

"That won't happen."

"Alice, it can happen. It _will_ happen if I don't do something about my fear. In fact, it has happened. When I first got to Hawaii, Edward took me to this beautiful ocean center. We were having a great time and sharing what we know about marine life. I was even impressing him with the way I can explain about the creatures without it being boring. And then a shark swam close and I couldn't take it.

"You know how you felt when you saw the pictures above my bed? That's not even close to what's it like for me. I've always worked hard to hide it from you because I felt like I needed to protect you. I guess I felt that if you knew I was afraid then you would be afraid too."

Bella shook her head, looking a little frustrated. "Afraid … It's too simple a word for what I feel. I can't catch my breath, I can't hear because my heart's beating so hard, and I can't move. I'm literally frozen with my fear. It happened to me at the ocean center and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was lucky that Edward believes in me because otherwise I could have been sent home before the internship even began.

"Sometimes I wish I was like you," Bella admitted. "I wish I could give up on the water and be happy with a life on land. Heck, I wish I could have just been happy working with the dolphins and whales at Sea World. But then I see a ray or a mollusk or a raccoon butterfly and I know I could never be happy without the sea in my life.

"I don't want to settle for what's easy, Alice. I want so much more out of my life and my career. I want to excel and make a difference. Whether that puts me working with sharks or not, I can't have a panic attack every time they swim near the glass. Even if I don't take the aquarium job, I need to get a handle on this fear. I don't ever want to experience again what I did at the ocean center."

"What? Why wouldn't you take the job?"

Bella gave a tired laugh and sunk both hands into her hair. "You are doing exactly what you used to when you were fourteen and fifteen. You're hearing keywords and reacting to them instead of listening to everything I'm telling you. Do you have any idea how frustrating you are when you do that?"

Alice grinned. "Probably as frustrating as my big sister when she tells me she wants to be near sharks."

"I'm not saying I want to be near them every day. I just want the ability to do it."

Alice noticed the way Bella was now hugging the puppy to her chest. Something about it made this all click in a way talking about it hadn't. Bella really was scared. All the nights Alice had been afraid of the dark or missing their parents or just didn't want to be alone, Bella had always been solid and brave—and kind enough to let her little sister into her bed every single time. It had never occurred to Alice that her big sister might be just as scared and just as lonely.

_But why wasn't she this scared when she was talking to me earlier about sharks?_ Alice asked herself. Just as quickly, she admitted the answer. _Because Masen was here and he really is helping her._

Alice sucked in a breath and grabbed hold of her courage to force out the question on the tip of her tongue. "If I did stay, would I have to do what you're doing? Touch sharks and be around them?"

"You won't have to do anything you don't want or don't feel ready for. Edward doesn't push unless he knows you want it and can handle it. And you don't have to work with sharks at all. You can just watch us."

"Us? You really consider yourself part of their team?"

"I _know_ I am. I've earned it. And I'm not done, Alice. I'm not leaving MMR."

"I don't understand it. But maybe if I stay I will?"

Bella scooted over to sit beside Alice and put an arm around her. "Maybe. Even if you don't, it would be nice to have my sister with me."

"Even then? Really?"

"Always," Bella promised. And then she grinned and tapped Alice on the nose. "As long as you aren't instigating arguments with Edward."

"I can't promise that."

"Okay but just know I won't protect you from his reaction."

Alice's jaw dropped and she gasped loudly. "But you have to. You're my big sister and you don't let anyone mess with me."

"You look horrified," Bella exclaimed while giggling. "Worse than when you stepped in the neighbor's dog's poop in our driveway with your new shoes."

Alice rolled her eyes and then gave a good argument for why Bella had to protect her. "You promised me in third grade when George Ross sat behind me in class and wouldn't stop pulling my pigtails."

"How in the world do you remember his name?"

Alice grinned. "Because I'll never forget how my big sister made a boy stop hurting me by threatening to put stinging jellyfish in his bathtub."

"I'll never let anyone hurt you if I can help it. I'm so sorry that my needing to be here hurts you. I wish I could prevent it."

"I don't understand why you need it, but I can see you believe you do. I'll do my best to accept that for now."

"Thank you." Bella kissed Alice on the temple and then struggled to her feet. "As fun as it is to hang out with you, I need to get some sleep. Edward will know if I don't and he'll tell Whit and then I'll have my nurse and my doctor getting on me about resting."

"Bella—" Alice bit on her lip, deciding at the last second that it was a childish request not worth voicing.

Bella knew anyway. "What side of the bed do you want?"

Snuggled in beside her sister with a snoring puppy lying between their legs, Alice made a tentative decision to stay for a full week, just to see how things would go. She listened to the lulling tones of Esme and Carlisle conversing until she finally drifted off to sleep, hoping to take a stroll through Parisian streets with Whit.

**"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Esme's POV:**

"More wine?" Esme asked as she topped off her own glass.

Carlisle held his glass out to her. "If I didn't know better, Ms. Masen, I would think you're trying to get me drunk."

Esme laughed. "Carlisle, you hit drunk about a glass and a half back."

"I did," he agreed with a low chuckle. "And you're catching up with me," he said, pointing a finger at her and swaying in his chair a bit.

She leaned in with her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, getting a good look at his gray-green eyes and the glassy look they held. "Yep. Drunk."

"Not too drunk to appreciate a clear night and a beautiful woman."

"Oh, Carlisle," she breathed out with a sigh. "You're making it hard for me to behave."

The backs of his fingers brushed along the side of her arm. "I don't think either of us would mind if we misbehaved a little."

It was so tempting and would have been so easy, but it wasn't the right thing to do so Esme forced herself to continue being good. "Alright, Mister, no more wine for you," she ordered, reaching out to take his glass.

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "You're amazing."

"And you're drunk," Esme replied while blushing madly. She was doing her best to behave but there was only so much willpower inside of her. "You better hand over that glass of wine."

"You're the most amazing woman I've ever met. The way you spoke to Alice this morning … I could never have gotten through to her so easily."

"It was nothing. As much as she seems to hold a grudge against my kid, she's a lot like him. I figured if letting him lead himself to the answer works on him, it would work on her too."

"You made today a better day, Esme. Alice is calmer and at least open to the idea of staying. And Bella's progress is moving right along. I owe you, Edward, and Whit for those things."

"You don't and I won't hear any mention of it again."

Carlisle leaned in to her further, bracing himself with an arm on the edge of the table. "I want to hear why you aren't married. A woman like you, so full of life and heart, it seems universally wrong that no one has seen it yet."

"A few have seen it. But I come as a bundled package. I haven't found the man whose heart is big enough for me and my misfits. I need someone who will jump in there and be in the mix with us, someone who doesn't mind rarely getting to have me all to himself. It'll happen someday."

"You know what you want and you don't mind waiting for it. I like that. That's good. That's what Charlie … He wanted that for Bella and Alice and I've tried. I've tried so hard to encourage them to be that way. But you never know. You never know if you're doing it right or fucking it up. Excuse my French, Esme."

She held back her laugh at his excusing his cursing, pushing her lips together and giving him a slow nod as a response.

"I just … " Carlisle sank back into the chair and ran a hand through his windblown brown hair. "I want my girls to be everything Charlie always knew they could be. Bella, she … she has such a love for the waters and the creatures in them."

He suddenly sat up and moved close to Esme again. "Her face when she's talking about her job—Esme, she's so full of passion and fire. She reminds me of Charlie strongly in those moments. He was always one to go hard after what lit a fire in him. Charlie saw it in her from an early age. He knew she was going to spend her life on the water. That's why she was with us on that damn fishing trip."

Carlisle picked up his wine glass and sighed into it, then gulped down a mouthful. "I have to be drunk because it hurts too much otherwise. My nieces don't have a father or a mother because of me. Because I booked that trip and I didn't turn the radio on first thing that morning and I didn't get them out of the water fast enough."

Esme grabbed his hand, squeezing his flesh until he looked up and she knew she had his attention. "You're lucky you're drunk, Mister, or I'd have to knock you on your ass for thinking you are anything less than an amazing parent. What happened to your brother was an accident that no one could have predicted. Just as no one could have predicted Renee's reaction to Charlie's death. You did the best thing, the most loving thing anyone can do in a situation like that. You took your nieces into your home and raised them as your own. You love them unconditionally, you support their dreams, and you even do all you can to broker peace between them. Those young women have lost a great deal, but they have also gained so much through you. The years you have given them are what you should focus on and think about instead of wasting time trying to lay fault for one blameless event."

He was still close to her and she could see the glassiness had left his eyes to be replaced with hurt. "Honestly, Esme … Don't you ever feel guilty for standing in Beth's shoes?"

"In the beginning I did. But I quickly saw it wasn't helping me and it certainly wasn't helping Edward. He needed me to fill those shoes to the best of my ability and then he needed me to make them my own. He needed to feel that I wasn't just being a placeholder for her, that he belonged to me as much as I belonged to him. Just as your girls have needed that from you. And from what I can tell, you've given that to them. So why should there be any guilt associated with doing something so wonderful for someone you love?"

"I'm going to kiss you. You need to be kissed for seeing the love and beauty in our situations and not just the pain and sadness."

Esme wanted that kiss badly but she also wanted him sober enough to remember it so she pulled back. "Carlisle, as much as I have enjoyed this night, it's time to call it done and turn in."

He gave her a nod and then got to his feet all on his own; she was shocked by his steadiness after his earlier swaying while seated. She grabbed her glass and the nearly empty bottle of wine while he carried the empty plate of cheese cubes they'd demolished and his own glass.

They made quick work of washing the dishes together and then he escorted her to her door, seeming more like a character from an old black and white romance movie than a real man in these modern times.

"Esme, thank you again for a wonderful day and night."

She shook her head at him while leaning back against her doorframe. "You really have to stop acting like I'm doing something grand. It's going to give me an ego complex."

"You'll have to stop impressing me first."

"Raise your standards. That'll solve it right away," she joked with a soft chuckle.

Carlisle stepped into her personal space, setting one arm against the frame just above her head and nearly touching his forehead to hers. "I have to kiss you."

"You're too drunk to remember it." As much as she knew the words were true, she wanted them to be wrong. She needed him to kiss her more than she needed her next breath.

"There's no such thing. You're unforgettable in every way." Carlisle kept Esme from denying his words with the simplest yet most complicated action a man and woman can partake in—a first kiss.

And oh man was it a kiss worth telling about it! This wasn't some tentative barely there and gone again moment between young people. This was the life's too short to waste time let me blow your mind right now merging of lips. A hard kiss with harsh breaths, grasping fingers, and noses smashed against cheeks. Esme didn't even feel it when her head banged against the doorframe from Carlisle's efforts to get closer to her.

Her hands gripped his arms, feeling the movement of his muscles and the power there. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to pull and lead him into her room. Easy. So, so easy. But not right. Not right when neither of them were completely sober. Not right with there still not being a firm decision from Alice on the girls' futures. And not right because of the temporary nature of their relationship. Carlisle was only here to ensure his niece was okay. Once Bella was healed, he'd be jetting back to Florida. Esme wasn't the type to be opposed to a one night stand at all—she just didn't want something so short-term with Carlisle. He was too good, too attractive on too many levels—once just wouldn't cut it and he hadn't given any indication there could be more than that.

With a heavy sigh and a pang of regret for what wouldn't be, Esme pulled away and slipped inside her room. "Goodnight, Carlisle." She couldn't read his expression but that was probably a good thing. She really didn't want to see her thoughts confirmed in his eyes.

Carlisle cleared his throat and mumbled "goodnight" before turning away from her door. She almost had it shut when he turned back and called her name. "I'm sorry for being so forward. I really hope you won't hold it against me in the morning."

She replied with a joke that hopefully removed any guilt he might be feeling over the kiss. "Pretty sure the only thing I'll be holding is a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin."

"Would it be okay if I joined you in that?"

"As much as we drank tonight, I'd be shocked if you didn't."

"See you at breakfast then. Goodnight, Esme."

"Night." She closed the door and then turned to lean against it. _So close. So damn close and still light-years away. I know I'll find the one someday but does someday really have to be so freakin far off? And do you really have to tempt me with such a remarkable and sexy man in the meantime?_

She washed her face, changed into her nightclothes, and crawled under the cool sheets of her bed. Regardless of how the night hadn't ended, it had still been fun and it had been great to see Bella and Alice spending some time together. _They probably have no idea they were spotted in the doorway of Bella's room. Edward will be happy to hear about it tomorrow. Whit too._

Esme turned over to face the window and the night sky beyond. The sky was clear and the stars bright, a perfect night for stargazing. She wondered what her son was doing, if he was missing Bella, and how he might be handling it alone without his kapu and his mom. That thought led her to think about Carlisle's question of guilt for filling in for Beth. Esme often wished her sister were here to see the man Edward was turning into but mostly she just felt lucky to help shape him and to be here to support him.

She fell asleep thinking of her sister and the nephew she loved as her own son. She dreamt of times spent with them together and of future moments she hoped to experience with Edward. And then she dreamt of a man with brown hair and gray-green eyes wanting her and her misfits. She would have been thrilled to know that across the house that man was dreaming of her and what a life together would be like.

**"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** We had a lot of interesting little glimpses into the characters and their motivations in this one. We hope you all enjoyed! We've got a couple pictures up over on the blog to go along with this chapter so be sure to check them out.

We had to share part of a review for Chapter 25 – It comes to us from Hope4more:

_Edward is Dory from Finding Nemo! Has a heart of gold and determination to make it all right...bringing them all together even if he wants to just go lounge in the whale's mouth and call it a day!_


	27. 27 Rhombus & Other Surprises

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 27 – A Rhombus and Other Surprises**

**Wednesday, June 25****th**

"Left. Left. Left!" The absurdity of the situation made it impossible for Masen not to laugh as he altered his command slightly. "_Your_ left, for fuck's sake!"

Gopher repeatedly spit out "shit" and "fuck" while tangling with the decoy seal, eventually getting it set in the water the way it needed to be. He stood bent with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily and giving Masen a harassed look.

"Bro, this is all on you," Masen said, making no attempt to hold back his smirk. "I explained it twice on the boat and I was giving directions as you did it."

"I was fine until you started yelling."

"I didn't start yelling until you were well into doing it wrong," he defended.

Gopher's expression turned to pleading. "Can we leave this shit out of the daily?"

He shrugged with his smirk still firmly in place, enjoying a little innocent torture after all of the guy's comments the past few days. "Depends on how you do the rest of the day."

With a heavy sigh, Gopher stood to his full height and peeled off the tank top he'd turned into a sweaty mess. "I sure hope these fake seals turn out to be worth the hassle."

In order to prevent damage to the shark's teeth, the decoy seals were made of a soft foam wrapped up in old wetsuit material that Esme and Lee had sewn together. They weren't really heavy but their size and shape made them awkward to handle. If they weren't set just right, the fake flippers would fold under or over and require a hand to be in the water to fix it. That was not an acceptable risk for Masen; he'd prefer to reset the decoy ten times than have Gopher's hand in the water once.

The radio sitting on the captain's chair crackled and then released Whit's voice. "You two okay out there? The skiff was leaning to the side pretty heavily."

Masen laughed and clapped Gopher on the shoulder before grabbing for the radio. "All clear here. A little trouble setting the first decoy but we've got it now."

"Good thing we aren't filming the setup. Guppy would sure as hell shit herself seeing the boat leaning that way with you two in it."

"It looked worse than it was, bro. Trust me."

"I do trust you. That's the only reason I'm on the radio and not driving Galeos toward you."

"You better not move my boat," Masen warned. "It took us twenty minutes to get her into the right spot."

"Quit your whining and get the other decoy set, will ya?"

"Whit, shut the fuck up."

His best friend's chuckling laughter came through the radio loud and clear.

He looked toward the boat and flipped his friend off, knowing Whit was watching them through a pair of binoculars. "Asshat."

"You calling him that for yanking your chain? Or for being in love with Alice?"

"The heart wants what it wants, Gopher. I can't fault him for that any more than I can for his superb taste in friends."

"Yeah, me and Lee are a catch."

The two looked at each other and shared a laugh, and then Masen put them right back into work mode. "Let's try to get this second decoy right the first time. Take us about thirty yards southeast of this spot."

Gopher got the skiff moving and then asked, "So basically we're making a v-shaped path from the edges of the shark cage to these two decoys?"

"That's the plan. Gives us a great line of sight and keeps Galeos safe from the effects of a breach."

"What's that gonna be like? An actual full-on breach that's close enough to see it without binoculars?"

"With any luck, it'll be sheer fucking joy and completely caught on film. You're not going to see that much when it happens because a breach only lasts a second or two, but tonight when we go through all of the footage we should see some amazing details."

"Think Guppy will watch the videos?"

Masen grinned, trying to appear far more confident than he felt about his future. "We'll watch together."

"How's the leg?"

He didn't answer; he didn't feel it was anyone's business that he'd called Bella last night and found a text from her this morning.

"Come on, Mase. There's no way you've gone over twenty-four hours without talking to your kapu and I want to know how my friend is doing."

It was only because he could tell Gopher was honestly concerned that he answered. "She's okay. Says she's limping less and eating more."

"Good. She'll be back with us in no time."

Masen didn't say anything but he really wanted Gopher to be right.

By the time they got back to Galeos, Lee and Whit had the still and video cameras ready to go. Gopher would be in the crow's nest calling out shark sightings while Lee would be at the front of the boat with one of the video cameras, and Whit would be at the back with the other. Masen would have his still camera with him in the cage, though he wouldn't be exactly underwater today. His line of sight was going to be the surface so the cage was only set halfway into the water.

He quickly stripped down to his boxer briefs and put on his full wetsuit. He would have preferred his surfing shorts and shirt but since this was something new it was safer to have the full suit and be prepared for anything. Gopher helped him with his watch and made sure he had an air canister strapped to his waist, then passed him his lucky mask. Even though his head and most of his chest would remain above water, he was taking the mask and canister just in case something went wrong and he ended up underwater for a prolonged time.

"Everybody understand what they're doing?" Masen asked as he set his mask on top of his head, smashing down his wild hair.

"I'm keeping my eyes open for sharks and yelling out the direction they're coming from," Gopher answered.

Whit jerked his thumb toward the water. "Videoing the left side decoy."

"Right side decoy," Lee said while checking the ropes on the waterproof case one more time. They had attached a small rubber ball full of air to each side so the case would float on the surface instead of needing Masen to hold it there. Satisfied everything was as it should be, she passed the case and the camera within to him.

"Mase, wouldn't it make more sense for me to be in the skiff, ready to reset the decoys?" Gopher questioned. "It just seems to me that we're going to lose a lot of time with me having to get down from the nest, get on the skiff, drive out to the decoy, reset it, and then drive back."

"I agree we're going to lose some time, but I'd rather lose time than you," Masen replied. "You could be leaning over to reset that decoy when another shark comes out of nowhere to go after it and gets your hand instead. Maybe it misses you completely on the launch but then lands on the skiff during the return, hurting you and damaging the boat."

"See? Wisdom of Xavier," Gopher said, pointing at Masen and looking at Lee.

Masen snorted at being compared to the head of the X-men.

"Except with way more hair," Gopher added, causing Whit to laugh and Lee to shake her head.

"Just remember I don't want you on the skiff alone," Masen warned. "Take Whit or Lee with you every time."

"I won't let him forget," Lee answered before Gopher could.

Satisfied everyone was ready, Masen used a rope ladder to climb down the side of Galeos and enter the cage from the top. Without the weight of a full-size air tank on his back, it was easy to make the climb down. Plus it was safer than swimming around the side of the boat alone.

Treading water inside the cage with his camera at the ready and his focus on the two decoys, Masen could feel the excitement pulsing throughout him. He had complete confidence the decoys would work and the footage they would gain would be invaluable to their research, not to mention unique and amazing. Once he had time to really study the videos, he'd be able to use the information they'd gathered to extend their decoy research, allowing for better and closer footage.

While he kept the majority of his senses trained on the decoy seals, he also made sure to be aware of his immediate surroundings. He had no way to know if the cage might be more interesting to the sharks than the decoys. He certainly hoped not, but this was definitely not a time to assume anything. It was also not a time to be impatient. A breach could happen at any time with hardly any forewarning; he'd be pissed if he missed it because he allowed himself to get bored and his mind to wander.

And yet, there remained that little corner of his mind that held onto thoughts of Bella no matter how hard he tried to push it toward work.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Carlisle's POV:**

After a night full of oddly enticing dreams about a woman he'd basically just met, Carlisle couldn't stand to be in bed a moment longer. While he dressed for the day, he made a preliminary plan of things to do with the girls and tasks to accomplish for work. He had a few emails he needed to respond to in order to make sure his absence didn't hold up any projects. He would eventually have to schedule a return trip but that didn't have to happen today. He could stay a few more days just to make absolute sure Bella would be okay. He also reasoned it wasn't wise to leave before knowing Alice's final answer on if she would remain here or return with him. The one thing he didn't allow his mind to focus on was the conundrum that was Esme Masen.

The first assignment he'd given himself was making breakfast with Bella. He felt it would be good for her to perform a task from home, and it would allow him to really talk to her without her filtering answers for her sister's sake.

He was so focused on what he would say when he woke Bella up that he nearly walked right past her. She was curled up in a corner of the couch with her nose in a book, absentmindedly twisting her finger up in a length of her hair. It was unsettling to look at her and see both the woman she had become and the little girl who had been the pride and joy of his brother. That urge to apologize to her welled up inside of him and just as he prepared to push it away, Esme did it for him. _You did the best thing, the most loving thing … The years you have given them are what you should focus on …_

He took a breath and then smiled for Bella before calling out to her. "Bug, you're up early."

Bella looked over the back of the couch, smirking at her uncle. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

Carlisle studied her face, trying to glean what she'd seen and possibly heard of his evening with Esme.

His niece started giggling and shaking her head. "I haven't even said anything yet and you're blushing."

"Men don't blush, sweetheart. _You_ do."

"Yeah? Then why are your cheeks and ears pink?"

"Obviously I've had too much sun without enough sunblock."

Bella snorted. "Allow me to borrow from Whit … Your butt must be jealous of all the crap coming out of your mouth."

"Isabella!" Carlisle had never heard her say anything like that to anyone and definitely not to him. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to reprimand her or if it was okay to give in to his urge to laugh.

"Oh, come on, Uncle Carl. I can see you want to laugh. Besides, it _is_ true."

He shook his head while rounding the couch, then sat down beside her. "I've never heard you speak that way."

It was her turn to blush. "I know. I just …" She lifted her head fully, revealing the expressive brown eyes she'd inherited from her father. Carlisle could see a mix of love and uncertainty in those eyes. "Maybe I thought it was best to be really good and not even give the impression of being out of line."

It physically hurt to hear her say that, despite knowing it was a valid fear after her mother's reaction to the loss of Charlie. But this moment wasn't about his own hurt. It was about helping Bella to alleviate herself of a burden she never should have been carrying.

Cupping her cheek and holding her gaze, he made her a promise he meant with every fiber of his being. "Bella, there is nothing you could say or do that will change how very much I love you."

As expected, she blushed and tried to look away, but he kept their eye contact. "That may sound like a lip-service to you since we can't know what the future holds, but I assure you it's not. It's a promise I know I can uphold because I know you and what's in your heart. You will never purposefully hurt me, just as I will never hurt you or leave your life. We are in this together for the entirety of our lives, Bug. You have my back and I have yours, and we both have Alice's."

Bella carefully scooted closer, mindful of her leg, and then gave him the hardest hug he'd ever received from her. "Thank you."

He smiled into her hair while hugging her back, feeling mostly lucky to have her love with a little guilt for having a father-daughter moment with her. "It's me who needs to thank you, Bella. Just think how boring my life would be without you girls in it."

She let out a short giggle as she relaxed her hold and moved her head to his shoulder. "I bet Esme doesn't think you're boring."

"I don't know what you think you saw, young lady, but I—"

"Oh, so it was your doppelganger out on the patio kissing her hand?"

Carlisle figured the best response was none at all. _Maybe if I don't acknowledge it, she'll let it drop._

"I think she'd be great for you."

_Of course she wouldn't. Neither would her father if he were here._

"You _can_ like her, you know. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not like anyone could ever say I got the internship because of a relationship between you two since I was already here before you met."

"Why would anyone say such a thing?"

"I don't know. I'm just saying it would be evident it wasn't true if someone did."

Carlisle wanted out of this conversation desperately; he worried he would give in to the urge to tell her all of his thoughts about Esme. If they started down that path, they would most likely stay on it and he'd never get the chance to get the answers he needed to make sure Bella was truly doing okay here.

"You know, Bug, I think you're far too interested in what you imagine you saw last night. How about we focus your mind on something else? I was actually on my way to wake you when I noticed you on the couch. I thought it would be fun for us to make pancakes together like we do back home."

Bella's smile reached her eyes and lightened them, just as Charlie's used to do. "I'd love to."

"Up you go then," he said, holding on to her elbow and helping her to her feet.

Once they were actually standing in the kitchen, Carlisle realized he didn't know where a single thing was in here, or if there were even ingredients for pancakes. Scratching his head and wondering what his backup plan should be, it took him a minute to notice Bella was pulling things out of cabinets and setting them on the counter. It drove home for him what she'd been saying the past couple of days—she was part of this group living and working together.

"Would you grab the eggs and milk, Uncle Carl?" she asked. "And then I need the big mixing bowl from the top shelf of that cabinet right in front of you."

He gathered up the items and together they began cracking eggs into the bowl. Carlisle figured now was the best time to start finding out where his niece's head and heart truly lied. "Bella, tell me about Edward. I know all about him as your mentor from the emails and phone calls, but what about this personal relationship you've begun with him."

Her blush began filling her cheeks as she smiled softly. "It's kind of hard to explain, really. It just sort of overwhelmed us both. But I think maybe the best way to sum it up is to say he makes me feel stronger and I make him want more than work.

"He's much more practical than romantic, which I'm finding I really prefer. There's an honesty there that makes it so easy to trust him. And it helps him too because he knows when I say that he's being a jerk, he's really being a jerk."

She lifted her head, revealing a pleading expression. "But don't think of that in a bad way. He's not a jerk on purpose. He's just looking at a situation logically and practically when he should be feeling it. Do you know what I mean?"

Carlisle nodded, reminded of how his own father had possessed a rigid black and white view while his mother had seen rainbows everywhere. Witnessing those very different behaviors had driven both Charlie and him to keep their minds open about everyone and everything. It was most likely the root of Bella and Alice's openness, though Alice had yet to show that side of her here.

"Edward sounds a bit like your grandfather," he shared with Bella. "Your dad and I would ask for something and he'd want to know why we needed it, what the cost was, and what would be the benefit of owning it. Luckily for us, your grandmother was a great mediator and she would more often than not get him to see that sometimes a person needed to make a purchase for the sole reason of it would make them happy. She would always tell him that it was impossible to put a value on happy."

"See, that's what drives Edward so hard right there—he wants everyone happy and safe." Bella's smile turned sheepish as she added, "He just doesn't always go about it the right way."

"We all have our flaws, Bug. I would no more judge Edward solely on his than I would want someone to judge me on mine."

"You get it. How come Alice can't?"

"I think she will, but she's just not ready yet."

"I really hope she decides to stay. I want her to really give Edward a chance, to see that he's a good guy with a big heart."

"He certainly holds you in his heart."

Bella's blush was back and stronger than before. "You really think so?"

"Any young man willing to sacrifice a first impression for your comfort and safety is truly thinking of you before himself. That's the very definition of devotion, Bella."

She thought about his response for a bit and then grinned.

Carlisle certainly didn't want to dampen her mood but he had to ask in order to be properly prepared for her future. "Have you two given any thought to what you'll do when the summer ends? Atlanta and Hawaii aren't exactly neighboring states."

"No, and it's way too early for that. I don't even know if I'll be able to qualify for Atlanta. I've still got so much work to do. The picture in my room … It was a big day and a big step but I'm not even close to having this—this _fear_ under control. It's how I got hurt by the ray. I was so worried about a shark showing up while we snorkeled that I didn't even think about the small dangers. Reefs always have rays and eels. Some have lionfish. Heck, even triggerfish will get aggressive if you get too close. I know all of that, have known it for years, and I still forgot every bit that day because of how focused my mind was on worrying about a shark appearing.

"And the worst part of all, I ruined Edward's birthday and the team's time-off. If I had just trusted in Lee's research and Edward's conviction that the area was shark-free. Or at the very least, trusted in his ability to keep me safe, then I would have been paying attention to my immediate surroundings and I would have seen that ray hiding in the sand."

Seeing her so upset got him worked up and set off his need to fix things for her. "Is that what Edward and the team believe? That you spoiled the fun with your fear? If so, I'll be having a strongly—"

Bella snorted. "Relax, Uncle Carl. They would never lay blame that way. Besides, they were all too busy making sure I had the best possible care. _I_ feel bad about the lost time and _I_ feel responsible for it. And I'm absolutely going to fix it."

"Fix what?" Alice asked, stumbling into the kitchen while yawning and rubbing at her eyes.

"Morning, sweetheart," Carlisle greeted while planting a kiss on her forehead. He had counted on her being a much later sleeper this morning but of course she would choose to be an early riser. Doing the opposite of what was expected had always been a skill of hers.

"Ooh, pancakes," Alice crowed as she hopped up onto the empty counter across from their mixing bowls. "Flipping contest?"

"We'll see," Bella replied. "Why don't you set the table for us?"

"You don't even have any made yet. Besides, I'm not completely awake."

Bella chuckled. "Mornings on the boat with you are sure to be interesting. I wonder how many times you'll miss your bathroom time because you're busy 'waking up'."

"Bathroom time? You mean there are limits?"

"Yep. And if you miss your slot in the morning, then you are stuck until that night."

"That's absurd. If I need a shower—"

Carlisle stepped in and used the authoritative voice Alice never argued with. "You'll set your alarm and be in the bathroom on time, Alice."

Her response was typical for her current sour mood; she crossed her arms over her chest and pinched her face in a scowl, looking more like a pug puppy instead of a teenage girl on the verge of becoming an adult woman.

"We're ready to start making pancakes," Bella announced as she passed her uncle a skillet. She also mouthed "thank you" to him, which he responded to with a wink. He might not always trust himself to be doing his best as their parent but he certainly knew how to get Alice to understand when something wasn't negotiable.

Alice's silent treatment only lasted until it was time to flip the pancakes; she turned into her usual ball of high energy as she counted down for her uncle and sister. "On three. One. Two. _Three_!"

Carlisle and Bella sent their pancakes up into the air. His flipped end over end and landed back into his skillet almost perfect-center. He looked over at Bella to find that hers was exactly perfect center.

"Bullseye again, Bug," he congratulated.

"Well, would you look at that? Not one, but _two_ master pancake flippers in my kitchen."

Carlisle was smiling before he even set eyes on Esme. Her hair was a windblown mess and Edward's dog was in her arms with its paws covered in sand. He wondered why she hadn't invited him along on her walk and hoped it didn't mean she was upset about the kiss they'd shared last night. She had mentioned her worry that he wouldn't remember it but it had replayed in his dreams far too much for that to happen.

"Esme, I hope you don't mind that we've taken over your kitchen. Bella and I thought it would be nice to cook for you for a change since you and the team have been feeding us for days now."

"I'm just the helper," Bella piped up. "It was all Uncle Carl's idea."

"It's very sweet of you, Carlisle," Esme said. She was smiling but it wasn't the same as the ones he'd seen before. It wasn't happy enough. And it bothered him greatly.

Bella must have noticed something was off as well because she suddenly couldn't get out of the kitchen fast enough. "Esme, let me take Lizzy and clean her up. Alice, come help me." She didn't give either lady a chance to say anything; she scooped the dog from Esme's arms and tugged Alice along behind her by the wrist.

"That was …" Esme trailed off.

"A sign that her limp is much better?" Carlisle offered.

Esme laughed as she took hold of the handle of Bella's abandoned skillet. "I think that was revenge for some wingman help I gave my kid not too long ago."

"Esme, last night—"

"It was last night. It's over and done. Let's just move forward."

He took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him. "I have to say this first because seeing you anything less than one hundred percent happy is unacceptable. Esme, I deeply apologize for being less than completely sober but I don't hold any regret about our kiss. I meant every compliment I paid you last night and I was thinking clearly when I kissed you. I hope the same holds true for you."

"Of course, but, Carlisle … Well, I'm afraid I won't be any good at stopping at just one."

"Then we need to have a talk, Esme, because I don't think I will either. After the girls are in bed, _truly_ in bed, we'll talk tonight. Okay?"

They both stood there holding their breath until Esme finally released hers and said, "Okay, then. We'll make sure we aren't being watched from any doorways and then we'll talk."

"Hold on," he said, looking at her suspiciously. "Watching from doorways? Does that mean you spotted them last night and didn't tell me? That's not very fair, Esme."

"Consider it payback," she replied, her smile wide and genuine. "I was trying to behave and you, Sir, were making it damn near impossible. I figured leaving you open to a little ribbing from your girls was a fair trade."

"Oh, you did?" he replied while laughing.

"What's that burning smell?" Alice called out from the hallway.

Esme and Carlisle scrambled to get their skillets off the hot burners and then burst into laughter at the blackened pancakes, casualties of their conversation.

"You are so distracting that pancakes can't survive," Carlisle joked.

"For all I know, this is how you always prepare them," Esme replied, grinning and bumping his side with her elbow. "Outside of my boys, I haven't seen a man capable in the kitchen. And most of what my boys know, I taught them."

"Bella and I learned together, actually. When they first came to live with me, I knew I needed to bond with them on a new level so they each picked an activity for us to do together. Bella and I took cooking classes, while Alice joined a soccer team and I served as her team's backup coach."

"Don't ever think for a second that those girls don't see what you do for them or don't appreciate it. They do. Bella especially. And she wants nothing more than to make you proud of her."

Carlisle smiled as he pictured his niece earlier with her blush and her happy grin. "She always does. And with your son's continued support and encouragement, I really believe she's going to be proud of herself."

"They're good for each other. A good mix of similarities and opposite view points."

"Balance. I've heard that's the key to great relationships."

"Haven't found yourself in a great one yet, then?"

Carlisle and Esme's locked eyes as he answered, "I think I may have walked right into one."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

After three hours and two false alarms, the team finally had their first breach. Not even Masen's eagle eyes could react fast enough to follow it from launch to return but that was why the team had special equipment. The still camera Masen was using could capture 4 frames per second, while both video cameras could capture 1,000 frames, allowing them to extend that one second of action into thirty seconds of video. He couldn't wait to sit down with the team and review the breach in slow motion, to note every movement of the shark's body and trajectory. And from the happy yells coming from above, the rest of the team was just as excited.

They were lucky to witness two more breaches before breaking for a late lunch. After peeling himself out of his wetsuit, Masen headed downstairs for a quick, cold shower while Gopher and Whit put together a lunch for the team. Standing under the icy spray, Masen thought of how easy that first hour in the water had been. He'd barely even realized any time had passed until he'd glanced at his watch. But as the minutes had ticked by without a breach and the heat of the sun had increased, it had become harder to remain still and wait.

It had also been harder to keep thoughts of Bella compartmentalized in one corner of his mind. He'd swear he was focused on the decoy seals and then he'd realize he was wondering what she was doing back in Gordon's Bay or what she'd think if she was above him on Galeos with the rest of the team. Toward the end of his time treading water in the cage, the heat must have started to get to him because he'd suddenly found himself wondering what it would be like to have her in the cage with him. Masen snorted at the idea now as he had earlier when he'd first had it. Bella was nowhere near ready for something like that—she would need to be in control of her anxiety and have complete trust in him before he could even suggest it.

Now that he was clean and feeling refreshed, he was ready to tackle the growling of his stomach and the urge to get his hands on his camera to review the photos he'd taken. But not before he found himself ducking into his bedroom to check his phone for messages. He didn't really expect one since he'd sent a text this morning telling Bella he wouldn't be checking his phone until around three and that was nearly an hour away.

Masen was happily surprised to find a photo message waiting for him. He clicked to open it and when it finally loaded it put a huge smile on his face. He thought about sending a text to thank Bella for the photo but figured he'd wait and say something during his phone call with her. He planned to call her after lunch since he knew he and the team would be swamped the rest of the night with reviewing their footage and writing up the daily.

Upstairs, Gopher and Whit were putting the finishing touches on lunch and Lee was sitting at the table with Masen's camera in her hands. He slid right up against her to get a look at the small display screen but she tilted the camera away from him. She even had the nerve to laugh at his pout.

"I'm gonna tell Esme you're being mean to me," he warned.

Lee laughed and tilted the camera even further away from him. "Go right ahead. She'll tell me 'good job'."

He nodded in agreement, knowing his mom absolutely would do something like that.

"Make you a deal." The glint in her eye and the curve of her lips left him positive he'd be making a deal with a devil. "A little honesty from you about missing Guppy gets you this camera in your hands."

"I could just take it from you," he threatened.

Her grin widened. "No. You couldn't."

He studied her for a moment to judge how serious she was about standing her ground. The fact that she didn't blink told him anything less than immediate concession would be a monumental failure and waste of time.

"I notice, okay? I absolutely notice she's not here. And I've had a time or two where I've kind of wished she was."

Lee snorted. "Kind of? Mase, I caught you passed out in her bed last night."

He felt equal parts shocked and embarrassed. "Fuck, woman! Is there nothing you miss?"

"Not really. And if I do, Esme catches it." Her triumphant grin disappeared and a demanding look hardened her features. He could have pretended not to know the meaning of it but she could also demand more information in response.

He sighed heavily and slouched in the booth, letting his head rest against the back of it. "I honestly don't know what to tell you. I just … I couldn't keep still last night and I ended up in there and then I was asleep. I don't understand it, and I'm not ready to deal with it. It is what it is for now because I need my mind to be on work. When I have time to figure out what's going on in my personal life, I'll deal with it then."

She clucked her tongue at him. "Still trying to turn a feeling into a logical expression. I hope you don't take as long as I did to stop. Actually, I just hope you don't take longer!"

"Take longer to what?" Whit asked, setting plates in front of them.

"Shower," Masen replied as he sat up straight.

Lee smacked him in the back of the head for lying. "To feel without trying to find the logic in it."

Whit snorted and then said, "Good luck with that."

"You two are never fucking happy. You wanted me with Bella and now I am and you still give me shit."

"We give you shit because we love your dumb ass and we want things to work out with you and Bella," Lee explained.

Whit nodded in agreement and added, "Which isn't going to happen if you don't calm down and stop worrying so much about what you do and don't understand."

"What's there to understand?" Gopher asked as he settled in beside Whit and put their plates on the table. "You two care about each other and want to be in a relationship. That's something to hold on to, not pick apart."

"Oh come on," Masen replied with a roll of his eyes. "You guys can't tell me you never have the urge to figure out why things happen. Whit, don't you want to understand Alice? And, Gopher, you want to know the how and why of Lee's reactions so you don't piss her off accidentally, right?"

"Mase, understanding the person you're with comes with time and talking. It's not something you can get upfront and all at once," Lee told him.

"Plus, you're focusing a lot more on why you care about her at all instead of just enjoying that you do care," Whit said.

Masen didn't answer right away, too busy scarfing down a huge bite of the club sandwich Gopher and Whit had made. He drank half his glass of tea in a couple gulps and then decided he'd rather change the topic completely. "After lunch, Gopher and I will pull in the decoys just to make sure they don't get wrecked. I figure we'll take an hour off to relax and then we'll all sit down to review the footage and work on the daily together. We've got a lot to go through so plan on working on it most of the night."

"You can stuff your face and you can bring up work all you want, but you aren't getting out of talking to us that easily," Whit promised.

"Yeah, we know where you live," Lee added while laughing.

Masen responded the only way he really could with two friends determined to get their say … "Fucking nudgers."

Whit ended up volunteering to pull the decoys with Gopher so as soon as Masen was done with his food and had put his dishes into the sink he headed down to his bedroom, wanting some privacy for his phone call with Bella. He wondered if he should have checked with her on the time rather than expecting her to be available. Was that something people did? Did they schedule phone calls when they were apart? Would she laugh at him if he asked her? Whit and Lee would sure as hell laugh but that was just how they were with each other—he would laugh at them just as much.

He picked his phone up from his dresser and sat on the end of his bed, thinking back to their talk last night. The way she'd known without a doubt that he'd been outside looking up at Gemini … It had been unexpected. And he'd really appreciated her not pushing him to admit it. Not that it was a big deal when he really thought about it, but in that moment it had just been more than he'd been ready to deal with.

Looking at the photo Bella had sent him earlier, he wondered if maybe Lee and Whit were right. Maybe he was trying too hard to make sense of his feelings instead of experiencing them with Bella. She wasn't a project to plan or a puzzle to solve, though he did want to know every single thing about her.

He waited for the call to start ringing and then laid back, relaxing into the mattress and letting his eyes close and his mind focus only on her.

Bella started their conversation with questions. "So how excited are you? Kid in the candy store? Fangirl at Comic Con? Guy who's baseball team just won the World Series?"

A few funny, smart ass answers quickly came to mind but he decided to go with one that was guaranteed to get her to smile. "Guy lucky to be with the girl who plays tag with fish."

"I think maybe it's the girl who's the lucky one." The softness of her voice couldn't hide the emotion and surprise in her voice—and what he hoped was sincerity.

He could tell she was choked up but he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. "That was supposed to make you smile, you know."

"It did. I just … I wasn't expecting it."

He felt the best way to fix the situation was to lighten the mood. "Should I warn you from now on? Sounds weird to me, but I'll give it a try. Hey, Bella, watch out because I'm gonna compliment you … You're pretty special."

"Just so we're clear, I don't play tag with fish because that's just silly. Fish can't tag back."

"Then what were you doing?"

"Playing chase."

"No you weren't."

Bella laughed and the happy sound made him grin. "You can't tell me what I was doing, Edward. I was the one doing it."

"Actually, I can. And I just did. You weren't playing chase because you'd already been caught."

"What if I'm the one who caught you?"

He grinned and slipped an arm under his head, having the perfect smart-ass answer to her goofy question. "Then I'd have to say 'what a haul' and 'don't toss me back'."

"Still not completely convinced I'll be here Friday, huh?"

"I didn't say that." But now that she'd brought it up, he couldn't exactly say she wasn't right.

"You implied it."

"I think this phone connection is losing translation. Or you're just a reacher. _Are_ you a reacher?"

"Absolutely. I reach for stuff all the time. Food. Clothes. Books. Lizzy."

"Speaking of Lizzy," he said while chuckling at her silliness. "Thanks for the photo of you two."

"Alice took it for you."

"Did she really?" he replied, wondering if Bella had bribed or threatened to get her sister's cooperation.

"She did. And she didn't even call you 'that Masen guy' when she did it. We're making progress."

He had to laugh at that. "Leaps and bounds, I tell you."

"More like hops and skips but I'll take it." There was a short lull in their conversation and then she asked, "So did you witness one yet?"

He was careful with his answer, appreciating her curiosity while understanding this was all still very difficult for her. "Yeah, we did. A couple of curious visitors came by to check out our fake seals."

"No problems?"

"None. Everyone is safe and sound and everything went according to plan. All that's left is to go through every bit of footage and every still photo and then write up the daily. It's going to be a long night with a lot of coffee."

"Hmmm … Being around you after multiple cups of coffee, plus you'll be excited about your sharks … The team is in for a _really_ long night."

"Nice, kapu. Real nice. Don't even miss me a little." Even as he made the joke he hoped there was no truth to it.

"Of course I miss you. I just also know a few things about you and I know you'll be hyper focused and hyper animated. That's a rough combo with anyone but especially with you because you don't have an off switch like the rest of us. Whit and Lee and Gopher will be falling asleep and you'll still be moving right along."

He had to concede her point—a little. "That can be me, sure, but I make an active effort to be aware of my team and not allow that kind of situation. As soon as I see they've gotten too tired to continue, I call it quits. If I want to work on it some more after that, then I just head down to my project room until I either finish or get tired myself."

"Be honest, now. How many times have you realized they were tired only after someone's head met the desk?"

He couldn't believe he was laughing rather than feeling annoyed at her insistence. He was even more surprised when he answered her. "Once or twice."

"That's what I thought." Her cocky response had him laughing again. "My poor friends are in for a long night."

"What about me? It's going to be long for me too."

She snorted into the phone. "You are going to love every minute of it."

He didn't bother trying to deny it. "So what do you have planned for tonight? Other than continuing your campaign to steal all my dog's love."

"I knew it!" she crowed. "I _knew_ you were jealous of Lizzy's love for me."

"Can't tell you how much," he said, just barely holding back his laughter. "Seriously, though, what are you doing tonight?"

"Alice wants me to look at some photos she took with her sorority sisters. Oh and my friends Jake and Leah are expecting a call from me. They sent me an email wanting to know how the internship is going so I promised I'd call and update them. I think I'll leave out the bit about the ray for now so they don't worry."

"Probably a good idea."

After a moment's hesitation she asked, "Would it be okay to tell them about you? Or would you rather me wait until the internship is over?"

He expected his response to be a "no", for the idea of privacy as protection to fill his head as it had been doing. Instead he found himself excited at the thought of her wanting to tell her friends about him. It suggested a level of permanence in her life that he hadn't felt before—for the first time he was able to picture her waiting for him to show up on Friday. It wasn't a complete expectation but it was definitely more belief than he'd had before.

"Edward?"

"Sure. If you want."

"What do _you_ want?"

He knew it would probably sound flippant but he didn't know how else to phrase it. "You."

A knock on his door had him sitting up and pressing his phone against his shoulder. "Yeah?"

The door opened and Whit stuck his head inside. "Hate to do it to ya, but I gotta cut your call short. You said to let you know if the expected wind speed changed and we just got an alert that it's gonna pick up early tomorrow, right at dawn when we're supposed to be using the decoys again."

"Shit. Okay, I'll be right up. Just give me a minute."

"Say 'hi' to Bella for all of us."

"What makes you think I'm talking to Bella?"

Whit just grinned and left, shutting the door behind him.

"Fucking nudger," Masen muttered as he put his phone to his ear. "Bella, I—"

She interrupted him, giggling and saying, "Say 'hi' back for me."

"I'll try to call tonight if I can."

"Don't worry about it. You already had a full schedule and now you've got the weather report to deal with. We'll talk tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Positive. Go be amazing as the head of MMR."

For some reason, her being so understanding made him feel her absence more than he had up until now. He didn't know how to handle that and since he needed to get off the phone anyway, he decided now was as good of a time as any to end their call. "I better go. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day."

"Good luck."

"Thanks." He put his finger over the button that would end the call, fully expecting that he would press it and be done. Instead he found himself saying one last thing to her. "I miss you, kapu."

He ended the call and then tapped the phone against his chin, wondering if he should take it with him in case he got a chance to call her later or if he should leave it in his room since the chance of getting free time was fairly improbable.

He had just decided to power off his phone and put it on his dresser when it chirped in his hand.

_Stop running off so fast! Geez! LOL_

Just as he finished reading the text, his phone chirped once more.

_I miss you too. Be safe._

He turned his phone off and put it on his dresser, but he also promised himself he'd find time to call her later. Right now, he had to get upstairs and see how badly the new wind speeds would affect MMR's plans.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"More wine?" Bella asked, picking up a bottle from the counter and finding it empty. "Memento from last night then? I'm pretty sure you're not the liquid courage type."

Esme's smile was an exact duplicate of Edward's shitty grin. "Oh joy. Another smartass in my band of misfits."

The comment had Bella snorting, feeling equally amused and excited to be considered a misfit.

"That wine bottle and its twin were used to make …" Esme paused as she focused on pulling a large punch bowl from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, "… this very special refreshment."

"What's special about it?"

Esme winked at her and then answered, "Helps me win at poker." She waited until Bella's laughter subsided before continuing. "My friends back home in Hawaii own a bar and they not only let me taste test all of their new cocktails, they show me how to make them. So in celebration of my new friends, I'm sharing a treat from my old friends."

"You've already done so much, Esme. We should be spoiling you instead."

"And tarnish my reputation as a first rate spoiler? Nope. Can't let that happen, Guppy."

"We usually only celebrate special occasions back home."

"You're up and walking around more, I'm pretty sure Alice is going to stay, and your uncle is no longer worried sick for his girls. That's special enough in my book."

"You really like him, don't you?" Bella asked, studying Esme closely.

"Oh gosh no! He's one of the cold ones! So pale he practically sparkles in the sun. He is absolutely, positively so not my type." Her eyes gave her away long before she finally cracked a smile—greyer than Edward's had been so far, but just as deep and telling. And those bright, happy eyes were shouting that Esme definitely found Carlisle to be her type.

Bella wondered if she should feel weird about her uncle dating her boyfriend's mother but all she felt was that they were two really great people and if they were happy together then they should be together.

"Okay, maybe he's a _little_ my type," Esme amended, showing Bella her thumb and forefinger pinched together.

They were still laughing when Alice bounced into the kitchen. "Ooh! Pretty! What's in it? And where the heck did a punch bowl come from?"

Esme winked at her. "I always travel with the essentials, Alice."

"See! I'm not weird," Alice exclaimed, looking at Bella and pointing at Esme.

"Oh, you're weird alright," Bella assured her. "It's just that Esme's weird with you."

"Bella, that's really rude," Alice admonished. "You better hope Uncle Carl doesn't hear you talking like that."

"How is that rude? I call you weird all the time!"

Alice huffed at her. "I meant your reference to Esme."

"That wasn't rudeness. That was honesty," Esme proclaimed with a snort. "And I embrace my weirdness fully. It's how I keep things interesting around here."

Alice shrugged, deciding to accept Esme's explanation without further comment. "So what's in the punch? It smells yummy."

"It's got hibiscus tea, some white wine, a little grapefruit juice, and a bit of pisco. And floating at the bottom are slices of mango and orange with raspberries and blackberries," Esme explained.

"What in the world is pee-sko?" Alice asked, her nose scrunching and causing wrinkles to appear between her eyes.

It was Carlisle who answered her question. "It's a spicy, potent brandy with a hint of orange blossom, made from a Muscat-based wine that dates back in time to the Incas. It's produced primarily in Peru and Chile, and it's aged in clay jars."

"You know your brandy, Sir," Esme replied, looking as pleased as she sounded. "Edward bought me a bottle while we were in Peru studying the pygmy killer whale."

Bella's eyes widened. "You've _seen_ one?"

Esme grinned and nodded. "We spent weeks researching a group, though they didn't make it easy. They are not interested in humans at all."

"How can a whale be a pygmy? Aren't they all huge?" Alice questioned.

"The name is actually a misnomer," Esme told her. "While it does have 'whale' in the name, it's considered part of the oceanic dolphin family. They're even mistaken for porpoises at times."

Bella added in some history she knew about the species. "Up until the 1950's, all the scientific world knew of the pygmy was from two skulls in the British Museum."

"Wait! That place has more than mummies in it?" Alice questioned. "Oh, so that's why you have it on your list of places to visit!"

Bella ignored her sister and continued on. "In 1952, a Japanese researcher started publishing stories of a rare porpoise. Turned out he was actually describing live examples of the skulls in the museum and he was the one to propose their name of pygmy killer whale." With a wistful tone she added, "I'd love to go to Peru to see them."

Esme looked up from stirring the punch bowl; she had a mischievous glint in her grey eyes and Edward's shitty grin on her face. "You really want to see a pygmy whale, huh?"

"I'd love it!" Bella answered enthusiastically. Her face fell a little as the reality of her chances of going to Peru caught back up with her. "But it's probably not going to happen."

"Ask Edward."

"What do you mean?"

"When you talk to my kid tomorrow, tell him you want to see pygmy whales in the wild."

Bella snorted. "Sure. And he'll call off the rest of his shark research and pilot Galeos to Peru."

Esme set her hands on Bella's shoulders and looked her right in the eyes. "Trust me. Ask him."

"I do trust you," Bella replied as she gave Esme a hug.

"Might we go back to the bit about the pisco?" Carlisle asked. "Esme, you wouldn't happen to still have some of that wonderful drink, would you?"

"Possibly," Esme hedged. "What are you willing to barter for it?"

"A favor to be named at a later date?" he offered.

"Uh … Uncle Carl …" Bella began, imaging tons of ways an open-ended favor could cause him great embarrassment in Esme's hands.

Alice grabbed her arm and interrupted. "Let him," she said with a giggle. "It'll be fun to see what she asks for!"

"While I'm thinking of a worthy favor, how about we all try the tea?" Esme suggested as she scooped up some drink and fruit and poured it into a glass. She passed the first to Carlisle and waited for him to taste test.

His eyes widened and sparkled as he swallowed down his first sip. "That is amazing. It's citrusy and refreshing. And at the very end you feel warmth from the pisco." He took a second sip, swirling it around a couple times before swallowing. "Do I detect a little Sauvignon Blanc?"

"What a tongue," Esme replied with a fake sigh, getting Bella and Alice to laugh while Carlisle blushed.

Esme passed a glass to Alice and winked at her, pretending Carlisle wasn't standing right there while she told her not to tell her uncle where the drink came from. She then made drinks for Bella and herself and shooed everyone into the dining area where there were plates of fruits and veggies and a deck of cards.

"You were serious about the poker," Bella said as she took a seat next to Esme.

"I never joke about cards, Guppy," Esme replied with complete seriousness as she twisted the top of a glass mason jar full of pennies.

Bella bit at her lip for a second; she didn't want to be annoying but she was also losing what little control she had over her curiosity. "So … um … before you teach us to play, could we maybe check your email?"

Esme's eyebrows lifted and her eyes widened, nearly causing Bella to apologize until she realized her smile had also grown. "Didn't we just check my email less than twenty minutes ago?"

"I'm sure it's been way longer than twenty minutes," Bella replied, knowing full well she was failing to hide her excitement.

Esme side-eyed her. "Uh huh."

"I know!" Bella cried, her shoulders drooping as she slouched in her chair. "But I'm so bad at being patient when I'm curious and I want to know how their day went. I know they were all anticipating today and I just want to know if their plan panned out for them."

Esme chuckled and put a comforting hand on her knee. "It's wonderful that you're excited for them. And I promise we will check my email again. But we both know it's too early for the daily to be there. There are two video cameras worth of footage plus Edward's still camera. That's a lot of data to watch, interpret, and report on.

"So! I'm going to explain poker, and then we're going to play and take your mind off the wait. How's that sound?"

Bella tried her best to smile and look positive. "Awesome!"

Esme snorted. "You are just like my kid. One track mind. And just like with him, I'm making it my personal mission to point your mind in another direction." She dumped a pile of pennies in front of Bella. "Wagers are an important aspect of poker and we are going to start out with fifty pennies each. Get to counting, Guppy."

While Bella counted pennies, and her lucky stars that she had Esme in her life, Esme explained the rules of poker to them. Pairs and three of a kind were easy to understand but then she started throwing in straights and flushes and Bella became more and more convinced she wouldn't need to be tipsy from the amazing hibiscus tea punch to lose at cards. Besides, it was clear to Bella that this card game—or any other Esme played—wasn't about winning or losing. It was about spending time together, sharing laughs, and making memories.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Holy shit!" Gopher and Whit screeched.

"Play it back. Play it back," Lee demanded, shaking Masen's arm.

He was too stunned to say anything as he backed up the tape from Whit's video camera. He started the tape again but at a slower speed this time.

The room was so quiet he could hear the machine working to play the tape while he waited for the action to start up on the screen again. Finally, they saw the slight lift of the decoy near the head, followed by the reveal of the shark's snout, and then the rise of the decoy from the surface of the water. The slow-motion movement of the shark continued, with the teeth appearing and the jaw retracting, allowing the mouth to open wider for a larger bite. The teeth slowly drew closer together until they eventually clamped down on the head of the decoy. The video continued, showing the shark's body rising out of the water until the entire shark was up in the air with the front half twisted back toward the water and the tail rising toward the sky. Over the next few seconds, the shark's body straightened out and slammed down into the water, sending up a fierce spray, like the kind of aftermath from dynamite being ignited underwater.

Masen looked to Whit on his right and Lee and Gopher on his left, finding his own excited smile on each of their faces. They had done it. They had captured a breach from start to finish and the footage was beautiful.

"Again," Gopher urged.

"Look at the way the jaw slides back to give those teeth more room to work," Lee said as she tapped the screen with her fingernail.

"Too fast for a human eye to see it." Whit grinned and clamped a hand on Masen's shoulder. "Lucky for us we've got Masen and his camera guru abilities."

"It's beautiful." Masen's tone was soft and reverent, the low-key extremity of the excitement raging through him as his mind spun with ideas on how this footage would further MMR's goals.

They watched the footage captured by Whit's camera four more times and then popped in Lee's footage, doing the same with it. There were more whoops and yells and even a few awed curses flying around the room.

And then it was time to get down to business and turn their amazing footage into a cohesive report. They spent hours brainstorming, deciding on writing about one breach or all of the breaches, choosing a point of view, and even tossing around adjectives to fit the scene they were reviewing at that moment. They often found themselves re-watching a particular section over and over just to make sure they were getting important details right.

Masen leaned back in his chair and read aloud the newest description they'd come up with. "There is no warning, no discernible sign of movement beneath the surface. The first sign of the breach occurring is the lifting of the prey out of the water. With the prey now in the air, the shark begins to ready itself for the bite by pulling back its massive jaws, making more room to fit the prey between its razor sharp teeth."

"I don't like the 'begins to ready' bit," Lee commented. "To me, it doesn't relay how fast all this happens. How about we just jump straight to the jaws pulling back?"

"What if we say 'the shark pulls back its massive jaws to better fit the prey between its razor sharp teeth'?" Whit suggested.

"I still think that's too technical," Gopher said, shaking his head. "I'm a layperson and I'm so busy trying to figure out how a shark pulls on its jaw that I'm missing the rest of the sentence. Plus, it still kind of sounds like the prey is sitting around waiting for the shark to get ready to eat it."

"So what do you suggest?" Masen asked, seeing in Gopher's face that he had an idea but was hesitant to share.

"Well … If I were trying to catch someone's attention, then I guess … I guess I'd say something like 'While the shark and its prey soar up into the air, the shark uses its facial muscles to retract its jaws and widen its mouth to fit more of the prey's body between its razor sharp teeth'. Or you know, something like that, that gives an idea of the mouth getting bigger while other stuff is still going on."

Masen grinned, truly impressed with Gopher's restructuring of the sentence. "Anyone got a problem with Gopher's phrasing?" Once Lee and Whit had both agreed they liked it, he had Gopher repeat it while he wrote it down.

Lee, Whit, and Gopher continued to call out ideas, leaving it to Masen to pick the best parts and turn them into worthy reading material. Tonight he was making an active effort to infuse more personality and fewer technical terms into his writing, wanting the daily to sound more like one of Bella's impressive marine journal entries and less like a stuffy science paper.

_The reentry of the shark's body into the water is beyond compare. We expected to witness the creation of a forceful wave, a cannonball in a pool effect. Instead, water was forced out of the impact zone and propelled through the air with a power similar to a stick of dynamite tossed into a lake. Had a boat been in the zone during reentry, the damage to it would most likely cripple it. A swimmer in the zone at that moment would have suffered severe blunt force trauma, if not death. The possibility of harm is a top consideration for MMR and it is for this reason that our footage was captured at a safe distance away, by a trained staff under a carefully mapped out plan._

_The breach happens lightning fast and is for the most part imperceptible to the human eye. As stated before, there is no warning and there is also no direct sign after the breach has occurred. Instead, we are left with the loud rustling of wings and frightened squawking from birds startled out of their peaceful drifting on the water's surface. What we see with our own eyes is an instant of disruption in an otherwise calm morning. The agility, speed, and majesty of this silent killing method are only revealed through the slow motion footage captured by our cameras at a safe distance from the shark._

He spent another half hour writing down the few other observations he'd made from his perspective in the cage and then read the whole thing twice before passing it to Lee first, knowing she would be his harshest critic if it sucked and his truest supporter if it was good. He sat completely still, his fingers pressed into a steeple under his chin, and his eyes locked to her face. He noticed every change in her expression, the length of every breath she took or held, searching for some sign of what she was thinking.

She gave nothing away while reading so by the time she finally passed the report to Whit, Masen was ready to pull his hair out. Locking eyes with him, she said, "It's not your usual style."

"No."

"Bella's influence?"

He hesitated, not because he didn't want to give Bella the credit but because he was worried he hadn't done a good job of imitating her style. "Some."

Lee's neutral façade finally broke and she smiled wide while reaching out to pat him on the head. "That'll do, Donkey. That'll do."

Masen groaned even as he smiled and pulled her off the corner of the desk and onto his lap. "Your serious professional opinion. Give it."

"It's absolutely a change for the better, Mase," Lee assured him. "The mix between technical aspects and down-to-earth comparisons gives it a more personal vibe. As the reader you don't feel like you're preached to about a shark. You feel like you're being drawn in to witness a stunning moment in the marine ecosystem.

"With that being said, I also see where it needs work and that you definitely are going to have to practice to get a good grip on this style. Maybe not be quite so brutally honest about some parts," she finished.

"I disagree," Whit said, taking up Lee's old spot on the desk. "We absolutely have a responsibility to make it clear our work is dangerous and that we are trained researchers."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't have a warning at all," Lee argued. "I'm just saying we don't need to beat them over the head with it."

Gopher surprised them all by voicing his own disagreement. "I think you do. We're at a point in man's history where people find it endlessly entertaining to try dangerous shit and film themselves doing it. If we make it sound like it's a walk in the park to get footage of a Great White, _the_ apex predator, then we will damn sure be culpable _when_ an adventure-seeker gets hurt. Or worse."

"Three against one means it stays," Whit declared.

"Finally," Gopher said with a sigh. "The daily is done! And I'm starving. I'm going to head up to see about a late dinner while you guys send the report to Esme."

"I second that." Masen typed up a quick email, attached the daily to it, and then sent it off to Esme's email account.

Now that he was no longer focused on the report, he realized he was just as hungry as Gopher had claimed to be. He tapped Lee on the leg and when she refused to move, he pressed his hands against her back and tried to force her up. He would have easily managed but Whit added his weight to hers, crushing Masen into his chair.

"Say it. Out loud!" Lee ordered.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Masen asked between grunts and fruitless attempts to push the both of them off.

"Admit who you were on the phone with," Whit told him.

"I told you two it was none of your business earlier and I still mean that," he retorted. "Now get the hell off of me."

His friends didn't move. They laughed instead and then Lee demanded again for him to admit who he'd been on the phone with.

"Bella, alright?" Masen yelled at them. "And she said to say 'hi' to you losers. Now get off!"

"Did you admit you miss her?" Lee questioned.

"'Cause we can tell you do," Whit added.

Masen rolled his eyes, not having the faintest clue why his friends were making a big deal out of nothing. "What does it matter if I did or not? Isn't the important bit that I called her? That I made time for her?"

"Did you really make time, though?" Lee questioned.

Whit followed up with a second question before Masen could answer the first. "Or did you just call to share the breaches with her?"

"You know, you two imagine you have way more access to my life than you actually do."

"Just like you imagine you can actually get out of this chair without telling us what we want to know," Lee retorted.

"We all have the same access to each other because we live and work together. And also that bit you don't always get about us loving your annoying ass," Whit added.

Masen let out a loud huff, finally admitting defeat. "I told her. There. You two happy?"

"Supremely," they said together while getting off of him.

"Fucking nudgers," he muttered between grunts as he rubbed at his sore thighs.

"Come on, ya big whiny baby," Lee said, tugging at his arm. "Let's go see what Gopher's found for dinner."

"I don't think I can walk."

"So sit there and starve," Whit said, taking zero pity on him.

Lee gave Whit a gentle push toward the door. "He won't starve. His stomach won't let him. I can hear that thing growling from here."

Masen's stomach picked that moment to growl again, making his friends laugh. He hopped up from the chair and the three of them headed upstairs to see what they could find for dinner.

Since they were all equally tired, they worked together to make a quick meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ice cold glasses of milk. Their tiredness made for a rare silent dinner and Masen could already tell the boat was going to be completely silent from his friends sleeping during his helm duty tonight.

A meal, a hot shower, and an hour later, Masen settled into one of the helm chairs and set his laptop down on the other. He wanted to take another look at all the footage from today. But first he dug his phone out of his pocket. He turned it on and waited for it to load; the hope of finding another message from Bella made it feel like it was taking twice as long to boot up. He told himself he was only turning it on to make sure Esme didn't have any questions about the daily but he certainly wouldn't complain if there was a message from Bella.

As soon the phone finished booting, it vibrated in his hand and a number icon appeared over the messages button.

It was from his mother and it wasn't happy news … _Edward, call Bella. Reading of the daily didn't go well. She's trying to be brave but she needs to hear your voice._

He checked the time-stamp, hoping it hadn't been left too long ago, and found that the message had come in while he'd been luxuriating in a hot shower and fantasizing about sharing it with Bella. It made him feel sick to know she'd been struggling while he'd been enjoying himself, which brought in his _favorite_ feeling of confusion. Why should he feel anything about it when he had no way to know? It's not like he'd expected there to be anything about the daily that would upset her. Before turning it over to the team, he'd read it over twice just to make sure it sounded both professional and personal, and didn't paint sharks as killing machines.

_What if Mom's wrong? What if Bella's mood has nothing to do with the daily? What if it's about Friday?_

He shook his head, sending a drop of water falling from his still wet hair and into his eye. _Relax and stop thinking the worst. Just pull your shit together and call Bella so she can pull her own together._

The call rang for so long that he was sure he would end up in her voicemail. He even had his finger on the end-call button when a croaking version of Bella's voice said "hello". He knew right away, just from that one word, that she was crying and a hiccup wouldn't be far behind.

He didn't want to make her feel worse than she already did so he tried to sound upbeat instead of worried. "Lee and Whit sat on me tonight. I think you should help me come up with a plan for revenge."

She didn't say anything.

_Shit! Nothing. She always says something. I can't see her and she's not speaking so how the hell do I fix this? Just don't push, Masen. Not when you're here and she's there. Even you aren't that stupid. _

He decided to try asking a question to get her to talk. "How's the leg?"

"A little stiff tonight."

He gave her a minute to see if she'd say anything more and then he gently prodded. "Talk to me, kapu. Tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing. It's fine. I'm fine. I just—"

Her suddenly going quiet increased his worry for her. "Bella?"

The only response he got was a few clicks in his ear. "Fuck!"

Heavy footsteps started his way and Gopher appeared a few seconds later. "What's up, Mase?"

"I don't know. I think maybe Bella's phone died. The call cut out in the middle of her talking." He didn't want to admit to his worry that she might have hung up on him on purpose to avoid talking about the report.

"I got this." Gopher disappeared only to return a minute later smiling wide and carrying an iPad.

"What's that for?"

"A little thing called Facetime, bro. You get to not only speak to your kapu, you get to see her."

Masen wanted to deck him for getting his hopes up just to crush them. "Bella doesn't have an iPad."

"Yeah, she does. She's got mine. This is Lee's." He flipped back the cover, tapped the screen a couple times and then handed the device to Masen.

"So what do I do?"

"Wait for her to pick up my iPad and then say 'hello'," Gopher called from the hallway, already leaving Masen alone.

Masen grinned, knowing he owed Gopher now and that the man would make sure he paid up. But that was for later. Right now, Bella was the priority.

Just as he looked down at the screen, Bella appeared on it. "Edward?"

"Hey, kapu. Did your phone die?"

"Stupid thing," she said, her eyes almost slits as she stared at something outside of the iPad's camera range. He figured it was the dead phone.

"Can you see me okay?"

Her eyes were instantly back on him and he could see the frustration in them. He was surprised she had been able to do such a good job of keeping it out of her voice. "Yeah, you're a little fuzzy for a second or two but then you're fine."

"Fuzzy … That is definitely not a word that has been used to describe me before."

She tried to smile but it didn't really work out.

Masen couldn't stand that fake smile and it caused him to be blunt. "Talk to me, kapu. What was it in the daily that freaked you out?"

Her brown eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "How did you know I read it?"

He grinned, hoping to get her to do the same. "I have sources."

"I didn't read it all," she admitted. "I had to stop. And now I feel like I'm letting everyone down. I did so great with the crew on the Submarine and even touched a shark, but tonight a report overwhelmed me." Her lower lip trembled as she forced herself to finish, "Edward, I failed." She looked so damn miserable and he wanted to be there giving her a hug instead of trying to pep talk her through a damn fuzzy video connection.

But this was all he had so he had to make it work. "Guppy, only _I_ get to judge your work. You're going to start from the beginning, tell me everything you read and how it made you feel, and then I'll decide if you failed or not."

"But, Edward—"

As much as he wanted to be soft with her, he truly felt the right way to help her was to be the firm boss she respected and responded to with fight and eagerness. "Interns don't dictate what they will and won't do, Guppy. The only words that should be coming out of your mouth right now are the ones that tell me everything you read on the daily."

Her voice was stronger and her expression thickly laced with the stubbornness he'd witnessed on multiple occasions. "You don't want to know everything. You want to know what freaked me out."

"So then cut to that part and save us both some time." Had she been able to see his hand under the iPad in that moment, she would have been doubled over in laughter at how he was crossing his fingers, hoping he had made the right call in how to handle this situation.

She shocked him by repeating a section of the report word for word. "Had a boat been in the zone during reentry, the damage to it would most likely cripple it. A swimmer in the zone at that moment would have suffered severe blunt force trauma, if not death."

It took him a moment to recover and respond; he'd put that in there to warn people that what MMR was doing wasn't for everyone. Never for a second had he expected it to frighten Bella. His lack of understanding left him struggling with what to say and in the end all he could come up with was a single truth. "I wasn't in the water."

"But you might be. You might decide to take photos out of the cage like you did with the other crew."

"I'm not getting out of the cage. No one on my team is getting out of that cage."

"What if you change your mind?"

"I won't. I won't allow anything that unsafe. These aren't semi-controlled sharks. These are sharks with their full power and weight at their disposal. That's not something anyone should be up close and personal with, not if they value their life. And, Guppy, you _know_ I value all of our lives more than any footage."

"But you're still in the cage and if a landing shark can destroy a boat, then isn't a cage useless protection?"

"If it were in the impact zone, maybe so. But, Bella, that's not where we are. We're back at Galeos, a safe distance away from the landing zone."

"How safe? And how do you know for absolute sure it's safe? What if you misjudged the area covered from leap to landing? What if you change your mind and decide you need to get closer after all?"

He could hear she was getting more worked up instead of less and quickly searched his brain for a new tactic, some way to prove to her that it was truly safe. The videos Lee and Whit had filmed ended up being the best idea he could come up with on short notice.

"Bella, I'm going to show you a clip from one of today's videos. Let you see for yourself the distance between us and the decoys." Figuring she was probably thinking about it, he quickly added, "There won't be any sharks in this frame."

Masen set the iPad on the chair across from him at an angle where she could still see him while he had both hands free to turn on the laptop and queue up the part of the video he wanted her to see.

"Can you see the screen okay?"

"Angle it back just a little."

"Now?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, Guppy." He reached around to point out certain things on the screen. "So here is the camera first turned on, before we've activated the zoom. And way out here, this is the skiff. This is where we left a decoy. That small black blob at the front, that's the seal. As soon as we set it down in the water, we took the skiff right back to Galeos."

"Where's the cage? Where are _you_?"

He pointed to the railing at the very bottom edge of the shot. "Here's the railing so the cage is a foot away and sitting only halfway in the water."

"Why only halfway?"

"Because we wanted shots right at the surface. We'll get the underwater ones tomorrow."

He traded the laptop for the iPad, hoping to see a calmer expression on Bella's face. Unfortunately he couldn't see her face at all because it was hiding behind Lizzy's ear. "Kapu, no hiding behind my puppy or I'll suspend your cuddling privileges."

She showed half her face, enough that he could see in her eyes how badly she wanted to trust and let go of her anxiety. "That black mark was really the decoy?"

"Have I lied to you yet?"

"No."

"Then it's time to put a little more faith in me. The absolute truth between us is the only way I can be an effective mentor and you a successful intern."

She finally came completely out from her hiding spot, releasing a heavy sigh at the same time. "I'm sorry I'm interrupting again."

"You really need to pay more attention here, Guppy. This is absolutely a win and not even a hint of an interruption."

"How?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as she studied him.

"'Cause if my writing was shitty we wouldn't be seeing each other right now."

"Edward!" She covered her face with one hand to hide her smile and giggle. "That's a horrible thing to say."

"That's self-pride, Guppy. And you need to work on yours. Fix your perspective in regards to your anxiety—"

"Because it's a natural reaction to a traumatic event," she finished for him.

"So you _have_ been paying attention to your mentor. Good to know."

"I really appreciate your help." Her sincerity was clear both in expression and tone.

"Also good to know," he joked, giving her a big genuine smile. He figured it was best to keep the mood light rather than let her worry about showing appreciation right now. "Anything else new you want to share? Like maybe Alice has decided I'm amazing?"

Bella's lips finally turned up into a genuine smile. "Your mom beat us all at poker. She also got us all tipsy with a tea punch thing."

"That is ..." Masen laughed as he shook his head at his mom's antics. "Actually that is the _least_ surprising thing I've heard all day."

"What's the most?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I guess I don't have a most. But I'm still not surprised at my mom. She's something else."

"Yeah, well, you don't have a lot of room to talk." There was a glint in her eye that had him feeling his mom was somehow involved with Bella's estimation of him. She proved him right by saying, "With your love for rhombus pancakes."

He scratched at the bridge of his nose while contemplating the odds of Esme ever not over-sharing with people.

"So are they really your favorite because you like to say 'rhombus'?"

He almost said "yes" but at the last second he decided to share the complete truth. "And also because it takes two people working together to make them."

Bella's brown eyes immediately softened and looked wetter; they seemed to do that nearly every time he told her something personal about one of his moms. For some reason he couldn't pinpoint, he liked knowing she was so affected.

"So Whit has suggested a little something that I'd like you to confirm."

"What's that?"

"He seems to think my mom is falling for your uncle."

"I don't know if that's the right term for it. They are definitely 'in flirt' with each other," she confided, struggling to hold the iPad steady and not allow Lizzy to lick it. "Sweet girl, it will taste nasty, I promise you. That's not really Edward."

Lizzy whined at the back of her throat, immediately garnering a hug from Bella. "I miss him too but he'll be back on Friday."

Masen's smile was huge as he sat there, basking in the warmth of being missed by both his puppy and his girlfriend.

_Holy shit! Girlfriend? Is that right? Fuck! When did that happen? When I started calling her kapu, I guess. Edward Masen with a girlfriend. Strange ass times._

He shook his head to clear it and put an end to his internal conversation, and when he focused on the iPad again he found that Alice was sitting next to Bella and petting his puppy. He knew he should be nice and he technically would be nice, but he was also going to use the nickname Esme had mentioned for the girl. "How's it hanging, Thumper?"

Bella snorted and looked at her sister. "Still tapping that foot, huh?"

Alice blushed as red as Bella ever had. "Not a lot."

"He wouldn't call you Thumper unless your foot has been getting a pretty good workout."

"Shut up," Alice whined, pushing on Bella's shoulder. "At least it's not _Guppy_."

"Hey, I'm proud of my name."

Masen couldn't control himself—he just had to rat her out. "Yeah, _now_. She practically begged for it to be changed at first."

"Edward!" Bella cried, her eyes wide as she stared at him through the camera.

"What?" he answered, wearing his shitty grin proudly. "You did tell me to be completely honest. No half-truths. Remember?"

Alice's expression was a cross between smug and confused. "You may be a genius when it comes to sharks, but you kind of suck at the boyfriend thing."

"You know what?" Bella exclaimed, her voice two octaves higher than its normal level. "The both of you need to not speak anymore. That's what needs to happen here."

Alice was completely undeterred and giggling happily. "And there's the fire engine red blush we all know so well."

"It's not a blush," Bella argued. "It's just warm in here."

Over the sound of his own laughter, Masen picked up on Esme's voice. "You girls okay? There's a lot of yelling coming from this room?"

Alice happily shared the reason for the shouting. "Bella's finding out she doesn't want me and Masen to talk as much as she thought."

"Is that my kid on that device?" Esme didn't even wait for an answer before getting on the bed and cuddling up next to Bella to see the screen. "Look at that handsome devil. Why if he wasn't a shark researcher, we could rent him out as a model and make millions off his perfect face."

"Mom," Masen groaned, feeling his own face heating up.

She laughed at him and then turned her eyes on Bella. "There. He's blushing too. That make it even?"

Bella nodded while giggling.

"Happy to help," Esme said while giving Masen a quick wink.

"Mom, what's this I hear about a poker game?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "Game? What game?" She grinned and waved a hand, stopping him before he even started. "Oh, that game. Well that was just a friendly little game between friends. Pennies. They don't even qualify as a real wager."

Esme very nearly got away with her attempt to make the game seem like a boring, meaningless event. Thanks to Alice, though, she was as busted as busted could get. "What about the dinner you and Uncle Carl wagered against each other on that last hand?"

"Mom, do tell," Masen encouraged, sticking his fist under his chin as if this was about to be the most riveting conversation he'd ever participated in.

"Oh look at the time! Lizzy needs a walk." No sooner than the words left her lips, Esme scooped up Lizzy and ran off with the puppy, leaving behind a laughing Bella and Alice and a snorting Masen.

The iPad in his hand beeped at him and showed a message about the battery being low. "As fun as this is, this thing needs a charge so I better go."

Alice and Bella exchanged a glance and then the younger sister slipped out of the camera's range. A few seconds later, Bella said, "I'm sure you've got a lot of work to do, getting everything ready for tomorrow. I hope it goes well."

"As long as the weather holds out it should be great."

"And safe?"

"Always, kapu," he promised. And because he felt it and felt she wouldn't mind hearing it, he added, "I love you."

Her genuine smile graced her face as she said the words back to him. "Good luck and good night."

"Night." He quickly added, "Charge your phone please!"

She promised she would and then they ended the video chat.

Masen set the thing down and then rubbed both hands over his face and through his hair a couple times, simultaneously replaying the conversation in his head and trying not to focus on it. The main thing was that it had worked. Everything else … everything else was for later when he had time to allow himself to figure it all out. For now, he picked up his laptop and opened up the sheet with tomorrow's plan on it, ready to fine-tune it and get it as perfect and safe as possible.


	28. 28 Change of Plans

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 28 – Change of Plans**

**Thursday, June 26****th**

**Esme's POV:**

Carlisle placed a warm, delicious smelling cup of coffee in Esme's hands and then settled back into his seat in front of her. "So you were with Tanya, Kate, and …"

"Irina," Esme reminded.

"Yes, Irina. And you ladies were on the beach, celebrating Tanya's release from the hospital, and attempting to warm yourselves by flashlight because none of you were sober enough to remember how to start a fire."

Esme hummed while swallowing a mouthful of coffee, enjoying the feel of the warm liquid working its way down her throat and into her nearly empty stomach. She'd need to fix that soon but first she wanted to finish sharing her story. "Yeah, that pretty much sums up our adventure to that point. So there we are, huddled up and freezing, but also laughing and truly enjoying being together. _But_—we were a _bit_ too loud and that's how we ended up meeting Dale, a brand new to the force police officer who wasn't sure what to do with us. We were on a public beach, being loud, obviously drunk, but also able to convince him we were just giddy with happiness."

She smiled into her coffee cup as she pictured each of her friend's faces from that night. "And at that particular point in time, he may have also spent the past few years living next door to Kate and trying to work up the courage to ask her on a date. He let us off with a warning and then Kate convinced him to take mug-shots of us with Irina's Polaroid camera. Ever since that night, if we know he's working we'll stop by and have him take our mug-shots for the scrapbook I keep."

"So you haven't actually been arrested then?" Carlisle asked, his expression a cross between confused and hopeful.

"Oh, we absolutely have!" Esme assured him with a wide grin. "Just not by Dale."

Carlisle laughed, shaking his head but never taking his eyes from her face. "You know, you still haven't said how Tanya ended up in the hospital to begin with."

"Oh that," Esme replied while blushing. "Well, that was kind of my fault. You see, all of this took place my very first week on the island. It was day three of my life in the 'real world'," she said, curling her fingers on her free hand to make air quotes. "And I was running late for a job interview. I looked down for just a second to make sure my skirt wasn't about to do a Marilyn on me and that was when I barreled right into Tanya. I grabbed hold of her to keep her from falling and somehow caused her ankle to turn and her shoe heel to break.

"I swear it was the most awkward car ride of my life, driving a stranger to the hospital in her own car. I wanted to apologize and she just wanted me to shut up and let her breathe through the pain. When we finally got to the hospital, she asked me to call her sisters and let them know what had happened. I got as far as the name of the hospital before they hung up on me. They arrived about twenty minutes later and I underwent the scariest interrogation of my life at the hands of Irina, then shared a guilt-ridden crying fit with Kate, and finally received a hug from Tanya to make me feel better."

Esme chuckled as she said, "Looking back on it now, I was a very similar tornado to their family as your Alice has been to mine. And that is all the more reason for you to have positivity where she is concerned. I've shared a long, loving friendship with Tanya, Kate, and Irina. I'm sure Alice will do the same with my misfits."

She quickly added, "Though with less arrests of course."

"Of course," Carlisle replied, laughing under his breath. "Esme, you have such a freedom about you. There you are raising a boy into a man all by yourself and yet you find time to have your own friends and live your own experiences."

She felt her eyes well up as she thought of those first months alone with Edward. "I think that was one of the reasons Beth asked me to look after Edward. She knew I would be able to balance being his parent and being myself and let both roles shape me into the best version of me."

"You are truly a beautiful person."

Esme sat up straight and set her coffee cup on the table, readying herself to ask the question that had been circling her mind since they'd started this winding conversation last night. She had enjoyed every moment of it, especially learning that Carlisle's favorite movie was _Casablanca_ and his favorite book was _To Kill A Mockingbird_—both appearing on her own personal list of favorites. She never could seem to narrow her favorites down any further than a top three.

But with the sun coming up and the length of another day stretching before her, she knew she couldn't hold off any longer. "Carlisle, what are we doing?"

He set his own cup beside hers and then leaned forward, taking her hands into his. "Before we can answer that, shouldn't we discuss what we'd like to do?"

She slipped her fingers through his and held tightly as she shared her dream-life wish list. "I want to be married. Not because I'm afraid to be alone, but because I truly believe there is a great love waiting for everyone and I'm ready to experience mine.

"I want a husband who's one of my best friends and will openly laugh at the stupid movies and secretly tear up at the romances, especially the black and white classics. Someone who will take me to see horror movies knowing full well we'll be sleeping with the lights on for the next three days.

"I want a partner to share the daily responsibilities, someone who will never leave it to me to clean the lint trap on the dryer because he knows I'll always forget no matter how many times I'm reminded. He'll let me be in charge of the checkbook because he knows that no matter how much I trust him to take care of everything, I won't be able to help myself from looking over his shoulder and I'll feel horribly guilty about it, but I also won't be able to sleep if I don't know for sure.

"I want a partner who'll get excited with me when my kid has a good day on the boat, and who'll help me pull him out of his funk if it's been a bad day. A partner who knows I'll do the same for him if he brings children into the marriage.

"I want a confident man, a man who recognizes his worth and trusts that no matter what silliness I get into with my friends, I will never risk him, and I will always come home to him."

With a deep breath and her stomach twisted into the tightest knots she'd ever felt, she admitted her deepest held wish. "And I want a partner who wants to be a dad as much as I want to continue being a mom. I want a baby. Or two or three. I don't know for sure. I just know I'm a good mom and I've got a ton of love just waiting to be showered on a child."

"All of what you've shared … Esme, it sounds like an enjoyable and fulfilling life for you. But if you really look at it, is it truly practical? With your current role with MMR, some of it may be, but a child? How will you do that traveling on a boat?"

"I've actually thought about that a lot. I expect I'll always be a part of MMR in some way, and a lot of the administrative work I do could be done by computer from anywhere. Plus, both Edward and Lee are perfectly capable of doing it all.

"I've never expected that I would travel forever. My time with the team has allowed me to see amazing places and creatures, but at my core I'm a homebody. I can see myself happy at home with my husband and baby. That being said, home is and always be Hawaii for me. That part is non-negotiable I'm afraid. As is Edward's place in my home—his bedroom and office are his for as long as he wants."

"What are your thoughts on bi-coastal relationships?"

She carefully phrased her answer, not wanting to assume Carlisle was seriously considering taking a role in her life. "It would all depend on how long I was expected to be away from Hawaii. And I think I wouldn't feel right if I weren't in Hawaii when the team starts and ends their travels."

Carlisle nodded but didn't give any indication of what the gesture might mean.

Silence followed the nod and she let it spin out between them for as long as she could stand. "What are you thinking?"

He gave her hands a gentle squeeze, smiling softly at her. "I'm doing the absolute last thing I expected … I'm weighing the pros and cons of semi-retirement."

"I would imagine you're pretty used to privacy," she ventured, struggling to keep her excitement out of her voice. "There wouldn't be very much when the team is home because they will always be a vital part of my family. But just because there won't be much privacy doesn't mean you won't be equally important. It only means you'll have to share my attention."

"There are other futures to consider," Carlisle broached. "What do you see as the likely outcome for us if things go wrong for Bella and Edward, or Alice and Whit? It's natural to want to come to the defense of those we love, but taking sides would make things very … _sticky_ between us."

Esme nearly squealed at his use of "us" and was only able to restrain herself through the fear of embarrassment. "I do try not to get involved in personal disagreements but I can also see your point about it feeling natural. This is just one of those areas where we can't truly know what we'd do until we find ourselves in that situation. I feel confident in saying that no matter the size of it, I won't let a disagreement be a source of destruction. I believe in working hard for what you want, especially when it comes to relationships. The great ones don't just happen—partners make them happen."

Carlisle nodded again. And then he smiled. "Esme, I don't have all of the answers any more than you do. And like you, I can't stomach the idea of making promises I might have to break. What I can give you is this … I don't expect building a life with you to be easy and I know it will be a job within itself due to our unique circumstances, but I've never been one to shy away from hard work when I've wanted something.

"I would love nothing more than to have one of those great relationships we've read about in books and seen in movies. I think we could be that person for each other, Esme." A short pause and a hand squeeze later, he asked the question that could alter both of their lives forever. "Would you want to see where we can go together, see where our relationship can take us?"

"It's been a long time since I've felt such a strong connection to a man, since if I've felt that desire to go all in. For me, there's no question. If we don't give us a try, I know it will be a missed chance we'll grow to regret, always wondering 'what if'."

"Then we'll do this? Take things slow?"

"Yes," she answered, smiling so wide her cheeks felt tight. "But not _too_ slow," she quickly added.

She felt his laugh more than she heard it—and then she felt his kiss full of promise, nervousness, and excitement. And more change.

The trip she'd embarked on at the start of this summer had turned into an unimaginable adventure and she could barely contain her excitement to see what would come next.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen had forgotten about the sleep he'd planned on getting once his helm shift ended. He'd missed his favorite part of the day—and one of the most beautiful sunrises yet during this trip. His entire world had narrowed down to this project room, his laptop, a weather report, and a couple of maps. Sitting hunched over at his desk with the sleeves of his lucky shirt rolled up to his elbows and his hair going in every possible direction at once, he was the epitome of a man driven to complete his task without fail.

He was also an oblivious man, not hearing the knock on his door, the opening of the door, or the female voice calling his name. He didn't even register her presence when her hand gripped his shoulder; he was completely lost to his thoughts.

_This wind speed with these current patterns are never going to work. Not from any direction. The decoys will always drift too far off course. We could put just one out there but the drifting at this speed with an unknown direction … We can't lose an entire day just because of the wind. There has to be something I'm missing. Something I'm not seeing._

Lee stood at his side, her hand still on his shoulder, patiently waiting for him to realize she was there. She would no more break his concentration than he would interrupt her alone time with Gopher. That wasn't to say she wasn't tempted plenty of times, just that she understood pulling him away before he had the answer he was searching for would just leave him a frustrated mess.

_The still camera is useless with the cloudy conditions of the water. The zoomed in pictures I took underwater yesterday were absolute shit. The video cameras might do better but probably not. I can't get any closer with the still camera—I don't trust putting Galeos that close to a breach with the limited info we have so far. So if taking the cage to the decoys is out, what does that leave me with?_

_Free swimming? I'm fast and the skiff would be near, but that only works if there's just a single shark in the area. Great Whites are assumed to be solitary swimmers but no one has absolutely confirmed that yet. An even bigger deterrent is the promise I made to Bella last night. A promise that I made for the right reasons—it's not safe with what we know so far._

_Hooking a video camera to a cable and lowering it into the water then? Would we be quick enough to pull it up if a shark got interested in it? Could a combination of driving off in the skiff and pulling up the cable work? Gopher was able to spot the sharks coming into the area. But there was never any set span from when he first spotted them to when they actually made an attempt on a decoy._

_If a shark did chomp down on the camera, could we hold onto the cable without getting yanked into the water? Gopher and I are strong but I don't think I'd bet in our favor in a tug-of-war with a shark. Besides, I doubt the waterproof case would survive a meeting with a Great White's powerful jaws, and without the case being intact the camera will be shit. Maybe use one of the cheap digital cameras? We could load equipment on the skiff to capture what it's recording in real time so if we lose the camera we don't lose the footage._

Masen slowly started to realize he was tapping his fingers in time with a soft humming his ears were picking up. He blinked and sat up straight, coming completely out of his bubble and smiling at the feel of Lee standing just behind him and the sound of her humming. He knew she was doing it without realizing, a sign that it had taken him a while to notice her being there.

He looked up at her and tapped the back of her hand, pulling her out of her own bubble.

"Well, hello there!" she greeted, smiling and giving his hair a playful tug. "Welcome back to the world. Did you find your answer?"

"Nope. I'll ask for options and a vote after breakfast."

"You missed breakfast, but Gopher's got a plate in the oven for you."

Masen glanced at the time on his laptop—he'd missed breakfast, bathroom allotments, sunrise, and almost two full hours of daylight.

"Did you get _any_ sleep last night?" she asked, holding his chin and searching his face.

"Nope."

"Figured." She stepped back to lean against his desk, bracing her hands on the top behind her. "So what's yanking your chain so hard?"

"Not that it matters now since we missed our window because of me trying to solve it, but the wind speed for this morning was too fast for any of the plans we'd already come up with."

"And any new ones you conceived had too many risks attached." She ruffled his hair and widened her smile. "It's a bummer but not a total loss. Come on up and eat your breakfast and we'll talk options."

"Lee, there's nothing," he admitted, feeling defeated as he leaned back in his chair.

"Right. I get that. Our plan is totally scrapped. So let's look at what else we can do with a sunny day in this part of the bay. Since footage of the sharks only tells part of the story, why not spend the day learning about their prey?"

Masen nearly smacked himself in the head for being so deep into the problem that he couldn't see other alternatives. He jumped up from his chair and hugged Lee so hard that her feet left the ground and her squeal filled up his project room.

"Mase, put me down, you big goof," she managed through her laughter.

He set her down and went to make a joke, but it turned out sounding a lot more serious than he'd meant it to. "You know you can't ever leave me."

She favored him with her sweetest smile. "Ohana, Mase. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. Even when the day comes that we hang up our tanks and leave the research to the younger crowd, I'm still going to be in your life, loving you, being better than you at surfing, and letting you know when you're being a jerk."

"I know."

She smiled and framed his face with her hands. "You don't. Not completely. But you will. Bella will help you see it. She reaches parts of you that the rest of us can't touch, no matter how much you love us."

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, completely unsure about this new feeling he was experiencing and the way it made him picture a fish fileted open on a dinner plate.

"It's okay, Mase," she promised him. "We know it's not personal or even consciously done. It is what it is for now. Just be open to more. That's all we're asking of you." She had apparently decided he'd had enough for the moment because her next comment was pure smart-ass. "We need to get you home and get some green in your eyes. They're too damn blue. Completely clashing with my outfit."

He laughed while hugging her tightly; he knew these current feelings of love and gratitude well and had no problem sharing them with her.

"Come on, Sharkboy," she said as she pulled out of the hug and took hold of his wrist. "We need to get you fed and then we can discuss what to do with our day."

They headed upstairs and Lee kept him company while he devoured his breakfast, entertaining him by relaying how pleased Gopher had been with himself last night for the iPad thing. She confided that Gopher's original plan was to let her suggest the video chat, figuring it would get a better reception from Masen. But under last night's circumstances, Gopher had felt pretty certain Masen wouldn't turn down the offer no matter who had presented it.

"I know this is going to sound weird coming from me, but Gopher's really not bad," Masen said as he rinsed his empty plate off in the sink.

Lee laughed. "No shit, Sherlock. Tell me something I don't already know."

"I'm thinking about giving him a bigger role with MMR. Maybe giving him a shot at writing a daily or two. He had some really good ideas last night."

Her smile was so big and ridiculous he couldn't help laughing at it. "Mase, he would _love_ that. He'll balk at first out of nervousness, of course, but then he'll jump in with both feet and do a great job."

"I think you're right about that."

She huffed and rolled her eyes while wearing a big teasing smile. "I'm always right. Just expect that to begin with and save us all time and trouble."

"Whatever," he replied with a snort. "You weren't right about Guppy."

"True, but that was a special circumstance. She was fucking with your head, leaving you distracted. My opinion at that time was that it was causing an unacceptable risk to your life. But things are different now. You're a little distracted at times, but it's so worth the happiness I see in you when you're with her."

He huffed. "Why do you all say stupid shit like that? I was happy before she showed up."

"Mase, there's a world of difference between being content and being happy."

He ignored her comment. "Let's go find the guys and see what they think about your idea."

She laughed at him but she also followed him without saying another word about Guppy.

They found Whit and Gopher sitting out on the viewing deck and arguing the strengths and weaknesses of Batman and Iron Man, both as everyday citizens and costumed crime fighters. Sadly, it was not the first time Masen had walked in on this argument. He also knew it would not be the last. Gopher was a staunch Batman supporter and believer in finding justice for those who needed it most, while Whit admired Iron Man's struggle to be a better man both in and out of the suit. Neither of his friends was willing to concede to a tie.

"Again, you two?" Lee asked as she sat on Gopher's lap and relaxed against his chest.

He seemed to forget all about Whit and their argument, focusing instead on hugging Lee first and then kissing her until she was smiling so wide that kissing was impossible.

"You feeling okay?" Whit asked as Masen sat on the arm of his chair.

"Yeah. Why?"

"For one, you're not giving them shit like usual for kissing. For another, you missed the sunrise. Breakfast you've skipped before but rarely do you let a sunrise pass you by."

"I was trying to figure out a way to change our plan to compensate for the wind speed changes. Didn't work out."

"Sorry, bro. I know how much you hate when that happens."

"Lee had a pretty good idea of what to do instead."

"Head back to Gordon's Bay early?" Whit looked way more serious than he did joking and it dawned on Masen that his best friend was missing Alice the same way he was missing Bella.

Masen truly felt bad about crushing his friend's hopes. "Nice idea but we can't lose a whole day like that."

"I wasn't really serious," Whit replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"You were mostly serious," Masen corrected, enjoying a chance to be the nudger and not the nudgee. "Your ass would bolt for the helm if I told you to turn Galeos around and head for home. Probably be the fastest we've ever seen you run."

"I don't know, bro. I think my fastest time so far was shagging ass across the beach to get to Bella."

"It didn't seem like it," Masen admitted.

Whit chuckled. "Bet you wanted to beat my ass when Lee got there first."

He snorted, not really surprised by his friend's perceptiveness. "A little. Yeah."

"And here you find yourself owing Gopher a favor. My how the tables have turned, Mase."

"You heard about last night then?"

"A little from Gopher. More from Alice."

Masen sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't have any expectation that the daily would affect Bella so much. I'm not sure if I should have and failed as her mentor, or if there was something else bothering her and the daily was the breaking point."

"My opinion … the report was a breaking point. She had this huge moment aboard the Submarine with the Colossus crew and she was still digesting all of the emotions from that when she had her run in with the ray. She got zero time to deal with that experience because Alice was already here and freaking out on her. Then there's the newness of what you and her have on a personal level and this current separation. That's a lot to have on her mind and heart while she's pushing forward."

"When it comes to sharks, to our research, I can handle that. I know what to say and if I don't, I figure it out pretty quick. But this other stuff … How do I help her?"

"You listen. You don't try to pick it apart and understand it, or come up with ways to fix it. Just listen. Let her talk and work her way through everything she's thinking and feeling."

"She doesn't like to talk."

"I don't think that's true. I think she's never felt she _could_ before. I doubt she's ever felt she could talk about it with Carlisle knowing he was right there and has his own hurt from it. And we know for damn sure she's never talked to Alice about it, wanting to shield her from further pain. So give her something she's never had. Let her know she can say anything at any time and you'll be there to just listen."

Whit grinned before adding, "It'll be an interesting challenge for you, both having to wait and be patient."

"And fabulous entertainment for us," Lee piped up, causing both Whit and Gopher to snort.

Masen flipped her off. "Put that mind and mouth of yours to good use and tell them your idea for today."

She popped up onto her feet and gave a quick bow. "Hello, I'm Lee, and I'll be taking over our team today."

The guys booed her together with Whit and Masen also giving her a thumbs-down.

"Shut up and like it," was her response. "Since the wind is not cooperating with our efforts to record the sharks, we're going to spend the day recording the seals. My plan is for us to take the skiff over to Seal Island and get some still photos and video footage. Let's find out what it is about the island that draws all of these seals to it. Maybe see if there's anything special in the shape or structure of the island that works in favor of the sharks rather than the seals."

"Let's be ready to go in 30," Masen directed. "Wear comfortable clothes, shoes with treads, and sunscreen. I'll pack the camera bags myself."

"We should bring a map too to mark spots of interest," Whit suggested.

"What about drinks and snacks?" Gopher asked. "Keep us hydrated and going."

"Both good ideas. I'll let the two of you handle those items," Masen told them, glad to see they were all excited with the change in plans.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Lizzy shifted position and then Bella felt more than heard a low growl. She opened her eyes behind her sunglasses to find Alice awkwardly walking through the sand carrying a picnic basket.

"It's just Alice," Bella assured Lizzy, rubbing her head against the puppy's. Her reassurance earned her a lick to the cheek that made her giggle.

"Are you supposed to be in the sand with your leg?" Alice asked, practically falling to her knees on the corner of Bella's beach towel.

"I'm not _in_ the sand."

"Why don't you have a book? You always have a book on the beach."

"It's this new thing called relaxation. You should try it sometime."

"Well aren't you a pile of cranky."

Bella glanced at her sister, finding the pout she'd expected from her sister's tone. "Sorry, Alice. I'm not used to just sitting around and I've had about all I can stand."

"Why don't you call Masen? He seems to always have orders to give."

"He's working. The exact opposite of what I'm doing."

"What does Whit do?"

Bella sighed and sat up to face her sister, figuring talking with her sister might at least get her to forget for a while the useless feeling that she'd woken up with. Not that she'd actually slept for long last night.

"Do you want to know everyone's assignments? Or just Whit's?"

"Everyone, I guess. Might as well know exactly what I'm getting myself into." Alice's reply immediately caused Bella to perk up.

"You mean it? You're going to stay?"

"I've never spent a summer without you in my eighteen years so why break tradition now?"

Bella pulled her sister into a hug that caused both girls to laugh and Lizzy to jump to her feet and bark at them.

"Of course, we'll have to go shopping for the proper clothing," Alice said as she pulled two bottles of Gatorade from the picnic basket. "Then again, it might be easier to order online and have it shipped here. But I absolutely have to get shoes. I only brought flip-flops and heeled sandals, expecting this to be a very short stay."

"Yeah, those shoes definitely won't work on Galeos." In her excitement, Bella grabbed Alice's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Oh, wait until you see the boat! She's a beauty!"

Alice giggled and pulled her hand free. "When did you become such a boat person?"

"Um …" Bella blushed a little, remembering the feel of Edward pressed up against her, his warm hand over hers on the large steering wheel, the other tight around her waist. "I guess when Edward taught me to drive Galeos. He spent a whole morning teaching me what all the instruments are called and what they do. I'm not anywhere close to being ready to take a shift at the helm, but I understand the basics."

"What an odd name for a boat," Alice remarked.

Bella held back her snort but couldn't help smiling, already picturing the look of disgust that was sure to be on her little sister's face. "It's Greek for 'shark'."

Right on cue, her sister's face puckered as if she was sucking on an extremely tart lemon.

"Yeah, I figured you'd enjoy that bit of info," Bella said through her chuckles.

Alice bit at her lip for a bit and then lifted her brown eyes to meet Bella's. "This is really what you want to do? Stay here driving a boat and being around sharks?"

"I want _more_, Alice. And MMR will help me get it."

Alice shrugged. "It was worth one last try." She dug into the picnic basket and set out two sandwiches, a bowl of celery sticks with a cup of ranch dressing, and a bowl of grapes.

"Did you make all this?"

"Yeah. Uncle Carl helped a little. I figured you'd rather to stay out here than eat lunch inside."

"Thanks."

A small smile lifted Alice's mouth. "I wanted to do something nice for you. To show you I'm really sorry for letting my apprehension about your safety get the best of me."

"Apprehension?"

Her sister ignored her question. "You were going to tell me what everyone does."

Bella devoured a couple of strawberries while deciding how best to explain the team. "They each have titles with main responsibilities, but they also all take turns so that no one person is always doing the same thing. Typically, Whit drives the boat, Lee writes the dailies, Gopher does the cooking and cleaning, and Edward plans out their days.

"Then to make it more of a team effort, Lee and Edward take over at the helm to give Whit a break, and I think Gopher has started to do that too.

"Everyone takes a turn in the kitchen with Gopher, and I've been helping him with keeping the boat clean.

"With the dailies, it pretty much depends on what they did for that day. Usually it's Whit and Edward writing it with Lee doing the editing for them, but sometimes it's just Edward and Lee, or it's the whole team. No matter who writes it, Lee makes sure a copy gets to Esme and another gets saved to a backup drive just in case the MMR laptop gets damaged.

"The photography and the video footage are handled by Edward, Whit, and Lee, and Gopher is working on being able to take part in that. Edward's let me take some still shots and he really liked the photos so I'll get a chance too."

"Huh," was all Alice initially said. The look of confusion on her face slowly turned to one of calculation. "I didn't realize there were so many parts to what they do. You could actually be part of MMR and not have anything to do with sharks."

Bella hoped her stony expression and firm tone would get that idea right out of her sister's head. "Nice try but I'm not going to just stand around in the background."

"One question and then I promise I'll stop." Alice quickly added, "For as long as I can."

"What's your question?" She was sure she wouldn't like it but since her sister was making an effort to be honest, she felt obligated to see this through.

"Are you absolutely sure you aren't doing this to impress Edward?"

Bella's giggles came pouring out of her and she quickly found herself pressing her hand against her side to try to ease the cramping from her laughter. "Impress … No idea … He wouldn't …"

"Glad I could get you un-cranky," Alice said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, Alice," Bella cried, now holding both hands against her side. She forced herself to take deeper breathes and eventually calmed herself down. By then, Alice was purposefully ignoring her and picking at the grapes.

"It's not my fault. You were the one who asked that completely ridiculous question."

Alice huffed and finally looked at Bella. "What makes it so ridiculous?"

"For starters, I came here to change my reaction to sharks for _me_. I wanted to be in the running for the Atlanta job and I knew I couldn't be without making a huge change.

"Also, Edward has a bullshit detector like you wouldn't believe! If he thought for a second that I was doing any of this to impress him, he'd pack my bags for me. He wouldn't be able to trust me. And if he can't trust me, he can't have me on his boat because I would be a risk to his team's safety.

"And the final reason your question is ridiculous is this … It's not hard to impress a person. What's hard, and what really matters, is earning his respect. And, Alice, he respects me for wanting more for myself."

Her sister nodded but Bella could tell she was as confused as ever so it was no surprise that she asked about something else. "The photo thing … How did that happen?"

"I wish you could have been here when we were aboard the Submarine. That crew does triple the amount of work MMR does. They—"

Alice's surprised cry interrupted her. "You were on a submarine?"

"No," Bella answered, fighting hard not to laugh at her sister's shocked expression. "_The_ Submarine. It's this huge research vessel that's run by a crew called Colossus and led by this guy, Brett Irvine. They have an actual science division with a research lab right there on the ship. And so Brett had seen some of MMR's photos and reports and was so impressed that he invited us to join his crew for a couple days. That's where the photo you saw was taken."

Alice stopped swirling her celery through the cup of dressing to look up at Bella. "I'm not sure how to phrase this without being mean … But … you took a picture with a shark and then last night you got all weird and shaky from reading a paper. What's the deal with that?"

"Well … Um …" Bella had spent all of her wakeful moments last night and early this morning trying to answer that exact question. "I think a big part of why I succeeded that day was the support I had. Edward had complete faith in me, and Lee and Whit seemed to be just as confident in my abilities. Plus, Edward was at my side for every second of it. And I didn't do so hot when it was over. I kind of freaked out worrying what you and Uncle Carl would think because … well, I …" Bella's throat suddenly felt too dry and her palms began to sweat.

"What? Whatever it is can't be worse than having you so determined to stay."

"The shark in the picture … Well, we all got to name a shark and I named that one. It was a male so I … I named him Bruiser."

Alice's eyes widened as she choked on the mouthful of Gatorade she'd just drank. "_Why_? Why would you do _that_?"

"Dad always encouraged my love of the oceans and the animals in them. He would never want me to be afraid of what I love most. I just thought … I thought it would be a good way to honor him, to show him I'm still fighting for what I want."

"What about _me_, Bella? Did you ever think how I would feel about you giving away Dad's nickname to one of those monsters? They're the reason he's dead!"

"That's true but it's not at the same time. Alice, I … Look, two weeks ago I felt the same way you do. That there was nothing worthwhile about any species of shark and the world would be a better place without them. But after spending time with MMR and the Colossus crew—" Bella shrugged, not exactly sure how to explain everything she was thinking and feeling, all the things she'd learned so far about how these creatures affected the marine ecosystem.

"They are dangerous to humans but they aren't monsters with the sole intention of attacking every human who steps foot in the ocean." The words felt odd coming out of her mouth, but they also felt true.

"I just …" Alice shook her head and sighed. "How can you say that with a straight face after last night?"

"Because last night was about my own personal fears. It had nothing to do with the sharks the team had filmed. It wasn't a Great White I was seeing in my mind." It was her turn to shake her head.

"I can't do this," she said as she scooped up Lizzy and struggled to her feet. "I can't talk to you about this right now."

"So you can't talk to me but you can give Dad's name to a shark just fine? That's great, Bella. That's really awesome of you."

"I always try to give you what you want, Alice. I've spent all these years trying to make up for—Look, this one time I'm begging you to give me what _I_ need. Besides, nothing good is going to come of me telling you about that day."

"How would you know? You've never even tried!" her sister shrieked.

"Why would I? Why should we both have to have nightmares of that day?"

The anger in Alice's expression completely dissolved and though her next words were hardly a whisper, the hurt in them was loud and clear. "We already do. Yours are just factual."

Bella got back down on the blanket and wrapped her arms around her sister. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You don't always have to protect me, you know."

Bella snorted. "That's not what you told me when we were talking about Edward."

"That's different."

She sat back and used her thumbs to dry her sister's cheeks. "If you really believe you can handle it, I'll tell you. But you might be better off asking Uncle Carl because I only remember parts of it. The rest I only remember in my dreams."

Alice didn't answer, choosing instead to reach out and stroke Lizzy's back. Bella left her alone, wanting to give her time to be absolutely sure she was ready for what she'd asked for.

Bella had time to eat her entire sandwich and put a dent in the bowl of strawberries before Alice finally spoke up.

"I think what I really want to know is if he was happy that morning. Did he talk about Mom? About me? Was he missing us? Was he enjoying the trip and sharing silly stories with Uncle Carl?"

She debated which of her sister's questions to answer first and decided to go with the one she figured Alice was most anxious to have answered. "Of course he missed you and Mom. He always missed us when he took a trip without us."

"What were you guys doing?"

"We were swimming that morning. You remember how much he loved to swim?"

"Mom used to say Daddy was a merman who had given up the oceans for her."

Bella snorted. "Yeah, and you believed her until you were eight."

"I liked the idea of being part mermaid and being able to talk to fish. And you did too because you were always talking to our goldfish Goldie and Locks."

"I did but I never expected them to understand me or talk back to me like you did."

"Right," Alice replied sarcastically while rolling her eyes. "So was that it? Just swimming?"

"We talked about summer camp a little. I told him how I was thinking of being a marine veterinarian instead of a biologist."

"But you didn't become either."

"No. No, I didn't. And I've always regretted it, but the way I am now I can't do either of those jobs. Not when there's a panic attack lurking around every corner for me. Like last night. No one was more surprised than me by my reaction to it. I'm still not even completely sure why it got to me so much."

"Maybe it was about Edward and not sharks."

"No because if it has just been about Edward, I would have been able to think of how safety is his number one priority and how he has tons of safety procedures he makes everyone follow."

"Are you sure he's that dedicated to safety? Because I got the feeling doing what he wants is his number one priority."

"That's only because you haven't seen him at work. And let's be honest, Alice, you still blame him for me wanting to stay so you're not exactly impartial in your judgment of him."

Alice tucked her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "What's it like when you get a panic attack?"

"It's kind of hard to describe … There's the physical stuff, like my heart beating crazy fast, and my arms and legs shaking. Then there's the mental stuff. Sometimes it seems like all the sounds have been turned down really low and I just hear mumbles. Other times I hear things that aren't there, sounds from that day. And sometimes I see what I think is going to happen."

"What do you mean by that last one?"

"When I had my attack at the ocean center, it was because a shark was swimming near a diver in the tank. I became convinced the diver was going to get bit and in my head I saw it happening. I saw the mouth opening and the teeth latching on. That look of panic and pain in the diver's eyes." Bella shook her head. "That terror is so consuming in the moment. After it passes, I'm left feeling exhausted and foolish."

She forced a smile for her sister's sake. "Edward keeps telling me not to feel bad, that my panic is a natural reaction to a traumatic event."

"What does Uncle Carl say? I assume he knows about it since he knew why you were really out here. And just so we're clear, I'm mad at the both of you for hiding things from me."

"Baloney! If you were really mad, you wouldn't be talking to either of us."

"Okay, that's true, but seriously! You guys have gotta stop hiding things from me. I can handle stuff, ya know. I'm not gonna get scared and checkout like Mom did."

Bella blurted out her sister's name in shock. "We would never—_I_ would never! The reason we didn't tell you was because you started your first real job just days after I left and we wanted you to be able to focus on that. If we had told you, then you would have spent the entire summer worrying about me and not focusing on your own life."

"No, because you never would have left Florida."

Bella patted her sister's head the same way she did Lizzy's when she was being cute but still not going to get her way. "It's so cute that you think you would have had that power."

"Hey, I'm being serious," Alice whined while pushing Bella's hand away.

"So am I. I love you, I respect you, and I do consider you when I make decisions for myself. But my choice has to be what's best for me, the same way that yours has to be for you."

Bella wasn't surprised that her statement caused Alice's face to pucker and her pouty lower lip to stick out.

"Alright, time to go," Bella announced while struggling to her feet with Lizzy in her arms.

"Go where?"

"Shoe shopping, my pouty little sister."

"You want to take me shopping? Are you feeling okay? Is your fever back?"

"I feel fine," Bella assured her. "You need shoes and I know where there's a mall."

"Are you allowed to drive Edward's Bronco?" Alice questioned, looking a little worried. "I heard him talking about that truck with Whit and he seemed pretty attached to it."

Bella's smile turned mischievous. "I'll do what Whit and Lee do … Ask for forgiveness later instead of permission now."

Her little sister snorted and giggled. "Can't wait to see how that works out for you."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"How many generations do you think we're seeing?" Whit asked.

"Was this place called Seal Island first and then the seals came? Or were the seals here already?" Gopher questioned. He was manning the video camera while Edward and Lee snapped photos.

"It looks more like a giant rock than an island," Lee commented. She moved to the other side of Gopher to get some shots from another angle.

"That's because it's an outcrop of granite," Masen explained, sharing the research he'd done on the island. "Long but also narrow, with no vegetation, soil, or beach. The waves have worn down the rock in some areas to a slant that acts as a slide for the seals to get on and off the rock."

Gopher tried asking another question. "Why choose this place instead of an actual beach?"

"It's just what Fur Seals do," Masen told him. "Colonies prefer to breed on rocky islands, rock ledges and reefs, and pebble and boulder beaches. It's rare to find them on sandy beaches. Personally, I think they prefer to be close to deep water than to head into the shallows that exist in front of most sandy beaches."

"Planning for us to get any closer, Mase?" Whit questioned.

"No. We don't want to spook them. It's one thing for them to come across humans in the water, they actually like swimming with divers. But having us on land with their pups would make them territorial. We'll just circle the island in the skiff. And in answer to your earlier question, the generations depend on the life expectancy and I haven't looked up those numbers yet. I focused on the island so we would be prepared for driving the skiff over here."

"Hey, what about my question? About how the island got its name?" Gopher reminded them.

"As far as I can tell, the seals were first," Masen stated. "Sightings go all the way back to 1884. Unlike with sharks, seal conservation was easy to get support for and the seals here have been protected by the government since 1922."

"Sucks," Whit muttered, letting out a heavy sigh. "No government backing means no consequences for harming sharks."

"At least South Africa is ahead of the curve," Lee replied. "Great Whites have been protected in these waters since 1991."

"Plus they added the Whale Shark and Basking shark to their prohibited species list in 2005," Masen pointed out. "Now if we can just get the rest of the world to catch up."

He stopped photographing to tap Gopher on the shoulder. "That's enough video for now."

"You sure? I wasn't tired of holding the camera yet." Gopher's eagerness brought a smile to his face.

"We're good, bro. Thanks."

"Hey, what happens if someone does do something to a shark?"

"No one's been convicted yet so I can't say for sure, but the law states jail time or a hefty fine. And if you accidentally catch or kill one, you have to contact the fisheries department immediately. The only sharks that you can catch are raggedtooth, spotted gully, and catsharks—and you can't sell them. They have to be for personal use. It's a huge help in keeping their numbers in check and the ecosystem in balance."

"My personal favorite part of the laws here is the complete ban on finning," Lee shared. She then pulled the camera away only to bring it back to eye-level once more. "What in the hell kind of birds are those?"

Masen took a look through his own lens and spotted the birds in question. The first looked to have the head of a pigeon but with a curved beak instead of a straight one. Its neck and body had swan-like features, while the tail feathers appeared to have come from an oversized mockingbird. It also had huge feet that looked more suited for a duck than a bird of flight. Add to that its uniform black coloring and it was like looking at a child's drawing of a bird come to life.

The other bird in sight had a body similar to a pelican, only much slimmer and solid black. It also had the long, flat beak of a pelican. The most striking features were its blue eyes and the bright orange patch at the top of its throat.

"I know this one!" Whit proudly proclaimed. "And you're never going to believe me, but those birds are in the same family. The black beauty is a Bank Cormorant, and the blue-eyed one is a Cape Cormorant. The Banks like to stay close to land and feed on rock lobsters, while the Capes prefer to fly low over the water and then dive in to pluck anchovies and other small fish out of their schools."

"That's cool and all, but how about one of you tell me why there's a group of penguins way over there on the right?" Gopher suggested, pointing in the direction he'd spotted the animals.

Masen snorted. "They're your kind of penguin, Gopher. Jackass Penguins."

"Stop." Lee's warning had zero effect since she was laughing right along with Gopher and Whit.

"Jackass?" Gopher asked with a snort.

"Serious," Masen assured him. "They bray like a donkey, loud and obnoxious. I think they were first described by Linnaeus somewhere in the mid 1700s. He thought they were a species of albatross. Someone came along later on and classified them as penguins instead. They stand out from other penguins by the thick band of black on their fronts. Looks like an upside down horseshoe. And it's believed the black spots on their bodies are unique in size and shape to each penguin."

"Awe! Penguin snowflakes," Whit joked, getting a laugh out of everyone.

"Hey, I think I read that there's a colony on the beach near Cape Town. I bet Alice would trust us to take her to see penguins," Lee suggested. "They're used to humans so we can get pretty close to them."

"Bet Guppy wouldn't mind meeting some penguins in the wild," Gopher added.

"We _do_ need a plan for how to spend our Friday off," Whit urged, looking only at Masen.

"Let's get our work finished and then we'll see about scheduling some play." Masen's answer might have seemed like it had shot-down their idea, but his team new better. If it wasn't a flat out "no" then he was considering it. Or at least he would consider it. They had work to finish first and that's where he needed to keep his mind for now.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** As always, we thank you guys for reading! We've put some info up about the seals on the blog for those interested.

And just another little tidbit for those interested … South Africa truly is the first country to impose legislation to protect Great Whites. In February of this year, 21 years after the law against catching Great Whites was passed, the first conviction was handed down to a South African businessman. He was fined $13,000 or given the option to spend a year in jail. His case is considered a landmark decision, and animal rights groups and fisheries hope it will serve as a deterrent to other anglers and help preserve these sharks.


	29. 29 Reunited

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 29 – Reunited And It Feels So Good**

**Friday, June 27****th**

Masen's nervous excitement could be physically observed through his fingers drumming against his thigh as he waited his turn to disembark from Galeos. He was as anxious to get back to the house as he'd been reluctant to leave it—so much that he wasn't even questioning his odd behavior at all.

With Wednesday being a scrap, Thursday had found the team with double the work in front of them. They'd worked so late into the night that Edward hadn't been able to talk to Bella and he'd found himself unable to rest at all last night from how strongly he'd felt her absence. It was one of the reasons he hadn't put up a fight this morning when Whit had suggested heading for home early. He'd admitted to missing Alice and wanting to get to her sooner so Masen had seized the opportunity with a claim of helping his friend out. He would have admitted to missing Bella if Whit had pressed but his friend had been too excited to start home to bother with playing the part of nudger.

"I can't wait to stretch out in my big bed and sleep hard and long," Lee announced, continuing the conversation he was only half-way listening to.

"You're going to waste your day off sleeping?" he asked as she tossed her duffel bag down to Gopher.

"You bet your sweet ass, my friend," she assured him. She planted her fingers across the MMR hat sitting backwards on his head and gave him a shake. "You can enjoy Guppy all to yourself for a bit."

Masen grinned, a few ideas of enjoyable activities playing through his mind. Maybe he could even get Bella to go for a swim with him in that red bikini of hers.

"And we have green," Lee called out, her hands framing her mouth to amplify her voice. "I repeat. We have code green."

He gave her a push forward to shut her up quickly but really only succeeded in making her laugh. He grabbed her by the waist and then lifted her into his arms. "That's it. You're smart ass is getting tossed overboard."

Gopher's warning was clearly heard over the sound of Lee's cackling laughter. "Careful with her, Mase."

Whit was at his side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Gopher. Mase has man-handled Lee plenty of times over the years and he hasn't dropped her yet. At least not when it wasn't on purpose."

"Shouldn't you two be all excited to be seeing your own women instead of picking on mine?" Gopher questioned.

"She started with _me_," Masen argued.

"I did," Lee admitted. She followed it up with a loud kiss to his cheek and then wiggled her way out of his arms. "Let's get home and see what kind of shape Guppy's in after three days alone with her sister. _Then_ I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of my bed."

They managed to stuff most of their gear into the trunk of a cab and the rest filled their laps. As soon as the cab pulled up to the house, Masen jumped out with his duffel and slung it over his shoulder, making a beeline for the front door. The closer they'd gotten to the house, the harder he'd found it to keep still and now that he was actually here he wasn't going to wait another second to see his kapu.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lee called out. "We have a trunk to unload."

"Let me know how that goes for you," Masen replied, not even slowing his pace.

He found the front door locked and quickly dug into his jeans pocket for the spare key. In his head, he was already inside and Bella was in his sights. In reality, the weight of his duffel was making him lean too much into the door which in turn was making it harder to fit the key into the lock.

The door finally opened and as much as Masen wanted to drop his bag right there and bolt for Bella's room, he knew Esme would kick his ass for leaving his bag where it could be stepped on or tripped over. He waited until the couch was in sight and then threw it, hitting the back of the furniture and making more noise than he'd intended.

Smiling wide, he kicked his shoes off outside of Bella's room and then pushed the door open, planning to crawl into bed beside her and see how long it would take her to wake from his kisses.

But the bed was empty.

Not only was it empty, it was perfectly made as if Bella hadn't slept in it for days.

Even more telling was the darkened bedside lamp.

He swallowed down the bile trying to rise up in his throat. _I should have called. I never should have let all of yesterday pass without calling her. That daily report must have gotten to her more than I thought and Alice finished her off._

He suddenly found himself standing in front of her closet, a flame of hope burning in his chest and making it difficult to breathe. His hands trembled on the doorknobs. If he did this, if he pulled these doors back to find the space inside empty—

_Please. Please, kapu._

He wrenched the doors open and was greeted with a mess. Clothes haphazardly dangling from hangers, shoes piled up next to Bella's trunk and suitcase, and a mess strewn out across the upper shelf. Normally he would have rolled his eyes at such a disaster but right now it was perfect.

"Shame on you, Edward Masen."

He spun around, his face going beet red as he met his mom's fiery gray eyes.

"There's inexperience and then there's just plain lack of trust. Want to guess which one you just displayed?" The look of disappointment on her face hurt more than her words and after all these years he suspected that would always hold true.

He yanked his hat off and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I just … The bed's all made and the lamp's off … With her having been so upset the other night and Alice wanting her to go home …"

Esme's hands went to her hips and her eyes narrowed slightly. "I hope you don't think any of that is an excuse."

"No," he admitted, sinking down onto the corner of the bed.

"That bed is made because Alice made it. She couldn't sit still waiting on Bella to be ready to go. They volunteered to go to Cape Town to pick up supplies for this morning's breakfast. They wanted to make something special to welcome the team home."

Masen's head hung so low that his chin touched his chest.

Esme sat down beside him, putting a comforting hand on his back. "Kid, you can't let your insecurity get the best of you like this. You have to put your trust in Bella and trust her word because if you don't you will ruin your relationship. And not for nothing, but with as many times as I've heard you ask her to put her trust in you, you should be damn ashamed for not trusting her."

"It's not …" He sat up straight and looked at her. "It's not her I don't trust. It's _me_."

"Lame," Esme replied, resting her forehead against his and looking into his eyes. "And you know it."

"I don't feel like I know anything anymore. I wasn't excited to leave, I missed her every day, and I couldn't wait to get back to this house."

"The experiences are new, I'll grant you that. But this heart …" She tapped her finger against his chest. "This heart is the same and it knows better."

"Are you going to tell her about this?"

"Not my place. But I strongly suggest you do. She can't help you fix what's wrong if she doesn't know there's a problem."

"The problem is mine, though."

"Not anymore." Esme pressed a kiss to his forehead and then stood. "Work it out, Edward. Or you're going to have a self-fulfilling prophecy on your hands—you're going to fuck it up."

She left him alone in the room and though he probably should have stayed there and thought about his actions, he couldn't get away fast enough. He didn't want to think right now—he just wanted things to be the way they were before, when everything made sense. Especially his own behavior.

He walked out the room and spotted Gopher stretched across the couch. "Where are Lee and Whit? I wanna go surfing."

"Lee crawled into bed. Not sure where Whit wandered off to. And the only surfing I'm gonna do is the channel kind."

"Maybe he's looking for Alice."

"Nah, he noticed right away she wasn't here. Soon as he saw your truck was gone. That's what your eager ass gets for coming back early."

"My truck's gone?"

Gopher snorted. "Blinded with visions of Guppy in your head, huh?"

"I'm gonna find Whit."

"He's probably gone to bed too. Why don't you take a nap yourself? Get some fresh Bella scent from her pillows. Then you can be rested up for when she gets home."

He didn't respond to the man's baiting; he headed for the stairs instead to go down and look for Whit. He rarely ever complained about their rule of no one being in the water alone but today was one of those rare days when he briefly considered breaking it. But the idea of upsetting everyone for a little time in the water was always enough to keep him on dry land.

Masen found his best friend splayed out across an air mattress and snoring like a Mack truck. The only reason he didn't wake him was because he'd had the last shift at the helm.

If he couldn't surf to clear his head, then Masen figured he'd run until it cleared out. He headed back upstairs and changed into his running gear.

He hadn't made it very far down the beach when he got some unexpected company.

"This spot taken?" Esme asked with a grin.

He slowed a little to make it easier for her to keep up with his pace. While he wasn't at all opposed to her company, he was in no mood for another lecture. "No offense, but I'd rather not talk right now."

"Would you mind listening?" She tried to smile but it was so far off from her usual perkiness that it was a waste. "I came down on you too hard and didn't really give you a chance to explain yourself. I'm sorry for that, Edward.

"But in my defense, you shocked the hell out of me, Kid. You're typically pretty damn predictable and I just … I never would have believed you'd have so little faith in Bella."

"Mom, that's what I was trying to tell you. It's not Bella that I don't have faith in. It's _me_. I look at her options, at staying here with me and MMR, or going home. And I see more reasons for her to go home."

"You don't really believe that."

"I don't want it to be true. There's a difference."

"Edward, how can you think so little of yourself? You're smart and talented. You have friends who are just as brilliant as you are, and just as loyal and loving. You have two—_two_ moms who support you and have the utmost confidence in you. You have a college degree. You run a successful company. How is it that you still believe you have nothing to offer a partner?"

"I'm not any good at it, at being a partner. I don't have the natural instincts everyone else seems to have. I can't understand half the reactions that I produce in others or feel myself. I'm not meant for this, Mom. I'm only ever going to fuck it up."

Esme gave only a single nod at first, but then she started to silently cry. Since she was still keeping pace with him, he wasn't sure what to do, if he should stop or keep going until she stopped. And that just made him feel more certain that he'd always fail Bella in the end—he couldn't even be a good son to his mom so there was no chance he'd be a good partner to his kapu.

It wasn't long before Esme grabbed his arm and had him stop. She looked up at him, using her hand to shield her wet eyes from the sun. "I'm sorry, Edward. For whatever I did or didn't do that caused you to feel this way. I'm sorry I screwed up. Beth would have been so much better at all of this. She'd probably even know what to do right now to fix things. But all I can offer that she would is this … I will never give up on you. I will never stop supporting you, dreaming for you, and doing all I can to help you achieve every goal you set for yourself."

Masen pulled her into a hug and set his chin on her head, pushing away his anger with himself in hopes of finding a way to comfort his mom. "It's not your fault. It's mine. Something's not wired right in my head. That's all there is to it."

"I don't believe that. Not for one second."

"Why not? We've got plenty of proof. Just look at all the stupid things I've done since she got here."

"Your head isn't where you feel love and devotion. Your head is the logic and the bright ideas. Your heart holds the love and devotion you give to us. And, Edward, you have so very much to give. More than enough to be a great partner to Bella. You just have to stop letting your head get in the way."

"I'm not."

"You are, son." She looked up at him, placing her hand over his heart. "In your heart, you know Bella would never leave without talking to you, without sharing one last goodbye with you.

"But your head—your head is what caused you to misinterpret what you saw when you came home. You saw a bed made and a lamp off but you completely missed your truck not being out front and your puppy not running up to greet you. Your head immediately latched onto your worst fear and you just went with it. You didn't let your heart have any input at all."

He sighed and pulled his hat off to run a hand through his hair. "Even if you're right, at my age I think it's pretty impossible to change."

"Age is a number, not a limitation." She grabbed his hand to keep him from sinking it into his hair again. "Listen, Kid, I know this is all really new to you and maybe that in itself is bothering you, that it's just now happening for you. But that's the beautiful part, Edward. It _is_ happening. Don't let your insecurities ruin something so wonderful."

He said nothing, not wanting to give either of them any false hopes.

"I can see you don't trust yourself, and I suppose you're going to feel that way for a while to come. But I have every confidence that if you'll trust Bella, she'll help you be the partner you want to be for her."

"You really believe that?" he asked. He didn't want to get his hopes up but he really wanted her to be right. "You're not just trying to make both you and me feel better that I finally found something I'm a complete failure at."

"Kid." She paused to smile and frame his face with her hands. "Beth's special boy and the son I love with all my heart. You will _never_ be a failure. So long as you never give up.

"So tell me … You going to throw in the towel and give up your kapu to some loser guy out there who won't understand her or appreciate her half as much as you do? Or will you conquer your head and fight to be the partner you want to be for her?"

He grinned, loving how his mom could take the impossible and make it seem obtainable. "If I've gone through all the trouble to let her become kapu, I might as well see this through, huh?"

"She loves you for you, Edward. Trust that and you'll learn to trust yourself."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"But what if he won't actually eat the food?" Alice questioned.

"You're being ridiculous," Bella replied while juggling a bag of groceries and a wiggling Lizzy. The puppy had been alternating between barking, whining, and trying to jump out of her arms since she'd parked the truck back in its spot in front of the house.

"But what if?" her sister pressed.

"Alice, for the last time, Edward is not going to think you poisoned his breakfast. Now get over here and open the door. Lizzy's freaking out and I don't want her to fall and get hurt."

As soon as the door was open, Bella set Lizzy down and the puppy tore down the short hall toward the bedrooms.

"Wonder what that's all abo—AH!" Her cry of surprise sounded loud in the small kitchen area.

"I'm gonna take that as a happy scream, Guppy," Gopher said as he chuckled at her.

She patted his stomach in hopes he would move aside. "I wasn't expecting to run into a wall."

Once she had the grocery bag sitting securely on the counter, she turned to face him. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be home for another forty-five minutes?"

"Yeah, you're ruining our surprise," Alice told him.

He lifted his hands palms up, his gesture for the team's saying of 'no harm, no foul'. "Don't look at me. Blame it on Frick and Frack. They couldn't wait to see you two so they drove us home early."

"That explains Lizzy freaking out," Bella said with a laugh. "I'm sure she's attacking Edward with puppy love."

Lizzy came into the kitchen just then and sat down beside Gopher. She looked up at him and let out the saddest whine Bella had ever heard.

He knelt down beside the little dog and gently scratched behind her ear. "It's okay, sweet girl. Your Mase will be back soon." He looked up at Bella and added, "He went for a run on the beach with Esme."

Alice lifted up on her toes and looked through the kitchen opening. "Where's Whit?"

"Downstairs sleeping off his helm duty. And Lee's having a nap of her own."

"How come you're wide awake?" she asked, her head tilting back and her eyes following him as he rose to his full height.

"Once I'm up, I'm up. Been that way my whole life." His lips turned up in a playful grin. "My momma didn't enjoy it much during my formative years."

"Does she worry about you?"

"No, not really. I think she was maybe a little concerned my first time out with the team but after all this time, she trusts me to be careful. And she trusts Masen even more to make sure I'm careful."

"Have your parents gotten to meet him?"

"A few times," he answered while nodding. "My whole family gets along great with him. 'Course my little sisters having huge crushes on him doesn't hurt."

"So it's just me he doesn't like then?"

Gopher snorted. "No offense, but you kicked the bull while wearing red. You own the horns after that."

Alice turned to Bella. "What did he just say?"

Bella just barely managed to succeed in holding her laughter in. "Basically, you got back what you dished out."

Gopher clapped his hands together and then rubbed them quickly. "So! What can I do to help?"

"You can go sit down," Bella said, smiling up at him. "We are treating the team to breakfast."

Gopher reached over and snagged the bunch of bananas. "You're part of the team, Guppy, even if you weren't with us this last stint. So as your teammate, I'm helping. Now, I'm an expert here, so don't correct me if I'm wrong," he joked. "But this spread on the counter looks to be the ingredients for crepes."

"You're good," Alice said, her tone and expression showing he'd impressed her.

_Finally_, Bella thought as she listened to Gopher explain to her sister why crepes were an amazing dish. _Now if I can just get her to warm up to Edward and Lee_.

The ensuing laughter and carrying on between Alice and Gopher was contagious and Bella quickly found herself giving up on policing the two "big kids". She felt a little guilty when Lee and Whit appeared, certain they'd been woken by all the noise, but it didn't last long since they jumped right into adding to the racket.

"Well you lot certainly seem excited to be together." Uncle Carl was standing just behind Whit and Lee, peering into the kitchen opening with them.

"We're making crepes!" Alice's excitement had always been catching and it was a relief to Bella to see it happening here after all of the initial turmoil.

"What's your poison, Carlisle?" Gopher asked. "Banana or strawberry?"

"Oh, I try to stay away from crepes. I have a sweet tooth that gets out of control rather quickly."

"Explains Esme," Whit mumbled just loud enough for Bella to hear. She snapped a dishtowel through the opening and caught him on the elbow.

"Come on, Uncle Carl," Alice pleaded. "You're sort of on vacation."

He wasted no time in giving in. "Excellent argument, sweetheart. Gopher, I'll have a strawberry crepe drizzled in honey and lightly sprinkled with cinnamon. If that's possible."

Gopher grinned wide. "Done and done. Might I also suggest a dollop of fresh whipped cream? I make it myself; it's pretty damn fantastic."

Her uncle's eyes crinkled as his smile grew. "It would be rude of me as your guest not to try it."

"Did you ring Esme on her run?" Lee's eyes seemed to be checking Uncle Carl for the shape of a hidden phone.

"No. Why?"

"'Cause you just ordered your crepe the exact same way she does."

"Lucky guess."

"Or sneaky phone caller."

"No, sorry. In addition to doubting she has her phone with her, I wouldn't interrupt her time with Edward."

"How do you know she's with Edward?" It was Bella who asked but she was definitely not the only one looking at Carlisle and waiting for his answer.

"Simply making a deduction. She's not here and neither is he." The others all took that as an acceptable answer but then again they probably hadn't noticed the slight flush of his cheeks. Bella would let him have his reprieve for now but she'd get the truth out of him before the morning was over.

"Guppy, this is the last batch going in," Gopher announced. "Why don't you set the patio table?"

"Good idea," Lee told him. "We can put Mase downwind since he's not back yet and won't have time to shower first."

"He probably won't eat anyway," Alice replied.

"I _will_ kick you," Bella warned, scooting past her sister with an armful of plates.

"What are you gonna do when I'm right?" Alice called after her.

Bella was halfway done with putting out the plates when Lee showed up with glasses. "Do I wanna know what your little sister was talking about?"

Bella snorted. "She thinks Edward will think she put poison in the breakfast and not eat it. I'm pretty sure what she's actually worried about is him taking back his offer for her to stay now that she's finally made up her mind."

"She's staying then?"

"Seems like it."

The wind carried the sound of laughter to them and they both went to the railing to look out on the beach.

"Think that's them?" Bella asked.

"I'd recognize that wonky gait anywhere," Lee said with a snort. "He still hasn't completely grown into his legs." She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Get a move on, Sharkboy! Breakfast is just about ready."

"Sharkboy?" Bella asked, her brows lifting in disbelief that Lee could get away with calling Edward such a thing.

Lee grinned. "He let it slide yesterday because of how disappointed he was that we couldn't work with the sharks so I wanna see what he does with it today."

"I thought he was okay with the change in plans. The daily made it sound like he enjoyed the seals." She saw the question in Lee's eyes. "I didn't stay up to wait for it. I knew if Whit found out he'd have a fit. I had Alice read it out loud on our way to town this morning."

Lee smirked at her. "First of all, it wasn't Whit's reaction that had you going to bed before the daily arrived. And secondly, Masen absolutely enjoyed it. But he wouldn't be him if he wasn't disappointed when a plan failed. That's the perfectionist in him."

"Make way! Crepes coming through!" Gopher's booming voice had them quickly rounding the table to get out of his way. He set an oval platter down in the center and then stepped aside to let Alice put down a jar of honey and a bottle of syrup.

Gopher came around the table to get behind Lee and wrap his arms around her. "Any sign of Esme and Masen yet?"

Lizzy's sudden burst of barking had all three of them smiling, certain that the puppy was welcoming them home.

Bella moved toward the doorway to get a look at the happy reunion. Edward was down on one knee with both hands scratching behind Lizzy's ears, making her tail thump against the carpet. Between his goofy grin and the puppy's look of pure adoration and pleasure, there was just no holding back Bella's giggles.

Edward's eyes immediately locked onto hers and even from this distance she could tell they were green. He crossed the length between them in three long strides, coming to a stop so close to her that she could feel the heat of the sun seeping from his tanned skin. There didn't seem to be a dry spot on him and the patches of sand sticking to him sparkled in the swatch of sunlight covering his left side.

"There you go getting in my personal space again," she teased, her eyes once again meeting his.

"You gonna let me kiss you? Or make me wait until I shower?"

"You gonna make it a good kiss?"

"All my kisses are good."

"By your standards, sure. I'm talking about mine." She had to bite her lip to keep from bursting into laughter at the absurdity of the conversation. How could he ever think she could wait any length of time for a proper hello?

His hands sunk into her hair, his fingers disappearing into her silky tresses and eventually settling against her scalp. He hadn't even kissed her yet and already her body was buzzing and her heart-rate was climbing. She had to roll her fingers into fists to keep from grabbing him; she had the strangest surety that she had to let him to take the lead on this one.

The first touch of his lips to hers wasn't a kiss so much as a moment of rest. With just that one small connection, she could feel his relief and his joy. It happened so quickly that someone else probably wouldn't have noticed. Then again, someone else wouldn't know how much his body language gave away when his mouth stayed silent.

He pulled away slowly but returned quickly, his second barrage leaving her breathless and with the surety that she would have hit her head had there been anything solid behind her. She was also sure it was his grip on her head and neck keeping her standing—it damn sure wasn't her jelly legs. The tingling sensation created by his lips moving hard and fast against hers was like nothing she'd ever experienced before and she knew with absolute certainty that this was it felt like to have been truly missed.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen could feel the tremor beneath the surface of his skin, sliding up his arms and down his legs in sync with his quick-fire heartbeat. He was rapidly running out of breath but had zero desire to resolve that issue because it would mean he'd no longer have contact with Bella's soft, warm lips. Not to mention he was a little busy trying to keep some sanity and not dig his nose completely into her face. It just felt so good to finally be with her that he'd temporarily misplaced his self-control. If this overwhelming, crazy mix of emotions was what it would always be like to see her after an absence, he doubted he'd ever want to board the boat without her again.

It was only for her sake that he ended the kiss. He extracted his fingers from her hair and put his arms around her waist just enough to be touching without his sweaty chest pressing against her dress. Then he forced his lips to pull away from hers, though they only got as far as her cheek and then the shell of her ear. So gently, with hardly any real pressure, he nipped her ear and enjoyed the little whimper she let loose. He wanted her to know a great many things in that moment, and even wanted to be able to say some of them himself and not have her just pick it up through some form of emotional osmosis. But the word dancing around in his head to the beat of his heart was all he could manage to get out. "Kapu."

She turned her face into his neck and hugged him to her with her arm braced against his sweaty head; he hadn't realized until just then that his hat had fallen off.

"I'm writing about this 'hello'," she said in a breathy whisper.

He hardly had enough air in his lungs to laugh, but he definitely had strength to hold her tighter now that he was fairly certain his sweat didn't bother her.

A distinctly male throat was cleared—Masen and Bella both went rigid and almost immediately her blush became strong enough for him to feel it against his skin.

"Damn, Mase. That was one hell of a missed-you kiss," Lee joked.

Masen looked up and found Gopher's jaw hanging open. He had just enough time before the next comment was let loose to notice everyone else standing there … Esme proudly displayed two thumbs-up to him while Carlisle looked about as red in the face as Bella felt. Alice had a smirk on her lips and both hands on her hips—he wasn't sure what to make of that since Lee's smirks were typically fun and Esme's hands on her hips was bad news. Speaking of Lee, that fucking nudger was busy using her hands to tell him "lay another one on her". He couldn't see Whit's expression because he was standing behind Alice with his forehead on her shoulder. But from the way his body was moving, Masen was pretty certain his best friend was laughing at him.

Gopher's declaration shattered the brief silence. "That was _not_ a kiss." His hand darted forward with an accusing finger pointed right at Masen. "_That_ was a face battle! I don't know who won, but it was epic all the same."

"Just swallow her face whole next time, Mase," Whit suggested. He'd picked his head up just to show off his nudger grin—Masen was sure of it.

"Shut up. It was just a friendly 'hello' kiss," Masen said, speaking to them all and knowing they weren't about to end the teasing so quickly.

Whit snorted. "Where I come from, friends don't chew on each other's earlobes. And since I grew up with you, I know damn well you know that kiss had nothing to do with being Guppy's friend."

"If I had to choose between a kiss like that and friendship, I might have to go for the kiss."

"Alice!" Carlisle's surprised shout had Bella groaning and Masen chuckling. In his defense though, the smile on the little sister's face compared to the look of horror on the uncle's was pretty priceless.

He felt Bella fidget in his arms. "Guess I should probably let you go, huh?" he whispered.

"Not if being in your arms has any potential at all to make me invisible."

He really wanted to laugh but he didn't think that would help with her embarrassment. "Nope. Makes you _more_ of a target."

"I'm dead anyway."

This time he did laugh. He also kissed her on the forehead and let go of her.

He snatched up his hat, smoothed back his mess of sweaty hair, and fitted the cap over it with the bill once again at the back. His arm didn't make it to his side before he felt her fingers slip through his. He turned his head to look at her and see if she was blushing, but he never got past her eyes. Deep, caramel eyes—eyes that he could actually read without any help. Love and trust, and amazement that she was his. She obviously didn't see things clearly because otherwise she'd know that the only amazing thing here was her wanting him. She was kind, loyal, smart, and could even be funny when she was relaxed. She had her demons too, but they were far fewer than his own.

"Edward? Didn't you hear Gopher?" Bella asked, rubbing his arm gently. "Strawberry or banana?"

He smiled at her and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before giving his attention to Gopher and choosing both types of crepes.

They were about halfway through with breakfast when Esme nudged Masen's knee under the table. Of the many things they'd talked about during their run together, Alice had been near the top. Esme thought the best way to induct her into the fold was to hold a nickname vote. Though his mom had laughed at his idea of "Hummer", she'd also immediately vetoed it, citing that if a mom couldn't hear that name without thinking adult thoughts, then no one else would.

A couple quick taps of his fork against his glass captured the attention of everyone at the table. "Alice has committed to coming along with MMR and being an observer. As such, she'll be subject to the rules, requirements, and traditions that we observe.

"Alice, you're first task with us is to be fitted with a nickname. Anyone can propose a name they feel fits your personality, and then I'll call for a vote. Majority rules and nicknames stick whether the recipient likes it or not.

"To get us started, Esme has proposed 'Thumper' and I second her on it. Everyone take a couple minutes to think on it and decide if you like it or want to suggest another name."

Bella crooked her finger at him. Between her smirk and the look of pure mischief in her brown eyes, it was damn hard not to laugh at her. He settled for smiling and leaning in close to give them a little privacy in the midst of their loud group.

"I know Esme came up with that name because of my sister's foot-tapping, but why are you backing it?"

He gave her his shitty grin and then an equally shitty reply—honest, but shitty. "'Cause she made me want to thump her upside the head the first day we met."

Bella swatted him on the arm a couple times while he laughed at her poor attempt to hide her smile. _Mock indignation looks pretty cute on her_.

"As much as it pains me to suggest yet another name better than mine …" Gopher sighed and shook his head before finishing. "Since she's pretty fast on her feet, and in causing a disruption, how about 'Flash'?"

"Tasmanian Devil is more fitting." Lee was sitting beside Bella so Masen knew if he'd heard his friend, then Bella certainly had.

And Esme had definitely heard his snort because she smacked him in the back of the head for it.

"Hey, _she_ said it," he defended, pointing at Lee. "And don't think I don't see your smirk."

"Nope. Not me, Kid," Esme said, smiling wider.

Masen shook his head at her and then turned his attention back to Bella. He'd expected her to say something to Lee and take up for her sister but she was once again trying to hide a smile. It made him feel all the more foolish for thinking she would fold to her sister's demands and ignore her own desires and needs. He would have to find a way to make it up to her but for now he had a vote to finish.

He sat up straight and addressed the table. "Any other suggestions before I call for the vote?"

Alice waved her hand and he nodded for her to go on. "I'd be totally a-okay if we skipped this and you guys just called me Alice."

Even Carlisle laughed at his niece's naivety.

"All those in favor of 'Thumper', hold it up high," Masen said as he raised his hand.

Esme's hand shot up next and was quickly followed by Bella's. Lee gave a shrug before lifting hers. Gopher kept both of his hands on the table, foolishly holding out for his suggestion.

Masen turned his eyes to his best friend, half-expecting Whit to be torn on the vote since this was his dream girl. But Whit surprised him like usual—he had both arms high in the air as if he was calling a field goal attempt on a football field.

"And it's 'Thumper' by a mile." Whit's excited announcement had everyone laughing.

Masen smiled at Alice and for a second he was positive she was going to poke her tongue at him. But then something shifted in her face and she smiled back. He stood and leaned toward her with his glass held out.

Once she finally stood and pressed her glass to his, he told her, "Welcome aboard, Thumper."

The ensuing roaring cheer and round of applause sealed things up nicely in Masen's opinion.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

Alice had been waiting all morning for a chance to talk to Whit privately but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. Breakfast had been far too busy with way too many ears. She'd thought she would have a chance while cleaning up the dishes with him but Lee and Gopher had stuck around to help. Then Lizzy had needed to go out and with Masen in the shower, Esme nowhere in sight, and Bella doing something with Lee, it had fallen to Whit to take the puppy out. She would have gone with him but Gopher had already announced he was going.

And now she was in the backseat of Masen's truck, sandwiched between Gopher and Whit. Even worse, she was all out of patience.

_Maybe if I keep my voice low, she won't hear_, Alice thought as she snuck a glance at the back of Lee's head. She was sitting in the front passenger seat, arguing with Masen about what music to listen to on the radio. They both seemed oblivious to the fact that Bella had already picked a station and was singing along with Gopher.

After one last stealthy glance in Lee's direction, Alice turned her attention to Whit. She tugged at the side of his shirt and he immediately tilted his head to the side, putting his ear near her lips.

As loud as she dared, she asked, "Can I ask you something about Lee?"

"Can't hear," he replied, pointing toward the front seat. "What was that?"

Alice licked her lips and tried again, hoping she could find that magic volume level where he would hear her and no one else would. "Can I talk to you about Lee?"

"What about her?"

"Well … What's the story with her and Masen? She's supposed to be in love with Gopher but she sure seems _involved_ in Masen's life. Should Bella be worried?"

Whit tipped his fedora off his head and covered his face with it. She wasn't sure what he was doing until she realized the shaking she felt was coming from him and not the truck.

"Are you—" She clamped her mouth shut, hoping her cry had gone unnoticed. After a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying attention to her, she grabbed hold of the hat and fought with Whit until he lowered it enough for her to see his eyes.

"You are!" she seethed. "You're laughing at me!"

He was still laughing when he pulled her into a hug against her will. "I'm sorry but it's your own fault for being so much like your sister."

"What do you mean?"

"She jumped to the same conclusion when she first joined up with us. We don't even notice because we're so used to each other, but to an outsider we can see where they can give that impression. What Mase and Lee have, they are one hundred percent siblings, just without having the same parents. She thinks she's the big sister in charge of keeping him safe from everyone but her, and he thinks he's the protective brother who has to keep an eye on her at all times, especially around guys."

"Is that why she compared me to a Tasmanian Devil this morning? Because she thinks I'm a threat to Masen?"

"Partly. But mainly it's just Lee. She doesn't warm up to new people easily. On the plus side, she hasn't completely written off the chance of liking you. If she had, she wouldn't have said anything. With her, silence is the time to be very, very afraid. As long as she's making her sarcastic comments, you have a chance to win her over. Just ask Guppy," he said, tipping his hat toward Bella. "Her friendship with Lee wasn't an instant thing but now that it's developed, it's damn solid."

Alice took a moment to digest everything he'd said. "So basically I've got two people to win over."

Whit lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "Alice, you don't have to impress them. You just have to be yourself. Be the tolerant, caring woman you are and everything else will fall into place."

"We're here!" Lee announced, looking back at them with an excited smile.

"Where is that exactly?" Alice asked.

Masen was the one to answer her, seeming to take extra pleasure in using her appointed nickname. "Thumper, this is Boulders Bay Beach. We've got a surprise for you and Guppy."

"What kind of surprise?"

His grin turned wicked. "The kind you have to get out of the truck to find out about."

He opened his door and got out of the truck with everyone else following suit. Even Bella took his hand without question and slid out.

_Obviously it can't be anything dangerous_, Alice thought. _And yet I can't help feeling nervous. What if this is some kind of test or some way to make me change my mind about staying?_

Whit poked his head back in and offered his hand to her. "You coming?"

_Even if I can't yet trust Masen, I have every confidence in Whit_, she told herself as she reached out and put her hand in his.

"Great parking lot," Bella teased, hugging Masen around his waist and smiling up at him.

"Keep it up, smart ass," he warned, smiling too much for even Alice to believe he was serious. "I won't let you have a turn with the camera."

"Yes, you will," Bella replied, sounding and looking completely confident.

He only smiled, and then he kissed her soft and quick. "Everyone ready?" he asked, surveying the group.

"Lead the way," Esme told him.

He led them down a couple streets filled with strolling groups, many of which seemed to be made up entirely of tourists from the look of their cameras and colorful beach towels. Their own group crossed the same main road they'd been driving on just minutes ago and then they were on a small beach adorned with massive boulders.

"Are those—" Alice stopped herself, certain she couldn't be right.

"African Penguins," Bella squealed. "Edward!" She threw her arms around him and he laughed as he hugged her back.

"Way to ruin the surprise, Guppy." He looked over her head and right at Alice. "We wanted to show you we study more than just sharks. These are African Penguins. They settled here in 1982 so they're pretty used to humans being around. They were drawn by the shelter this beach gives them. It's made up of inlets trapped between these granite boulders, making the water completely safe for penguins and humans. You can't swim with them, but you can get pretty close."

"And our swim spot is just behind those boulders there," Lee added, pointing to their right.

"You really picked this activity for me?" Alice asked Masen, surprised by how much she wanted it to be true.

"Not just me," he answered. "Lee, Gopher, and Whit were involved."

Gopher smiled at her. "We all want you to feel welcome, Thumper. We know it's not an easy choice for you to stay and we respect you for it. Plus, who doesn't love penguins?"

"Thank you." Alice looked at each of them, hoping they saw her sincerity. _Though I'll be totally a-okay if they don't notice my blush. I'm still not completely sold on Masen but overall, I haven't given them a fair chance to show who they are and I feel bad about that_.

"Alright, Thumper," Masen called, immediately getting her attention. "You get first dibs on having your picture taken with penguins in the background."

_Now would probably be a good time to give him a chance and earn some points with Bella_, she thought as she considered his offer. She smiled at him and said, "Only if you and Bella will be in the picture with me."

The smile on her sister's face and the surprise on his were proof to Alice that she'd made the right choice. She just hoped she'd feel that way about staying when this was all done.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"What are you snapping a photo of now?" Bella asked with a laugh. Edward had hardly put his camera down since they'd arrived.

"You mean besides the 540 million year old boulders?" His smile was just barely visible from behind the camera.

"Yes, besides those."

He lowered the camera and looked at her. "I've gotten a few of you."

"You did not. I've been with you the whole time."

"Your point?"

"I'd have seen you taking my picture."

"Gopher wasn't joking. I _am_ a ninja photographer."

"Yeah? What kind of pictures have you gotten of me?"

"Well … There's one where you have a look of pure joy on your face with a group of penguins just a few feet in front of you."

She blushed under his gaze. "I could see where I would have been too distracted to notice you taking my picture."

"Were you also overly distracted when I captured you biting your lower lip and watching over Alice and Whit?"

"Of course. It's a big deal to see my little sister falling for a guy. She's dated a lot, and she's had a few boyfriends, but I've never seen her look the way she does with Whit."

"And how's she look?"

"Happy. Excited. A little nervous too. But mostly happy."

"I just hope she's still happy when he tells her about his leg. That she doesn't write him off as a crazy shark person and run home."

"She does make rash decisions at times, but she's also just a kid. She's eighteen and everything seems like the end of the world to her still. But I also know she doesn't let go easy so if she can just digest before reacting, I think she'll be okay."

"Whit won't tell her until he feels pretty certain she can handle it."

"I know." And she did—she trusted Whit with Alice implicitly. She shook herself to shake off her worry and get back into the moment with Edward. "Did you get any other pictures without my knowledge?"

"One more," he said with a sneaky grin. "I think it's gonna be my new favorite but I have to print it first to make sure."

Bella groaned. "What horribly embarrassing thing am I doing? Was it when I tripped and fell against Gopher?"

"Nope."

"When I took my hair down and the wind immediately blew it into my face?"

"No, but that would have been a funny one to get."

"So then what is it?"

"Come here and I'll tell you."

"I'm right here. I'm like a foot away. Just tell me."

"Come here."

She groaned again but did as he said, planting her feet in the sand and setting her toes on top of his. "This good enough for you?"

He slipped an arm around her and lightly pressed his chest to hers. "You're pretty damn cute when you're annoyed. You remind me of Jolly when he was a kitten. All feisty fluff and positive he was a scary lion."

"What's the photo?"

His grin widened. "Patience, kapu. I'm trying to compliment you."

"I'd rather you tell me about the picture."

He gave her the answer she wanted, but he did it slowly with pauses that he filled with soft kisses. "The picture … is of you … and you're smiling … You're watching me."

"Why did you take a picture of that? What was so special about me looking at you?"

"These eyes," he said, kissing the apple of each of her cheeks. "They're so expressive when you're not controlling yourself."

"And what—what did you see in them?"

His smile held more warmth than the bright sun above them. "That you love me."

He had obviously reached the end of his comfort zone because he spun away from her and lifted his camera back up. "Oh and by the way, I have a few of my mom holding hands with your uncle."

"Let me see," Bella cried, momentarily letting him off the hook for pulling back.

He handed the camera to her and there in the lens was the possible couple in question. They were about waist deep in the water, laughing together. And there on the surface of the water lay their intertwined hands.

"Yep. Those hands are locked together." She snapped a couple pictures before passing the camera back to him.

He turned it off and hung the strap around his neck, letting the camera rest against his bare back. He'd yanked his shirt and shoes off pretty much the moment they'd hit the beach. Not that she was going to complain one bit about getting to admire his chest. Or his happy smile. Or his green eyes.

Her admiration was interrupted by his question. "Want to do some hand-holding with me?"

She smiled as she locked her fingers around his. "Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on seeing your mom holding hands with my uncle?"

He looked toward Esme and a small smile curled his lips. "I don't have a clue what they're doing but I like seeing her happy."

"Same for me with Uncle Carl."

"What about your sister? Think she's enjoying this place?"

"I think so. She's been sporting a huge smile since we got here."

"Yeah, but she's also keeping a good five feet between her and the water's edge. This water is basically a pool and yet she still won't even attempt it. Just confirms what Whit and I both assumed—she's far more afraid than you are."

"Well …" Bella trailed off, biting at her lip and replaying her thought in her head. _The team did their research and this water is shark-free. Maybe if I go in, she'll go in. But even if she doesn't, I'd like to say I was brave enough to trust them and go in._

Edward took hold of her other hand and turned her to face him. "What is it, kapu? What are you thinking about?"

She looked out at the water and the people happily swimming and playing in it, her friends and uncle included among them. Her stomach turned a little but not enough to make her change her mind.

She smiled up at him. "Think Whit would keep an eye on your camera so we can go in the water together?"

Edward tried to hide his excitement but she could see it in his eyes and feel it in his fingers. "He would do that, sure. But are you sure you want to go in? You don't have to, you know. We can just walk the beach together."

"I'm sure. I wanna go swimming with you." Her smile widened and took on a wicked edge. "But if you need some incentive to go in, I've got the red bikini on under my t-shirt and shorts."

His arms enfolded her, one below her shoulder blades and the other a little below her waist, pressing her against him just enough for her to feel him without it being obvious to everyone around them. "You're going to get yourself in trouble playing with me like that, you know."

"It's only fair that I get to pull a reaction from you once in a while. You do it to me every single day."

"Kapu, if you really think I'm any less affected by this, then you're not nearly as smart as I thought."

"Oh, I know you are. I just don't understand why you're still freaking out over it. I can see it feels good, that being with me is something you enjoy. But then all of a sudden you pull away, like you did just now after telling me why you took my picture."

"I guess I'm having trouble trusting. That's not an easy thing to say, especially since I don't consider myself distrustful of people."

"You might not want to consider it, but it's true. Just look at the bar that night and how you immediately assumed I had tricked you to mess with your company. That's a textbook example of distrust."

"That was one time," he argued. "Look at our work with Brent and his crew. I didn't have any issues with anyone on that boat."

"True, but you also felt connected to them, that you understood them. You never say you don't trust a person. You say you're confused by them. But the way you handle it, the way you push them away, it amounts to the same thing."

He leaned his forehead against hers, the bill of his cap shading their eyes from the sun. "So what do I do about that? Because I can't imagine I'll ever completely understand you. And I don't consider that a bad thing. I think it just means I'll always find you interesting."

She pressed her palms against his stubble, knowing he enjoyed the feel as much as she did. "Don't push me away. No matter how confused you feel by me or by how you feel about me, don't hide from me. Because I can deal with you being confused, but I can't take being locked out now that I know how it feels to be let in."

His lips melded to hers in a sweet kiss of relief and gratitude. And then they shifted to produce his shitty grin. "So what's it gonna take to get you out of your clothes?"

She used his own hat against him, smacking him in the shoulder with it while he laughed and made a half-hearted attempt to block her blows. She hit him once more and then handed over the cap. "Go give your camera to Whit before I change my mind."

"Promise you'll wait for me?"

"Always." She mimicked his shitty grin perfectly. "As long as you don't take too long."

It was his turn to use the cap—he gave her one quick rap on the butt with it, producing a shocked squeal from her, and then he jogged off toward Whit.

Bella stood there soaking up the sun and hoping the man she couldn't take her eyes off of would find a way to trust her before his confusion got the best of him. She had no doubt that he loved her—just that it would be enough to keep his dark side from breaking free and rising to the surface.

As tough as he was, she knew he wouldn't be able to stand the loss of their relationship, especially if it came at his own hands. Even worse, while she would find a way to recover and move on, to give love another chance, he would just lock his heart away again—for good this time. She hoped she was wrong, that she was just making assumptions. But her heart and her gut seemed to be in agreement on this and she'd never been wrong when that had happened.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** We've got pictures on the blog! And not just any pictures! But cute penguin pictures! Enjoy!

Thanks so much to tinaconner for her idea of having the team bring Alice to visit the Penguins on the beach!


	30. 30 Along Came Thumper

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 30 – Along Came Thumper**

**Saturday, June 28****th**

"Are you out of your mind?" Masen asked, staring at Bella in complete disbelief.

"What? You had bacon and I didn't." Not only did she smile at him, she took another bite from the bacon strip she'd pilfered from his plate.

He put his arm around his plate to protect it. "Kapu or not, bacon is sacred and you don't filch it."

She outright laughed at him this time. "It's no different than you snagging chocolates from Whit."

The nudger jumped right up on Bella's bandwagon. "She's got you there, Mase."

"Bro, chocolate and bacon are two distinctly different food groups. One is meant for sharing and the other is not." He turned to the biggest food lover in their group. "Gopher, help me out, man."

"Bacon is its own food group and therefore exists with its own set of bacon rules. Specifically, it is sacred and stealing it is an unholy act." Gopher waited until Masen was smiling triumphantly to add, "But girlfriend trumps bacon rules so shut up and share."

Bella's arm shot up in the air and a huge smile filled her face. "Victory!"

Lee, Whit and Gopher laughed while Masen admitted his defeat by holding up a bacon strip that Bella immediately snagged. He rolled his eyes and shook his head at her, all the while smiling to himself. She was not only still here, she was being herself just as she had been before Alice had arrived. He'd thought she might revert back to her more cautious form for a little while but Bella seemed to be moving forward just fine. And enjoying his bacon.

Esme and Carlisle had gotten up early to make breakfast for the team, and for Carlisle to say goodbye to his girls. He'd also pulled Masen aside, asking him to take care of them and to send him updates on their progress. Masen had been so damn tempted to ask Carlisle for updates on Esme, but he decided in the end it was too soon for jokes. Esme would skin his ass if he made Carlisle feel uncomfortable this early into things. Later, after he'd had time to get used to Masen, Esme would leave him to his fate.

Gopher interrupted Masen's thoughts. "So what's on the docket for today? Underwater shots, right? And I get another turn in the cage?"

"The morning weather report shows the winds have died back down," Whit announced. "Should be great conditions for filming."

Lee's eyes were wide with excitement. "I'm ready for more decoy filming."

Masen wanted to agree to both ideas. In fact, he could already picture himself in the cage. But it wasn't going to happen today. No, today was going to be about easing their newest addition into their world. If they went straight for shark sightings, then Alice would run straight to the airport to fly home. He couldn't let that happen, and not just because she was Bella's sister and Whit's dream girl. Alice needed someone to help her face her fears, and he was the someone who could do it. But first, he had to earn some of her trust.

"As much as I'd love to do both of those things, it's not going to happen today," he informed the team. "We're going to take Galeos back into False Bay and then we're going to take the skiff to Seal Island."

"Edward, if you're concerned about my leg—"

He cut Bella off with the shake of his head, and gave her a smile while taking hold of her hand on the table. "It's not your leg. Whit's cleared you and you barely have a limp."

"Then why the busy work?"

Masen met Lee's questioning gaze as he answered her, "It's not busy work. It's a way to ease Thumper into our world. We can't put her right in the middle of our studies on breaches. We have to earn at least a little of her trust before we do that or she won't be able to believe us when we assure her what we're doing is safe."

He could see in all their faces they understood his reasoning but weren't thrilled about it.

"If anyone has an idea they like more, let's hear it," he offered.

Whit and Lee looked at each other for a moment and once Whit shrugged, she looked to Gopher and got a nod from him. Turning her eyes to Masen she said, "Seal Island it is."

"I know it's not what you guys really want to do today, but when we put aside our own wants for the good of the entire team, we show why we're the best at what we do."

Whit and Gopher groaned at Masen's comment while Lee booed him and gave him two thumbs-down.

"Was that your impression of an Esme pep-talk?" Bella asked. Her face was beet red from trying not to laugh.

Masen looked around the table at his team—his family. "Haters!" And with that declaration made, he went back to focusing on his breakfast and the few bacon strips he had left after Bella's thieving.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

A freshly showered Alice settled into the seat between Whit and Gopher. The team appeared to still be picking at their breakfast—at least when they weren't cracking up laughing. Even standing right under the running water, she'd been able to hear their commotion.

"Is Uncle Carl back yet?" she asked Bella.

Her sister shook her head. "Not yet. I'm sure he'll say it was Lizzy keeping him and Esme out all this time."

"Lizzy is _my_ puppy, not everyone else's scapegoat," Masen grumped.

"Mase, if you're missing getting licked that much—" Whit's cry of pain cut off whatever else he was going to say.

"Nudger, watch it," Masen warned, pointing a bacon strip at Whit. "And stop whining. You deserve worse than the kick I gave you."

"Honestly, Whit," Bella said while shaking her head. She almost had Alice convinced she was upset but then she giggled. "I expected better of you."

"Why? You _know_ me!" he replied while laughing. "Passing up a chance to screw with him is like leaving home without my chocolate. It ain't gonna happen."

"Poor Masey," Lee said, hugging his head and rubbing her fist against his wild hair. "I'll save you from that mean ol' Whit."

Masen didn't appreciate her attempt to console him. "Get off me!"

Alice had never heard anyone manage to yell and laugh at the same time before and it made her laugh. "Are you guys sure you're adults?"

Bella grinned. "Trust me, Sis, they're a whole other group on the boat."

"Speaking of the boat." Masen had stopped fixing his hair and was now looking directly at Alice. Or at least she thought that was what he'd been trying to do. It actually looked worse to her.

"What about it?" she asked, certain of what was coming next. He'd tell her all about his idea, bragging on his mentoring skills and talking about trust. _As if he isn't itching to get back in the water. I bet if I said I was fine with it, he'd scrap the seal idea right away. Bella might be buying his nice guy routine but I see what he's really up to. He's sucking up so she'll keep defending him with me_.

"The team discussed our options for today," Masen told her. "And we decided it would be best if we took you to Seal Island for your first day onboard with us."

Alice hadn't expected him to give the credit to the team—it confused her rather than convinced her. _I'll prove he's faking_, she thought to herself. "You don't have to do that. I'm not worried about seeing a shark from your boat. Go ahead and do the work you really want to."

He was doing that thing again where he was looking right at her and making her feel that he was being completely honest. "It's good you have confidence in yourself, Alice. And I appreciate your offer. But until we're sure of what you can and can't handle, we're going to take things slow. We're not just going to toss you in the middle of things to sink or swim. That's not how we work. We're a team so if one of us needs a minute, we all take a minute."

Her shock gave way to the realization that her mouth was hanging open and she closed it so quickly that her teeth clicked together.

"You'll like it, Alice," Whit assured her, mistaking her reaction for worry. "We'll study the area and the animals and get some more pictures. Lee's even going to take some water samples this time."

"You can still back out if you want," Masen said. "We would understand and no one would judge you for it. But we do hope you'll stay and be a part of our team."

Once again, he had completely shocked her. He really seemed to be doing this for her, not for Bella, or even for Whit. It didn't make any sense. He was supposed to be self-centered and conceded and only worried about what he wanted.

But he wasn't. Or at least he didn't seem to be right now.

"What's it gonna be, Thumper?" Gopher asked her. "Adventure with us? Or back to the same ol' stuff in Florida?"

"I think I'll try a little adventure for now," she answered, meeting Masen's gaze. He seemed so sincere and she even found herself wanting to trust him a little, but not enough to blindly accept his sudden bout of niceness.

He nodded at her and then he stood up. "We're not going to have any adventures if we don't get going." He pressed a kiss to Bella's cheek and then left the table with his empty dishes. Lee, Whit, and Gopher followed him, leaving the two sisters alone.

Bella smiled at Alice. "They're going to pack the rest of the gear while we go find Uncle Carl and say our goodbyes."

Convinced she must have missed hearing part of their earlier conversation, Alice asked, "How did you get Masen to agree to work with seals today? He has to be itching to get back in the water since he couldn't do it yesterday."

"I didn't do anything. It was his idea."

"Be serious. Tell me how you did it. Or did Whit do it?"

Bella shook her head. "Face it, Sis. You were wrong about him. Now let's go find Uncle Carl."

Alice got up to follow her sister, but not without getting the last word in—even if it was mumbled too low for her sister to hear. "We'll see."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Esme's POV:**

"He looks like you on my first day of school." Edward's deep chuckle and accurate comment had Esme smiling.

They were standing at the back of the Bronco together, watching Carlisle hug on Bella and Alice and catching snippets of his goodbyes and pleadings for them to watch out for each other.

She glanced over her shoulder at her son. "I wasn't _that_ nervous."

He snorted. "Sad part is you weren't even nervous for me. You were scared they'd think I was skinny because you didn't feed me."

"You were a beanpole," she defended. "All legs and arms."

He ignored her rebuttal. "So no flights out until late tonight, huh?" he asked, nudging Esme's shoulder with his own.

She looked back at him and gave him a taste of his own shitty grin. "Must be the busy season for the airport here."

"Something tells me the airport isn't the only thing that's been busy around here."

She turned to face him and set her hands on his shoulders, looking him right in his bright blue eyes. "Are you implying something, Kid?"

"Implying? About my sweet, innocent mom? Nope. Not me. Not ever." He whistled innocently for a moment, and then he smiled and pulled her into a hug. "If you're happy, I'm happy."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"So do you need the 'no safety, no fun' speech? It's been a while but I'm pretty sure I remember it all."

"Edward!" she cried, slapping him on the chest and doing nothing more than stinging her hand and setting off his deep, rumbling laughter.

He was still laughing when he said, "It's only because I care, Mom."

"Kid, I love you dearly, but sometimes you can be a real ass."

He laughed once more and then tenderly kissed her temple. "I love you too."

She smiled up at him. "I know you do. You always make sure I know it. It's one of my favorite things about you."

"Right along with my good looks and superior intelligence."

She lifted her eyebrows and pursed her lips. "You mean your book smarts that have been getting you into trouble with Bella?"

He had the good sense to blush and look away.

"Did you talk to her about what happened yesterday?"

"A little," he answered with a nod. "I'll talk to her about it some more soon. I just want to understand it before trying to explain it to her."

"Edward, sweetheart, you've got to stop expecting that you're going to understand every tiny detail. You're not studying a creature that's been researched and mapped by scientist for centuries. You're in a relationship with a living, breathing, feeling woman whose reactions to you are going to change the more she gets to know you. And the same is true of you with her."

"So … It's true for you and Carlisle then?" he asked, grinning and clearly attempting to get the heat off of himself.

"Tell you what … Promise me that you'll talk to Bella over the next few days and I'll promise to tell you about Carlisle when you get back on Tuesday."

"That's the last of it, Mase," Gopher announced as he closed the Bronco's tailgate with a loud bang. Now that Alice had joined them, there wouldn't be enough room for Esme to drive the team to and from the marina so Edward had rented her a car to drive herself around the island.

Esme smiled as she patted Edward's chest. "Good luck. Be safe. Bring everyone home."

"Always," he promised, hugging her until she squealed.

Once he let go, Whit stepped in for his usual good luck hug. "Be good," he told her. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. And if you do, be safe about it."

"Oh, my little Whit," she said, smiling and holding his face in her hands. "You keep an eye on my kid and bring him back safe to me."

"Safe from everything but me," Whit promised with a wink.

"Yeah, I bet she can say the same about Carlisle," Lee joked, slipping an arm around Esme's waist. "And I don't blame her one bit." She looked over her shoulder and then back at Esme. "For a man his age, he has one super sweet ass."

Esme shrugged, knowing the size of her smile was a direct contradiction to the gesture. "You know what they say about fine wines."

They shared a laugh and then exchanged goodbye hugs and good luck wishes.

Carlisle came over to stand beside Esme and wave with her as the truck left the driveway and climbed onto the main road.

"I can't believe I'm actually letting Alice go," Carlisle confided.

"I hope you aren't worried for her safety."

"Oh, I'm absolutely worried." He smiled and put his arm around Esme, tucking her into his side and immediately filling her with a sense of home.

"But only about her safety in relation to her sister," he continued. "Alice still doesn't realize that she can incur Bella's wrath, and she certainly doesn't understand that she will if she doesn't stop searching for a way to convince her to quit."

"Bella has a wrath?" asked Esme genuinely. Of all the things she's noticed about Bella, having a temper wasn't one of them.

"Oh, yes. It's very rare for her to lose her temper, but when she does … Let's just say that not even my brother's deeply rooted stubbornness was enough to stand against it."

"In that case, I think your worry should be for Edward. As much as she loves my kid, her patience for his mistakes will be thin."

Carlisle chuckled. "Mistakes she can handle. She seems to have infinite patience when she sees a person is trying to do better. It's when they repeatedly attempt to stand in her way that she loses her cool. And that is why I worry for Alice. She's eighteen in age but as far as her maturity goes, she still has a lot of growing up to do."

"She'll be fine. No matter how angry she makes her big sister, Bella will still watch out for her. And so will Edward and Whit."

"You're right."

"I am," she agreed, smiling up at him. "But it's also your right as a parent to worry."

"There will be time for that later. Right now, I want to spend my remaining hours with you focused only on you."

"Ooh, I do like the sound of that. What'd ya have in mind?"

"I thought we'd try things your way today … Go with the flow and see where the wind blows us rather than having a plan."

"Are you sure you're ready for that much abandon?"

He paused as if to consider her question, and then he smiled. "Okay. You twisted my arm. There's a little planning involved."

"Now _that_ sounds like you. So what's the plan?"

"To surprise you, of course."

"What? Why?"

"A man should never need a reason to surprise his partner. But since you've asked for one, my reason is that you deserve a day off. You've spent every moment of the past week taking care of my girls and your misfits, along with getting me to fall madly in love with you. It's time you were pampered."

Esme appreciated his explanation but there was only one part that she was really interested in hearing. "You're in love with me?"

"Completely."

"Huh. Well now that's something to consider. The rules specifically state declarations of love are not to come any sooner than five weeks into a relationship, and yet here you are declaring yourself. You're breaking the rules."

"For you …" He pulled her closer, lowering his head and placing his lips at her ear as if he was about to share a secret he didn't want overheard. "I'll break them all."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I want you to film the coastline, but do it in slow, steady movements," Edward instructed.

Gopher scratched his head. "Meaning?"

"Meaning think of it as trying to create one long video panorama. You want to keep the same height and angle and slowly pan from left to right." Edward took the video camera from Gopher and demonstrated exactly how he wanted the camera to be held and moved. "Think you can do that?"

"I'll be honest, I'm not completely sure, but I'd like to try."

Lee muttered under her breath, "Say yes, Mase. Give him the chance."

After almost a full minute of consideration, Edward nodded and said, "Then go for it, bro."

Lee breathed a sigh of relief and then grinned when she noticed Bella was watching her. "Mase promised the other day to start giving Gopher more of a role. I wasn't sure if he would still feel comfortable now that he's taken on a second intern."

"Looks to me like he's technically got three now," Bella responded with a grin that matched Lee's. She was happy to be back at work, and even happier that Edward was completely absorbed in his leadership role. He wasn't babying her or worrying about her leg at all. At least she didn't think so. He hadn't told her yet what her role would be today but she was sure he had one in mind.

"We'll get Sharkboy whipped into shape yet," Lee joked, holding her fist out for Bella to bump with hers.

"He's going to realize you're calling him that, ya know."

"Yep. And that's when I'll stop."

Alice let loose a squeal and Bella looked up just in time to see Edward gripping her sister's arm to steady her.

"Thumper, you okay there?" he asked, a look of genuine concern coloring his expression.

Her sister had both of her hands latched to the shoulder of his shirt. "Does it have to rock so much?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, you'll get your sea legs quickly."

"You sure about that?" she asked, her worry showing in the wrinkles creasing her forehead.

"If you honestly don't feel any steadier on your feet after fifteen minutes, I'll let you sit in the chair. How's that?"

Bella felt a flutter inside and for once it wasn't from panic—it was excitement. Things were going so much smoother than she'd dared to hope. Edward was treating Alice like just another member of the team, and for the most part her sister was being receptive to it.

"Gopher, keep an eye on her," Edward ordered before coming to the back of the skiff where Bella, Lee, and Whit were positioned. Lee was on her knees and leaning over the side to gather water samples with Whit keeping watch for any approaching animals. Bella was sitting cross-legged beside her, preparing labels for the sample tubes just to have something to do.

"Guppy, put that stuff down and stand up." As soon as she did, he ordered her to hold her hands out.

"So ... What am I doing?" she asked after he placed his camera bag into her waiting hands. "Please don't say I'm just watching with Alice. I really want to get back to work."

"Oh, don't worry, Guppy. I've got something special in mind for you."

She grimaced at his smirk. "Holding the camera bag for you wasn't the kind of work I had in mind."

"Stop being a smart ass and have some patience." He lifted his hat from her head and then put it on her backwards. "Don't want the bill getting in your way," he explained. Then he purposefully opened the camera bag just enough to reach inside and not let her see what he was doing.

"Before I give out your assignment, I'm gonna need your promise to be careful with it."

"Edward, I've been careful every time I've used your camera."

"I know." He pulled the white piece of plastic from the bag and held it up for her inspection. "But the last time you got near my lens hood, you shattered it. Please don't do that again."

She stood there in stunned silence while he fitted the hood onto his camera. She remembered all too clearly the look of pain and frustration that had been on his face when he'd been kneeling in front of the shattered remains of his prototype.

"This one's a little thicker than the last but it's still not going to survive a fall," he warned while slipping the camera's neck-strap over her head. After pulling a second camera from the bag, he took it from her hands and set it on the floor.

There was a slight shake in her hands as she wrapped them around the cool metal sides of the camera hanging from her neck. The lens hood looked a startling white in the sunshine streaming down on them. "Edward, I—"

He talked right over her. "Your assignment is to photograph the seals from as many angles as you can. I want crisp, clear pictures. And try to tell a story with them. Imagine that you have to explain what you're seeing with only the pictures."

"Edward—"

His hands settled on her shoulders and his blue eyes filled her vision. "I trust you."

She relaxed and grinned, knowing how hard those words were for him and therefore how much he meant them. It didn't take away all of her nervousness over having his prototype in her hands, but it did infuse her with determination to succeed at her assignment.

"Make me proud, Guppy." He smiled and then headed back to the front of the skiff with his camera.

Letting out a slow breath to steady herself, she realized Whit was watching her from the corner of his eye. "Don't get me wrong," she said, keeping her voice low so Edward wouldn't hear. "I'm flattered he's trusting me but it should really be him testing this thing. Or at least you."

"If he felt it was supposed to be him or me testing it, we would be. Masen always has a reason for handing out an assignment. If I were you, I'd get busy taking the pictures so I could find out what that was."

Bella set her eyes on Edward, finding him pointing out something on the island to Alice that had her nodding in response. She couldn't really hear what was being said over the noises of the seals and birds, but from the look of concentration on his face she assumed he was sharing his knowledge of this place with her sister. It was the same look he always gave her when he was explaining things that were new to her.

Seeing the two of them together and getting along had her smiling; wanting to make Edward proud had her moving into position to start taking photos. He wanted a story and she had every intention of giving him a great one.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Esme's POV:**

"How in the world did you find a vineyard in Africa?" Esme asked, spinning around again in a useless attempt to take it all in. There was just so much to see and it was all breathtaking.

Carlisle chuckled. "I googled it. It's amazing the information that site has to offer. When my analyst suggested buying stock in it a few years ago, I hadn't even heard of a google. Now it's becoming a commonplace term."

Esme could feel that her eyebrows were raised in disbelief. "You own shares of Google?"

"A couple. Yes."

"Carlisle, do you even have to work?" She bit her lip, hoping it hadn't sounded as awful to him as it did to her once she'd turned it from a thought to a blurted out bundle of words. "What I mean is … Well, I'm not asking about your finances. Absolutely not. I'm just trying to get a clear picture of what to expect as far as your workload."

He stood there smiling at her with his hands buried in the pockets of his crisp white dress pants and the bottom of his un-tucked pink polo fluttering in the breeze. Casual dress had never looked so good in her opinion.

As she waited for him to say anything at all about her ill-phrasing, she nervously picked at the nail polish on her pinky finger. It was always the first casualty of the awful anxious habit she'd had since she was a little girl. The more stress she felt, the more polish went missing from her nails.

Another flake of white polish was freed and she smiled, thinking of how Edward always teased her about this shade. It was officially called Alpine Snow but Edward always called it "that cold, white stuff you hate". Of course, he only did it because after all these years she still emphatically refused to go to the mountains with him on a snowboarding trip. He could say all day long that it was just like surfing only colder, but she was never going to buy it.

Carlisle cleared his throat and won her attention. "Esme, do you honestly think your question was out of line?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," she answered, tossing her hands up and letting them fall to smack her sides. "I guess it's been longer than I thought since I've done this."

"Are you sure it isn't that you're nervous to hope I might be in the same position as you?"

She scrunched her nose, having a pretty good idea of how he knew. She'd mentioned to him that her parents had passed away a few years after Elizabeth, and that they'd left her everything, but she hadn't given any details. The only way for him to know was for him to have witnessed her conversation with Bella yesterday.

Esme's father's great-great-grandfather had been a master carpenter and he'd used his skills to open his own business making custom cabinets for upscale clientele. The business had grown quickly and so had the family's fortune, passed down in each generation from father to son. Since Esme didn't have a brother, her father had held onto the business until his passing, which had been just a few days after her mother had succumbed to pneumonia. He'd suffered a massive stroke the year before and his weakened heart hadn't been able to take the stress from her illness and eventual death.

Esme had been completely shocked to find out the business had been left to her in her father's will, along with the rest of her parents' assets. She'd discussed with Edward moving back to Chicago to run it but they'd both agreed they had no passion for the business and that Hawaii was home. A competing company had made a very reasonable and sizeable offer so Esme had sold the business. Since her inheritance had already been more than enough to see her through her life, she'd put the money from the business' sale into a trust for Edward—the very trust that had helped him start MMR. Through financial planning and smart investments, they were free to live comfortably off the interests and dividends, and to follow through on all their dreams.

Esme blinked and brought herself back into the present with Carlisle sitting right across from her and waiting for her response. "You saw Bella pass me my card yesterday after her grocery trip, didn't you?" she questioned.

He nodded, his smile growing wider. "I have the same shade of black in my wallet."

She thought about this for a few seconds and then her lips turned up in a bright smile. "We're both working because we enjoy it too much to stop. We've found another commonality."

"Equal financial footing also means one less area prone to arguments," he pointed out.

"Carlisle, dating you is getting better by the second. I'm damn glad I thought of it," she teased.

He laughed as he put an arm around her waist and drew her against his side. "Let's get some lunch."

They walked across the estate to the Jonkershuis restaurant and were promptly seated—on a blanket in the grass beneath a centuries old oak tree. They were not only shaded from the heat of the sun, they also had a fantastic view of False Bay right in front of them. Esme looked out on the water, knowing she was too far from Seal Island to get a glimpse of it or Galeos. She was sure the team was having a great day with such beautiful weather and calm winds.

She focused her attention on Carlisle once more and found him smiling at her. "What do you think of our spontaneous lunch location?" he questioned.

"Wow." It was the best Esme could come up with so far to encompass her shock and elation over such a perfect lunch spot. It was fun and outdoors, two things that were at the top of her must have list—and hugely romantic. It was the romantic part that had pushed her over the edge and into monosyllabic speech.

"I'll take that as meaning I've earned a gold star," he joked, lifting his glass of wine to hers.

Over the soft sound of their glasses clinking together she told him, "It's beautiful, Carlisle. It feels like we've stepped out of Africa and into California." She left the comment about it feeling like something out of a romance movie inside her head.

"I wanted to do something you would find fun and relaxing. Like I said earlier, you've been taking care of all of us and I wanted to take the opportunity to give some of that back to you."

She tried hard not to but she just couldn't hold back her blush. She didn't want him to think no one ever did anything for her because that was so far from the truth. It was just that it had been a long time since it wasn't one of her misfits giving her the royal treatment.

"What's this wine?" she asked both as a way to change the topic and satisfy her curiosity.

"I'm not sure. I let the waiter select for us. We'll have to ask him when he returns. In the meantime, what sounds good on this menu?"

By the time their waiter returned, they knew exactly what they wanted to share. But first, they had to find out about the delectable wine they were enjoying.

"Our Gouverneurs Reserve," the waiter said in answer to Esme's question. His thick accent was a clear sign English was not his first language.

"Beautiful red," he continued. "Black cherries, plums, blackcurrant. Little chocolate and mint."

After taking another small sip and letting the flavors fill her senses for a moment, she looked up at the waiter and smiled. "It's wonderful," Esme assured him.

He nodded and then turned his attention to Carlisle. "You like?"

"It's excellent. Thank you for selecting this one for us."

"Lunch? Ready to order?"

"We'll start with the fried salt and pepper calamari, and then I'll have the lamb curry and she'll have the prawn curry."

"Very happy. You will enjoy these," the waiter assured him.

"She picked them," Carlisle replied, smiling at Esme.

"Your wife has the good taste."

"She does," Carlisle agreed, winking at Esme. It amazed her how quickly things were progressing between them. In a little over a week, they'd gone from strangers to dating and he seemed to not only be thrilled by it, but pretty damn proud of it.

The waiter smiled brightly. "Many couples come here, but not many like you two. I can see right away the love you two have. Very beautiful."

The waiter headed off to put in their food order, leaving them speechless and staring at each other.

To break the silence, Esme asked, "So what did Google tell you about this place?"

"Let me think … I believe it was in the late 1600's that a commander in the Dutch East India Company happened upon the Cape and fell in love with the area. He bought a stretch of land for his home and in the coming years purchased neighboring lands and built up a vineyard. Then of course he had to build the winery to process his grapes. Over the centuries the land has seen numerous owners, natural disasters, and the erosion that comes with time. The estate has adapted, the vineyards have remained, and now the land boasts not only the vineyard and winery, but two distinguished restaurants."

"The commander guy definitely had an eye for detail and a palate for wine. This place is gorgeous and the wine is divine."

Carlisle slipped her glass from her hand and put in the grass beside his own. He smiled as he took her hands into his own. "You made a valiant effort at distraction, but you are not getting out of discussing the waiter's comment."

"Awkward, right?" she asked, trying to laugh it off. "Here we are barely dating and he mistakes us for happily married."

"Not awkward at all, especially since he was only slightly off. We're happily dating on our way to blissfully married."

"I don't know," she said, hiding her smile and shaking her head slowly. It seemed too soon to let him see just how appealing the idea of marriage was to her. "Blissful is a hefty word to be tossing around."

"We can handle it."

Looking into his earnest gray eyes, she knew he was taking this seriously. Even more, she sensed that he had figured out her jokes were meant to cover up how much she wanted their relationship to work. Despite the incredible newness of it, she was already completely, irrevocably attached to it and him.

It was late afternoon when they made it back to the house in Gordon's Bay. After a filling and great tasting lunch, they had strolled through the vineyards together and went on a short tour of the winery facility. Esme had wished she'd thought to bring along one of the MMR cameras so she'd have photos to show Edward. She would typically wait until she was one hundred percent sure her relationship was on steady ground before telling him about it, not wanting him to worry if things didn't work out. But as with all things about this summer, this relationship had happened fast and unexpectedly.

Lizzy greeted Esme and Carlisle at the door; she was ready for her daily romp across the beach. They kicked off their shoes, grabbed the puppy's leash, and then made their way along the sandy shoreline with their hands locked together. The effortlessness of it caused a little anxiety for Esme—she knew all too well that good things so rarely came without problems.

She tried her best not to fret; after all she was taking a romantic stroll on a beautiful beach with a guy who damn near possessed every quality on her dream guy wish list. Unfortunately, she wasn't having much luck. The worst part was that she couldn't even put her finger on exactly what was bothering her so much.

After giving Lizzy a quick bath, Esme joined Carlisle on the couch, planning to enjoy the rest of her time with him and ignore her strange feelings of anxiety. He had found an oldie but goodie playing on the satellite television and she settled in to watch the rest of _Meet Me in St. Louis_ with him.

She ended up paying more attention to the nail she was chipping polish from than the movie playing.

"You're not going to have any polish left on that nail if you keep that up," Carlisle mentioned.

"I'm sorry," she replied, forcing a smile. "I seem to have taken a page from my kid and fallen into analyzing things."

"Are you worried about the distance?"

"More so the time. We've only just begun and already we're going to be hitting the pause button. I have no idea when I'll see you again, when we'll pick this up again."

"Let's set a tentative date then. I'll make every attempt to be back in a week to spend the Fourth of July with you. If for any reason that becomes an impossibility, I will absolutely be on your doorstep on the tenth. How's that sound?"

She answered honestly and this time her smile wasn't completely forced. "Having a date in mind makes it a little better."

"Esme, we're not truly putting us on hold. We have our phones and webcams to keep in contact."

"It's not the same."

"I agree, but it's what we have to work with for now."

She waved her hand and tried again to smile. "Don't mind me. I'm just being weird."

"You're not being weird at all," he promised. "To be honest, there are still a few hours before I leave but I'm already missing you."

She was already swooning from his words so when he threw a hot as hell kiss on top of them, Esme was a goner. Not that she hadn't already been before, but this made it feel more official in some way.

By the time she came up for air, he had her pinned to the couch with his body and she was practically wrapped completely around him with both of her hands buried in his silky soft hair. "You're giving me more reasons to miss you."

He gave the apple of her cheek a soft, tickling kiss. "You have no idea how badly I want to stay."

"For the sex?" she joked.

"Of course," he replied, smiling entirely too much for her to take him seriously. He kissed her lips gently and then with a serious tone said, "I am exceedingly lucky to have met you, Esme Masen."

Her stomach fluttered while her lips tingled from the soft pressure of his lips on hers. He kissed her as if he had all the time in the world rather than just a couple of hours before he needed to leave for the airport.

At some point they moved from the sofa to her bed but she had no recollection of it and only realized the difference when she noticed he suddenly had more room to move, more freedom to touch her. His hand caressed her ankle and slowly moved toward her knee, making her ridiculously grateful she'd thought to shave last night before bed. _It's the little things in life_, she thought with a smile.

His fingers tickled the back of her knee and she recoiled instinctively while laughing. "That's one ticklish spot," he whispered against her lips. "I wonder how many more there are."

"You've got a couple hours. Think you can find them all?" Even as she was challenging him, she was fighting hard not to laugh all over again—this time at his hair. His normally neatly brushed 'do was in utter disarray. The ridiculous part was that it made him look even more dazzling.

The distraction his hair had caused was ended by the feathery brush of his lips against her hipbone. She found herself moaning and arching up for more while also struggling to remember the last time foreplay had felt so good.

She never remembered. And even if she had, there wouldn't have been any comparison. She'd had guys find a ticklish spot or two by accident, but never one that had taken the time to find every single one—and she had quite a few that were in secret little spots unique to her. Carlisle had found them all and laughing had been the last thing she had felt like doing.

And now here they were, staring into each other's eyes with the foreplay done and the main event in front of them. The first encounter, no matter how many times a couple says those three words of love, very rarely has anything to do with that love. It's an adventure, an expression of affection, and a satisfying meal for the lust monster living inside every man and woman. Esme had always felt particularly sad for the cold ones, the ones that kept their sexual desires locked away as if they were something to be ashamed of rather than satisfied. She was exceedingly happy to note that Carlisle was definitely, absolutely not a cold one.

The initial push, pressure, and stretch gave way to such intense pleasure that they both worried for a moment they'd be done before they really began. So they stilled and breathed and searched each other's eyes for that little sign, that little light shining in their eyes that said this is the right time and place and person. They found it easily, and not only in their eyes but also in their smiles and the way they clung to each other with lips and fingers and arms and legs.

The tension that had built all week between them slowly dissipated with each cohesive movement of their bodies. But the last of it … Oh that last bit did not go softly into that good night. No, it went out with a roar and a bang, like a super-charged Roman candle lighting up a Fourth of July sky.

There was just enough time before his flight for a shared shower and a quick dinner of sandwiches and chips washed down with homemade sweet tea. And then he was gone and Esme was alone with Lizzy.

"I'm not doing it," she said to the puppy as she looked into her eyes and narrowly avoided a lick to the face.

"I'm not going to cry." She said it with the deep confidence and conviction all women have just before they admit they are lying to themselves and the tears break free.

She cried because she was happy, and because she already missed Carlisle, and because she felt she might finally have gotten lucky in the love department. Had anyone asked her to describe her day with only a single word, her choice would have unmistakably been "full". A little romance, a little lunch, a whole hell of a lotta love, and a little goodbye. A full day for sure.

Esme didn't cry for long, and she absolutely did not allow even a second of disappointment. She let her emotions out in water form for a bit, called it done, and then headed over to her computer to check for a daily report from the crew. She had a plan to end her full day perfectly—a little work, a good movie paired with a late night snack, and then a sound night of sleep in the bed she'd happily shared with Carlisle.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen let out a sigh as he settled in beside Bella in the booth. She smiled at him, looking just as tired as he felt, and then set her head on his shoulder since he was slouched down at just the right height for it. It had been a great day, but also long and tiring. For all of Alice's attempts to act disinterested, the girl had asked a shit load of questions. He'd also been keeping close watch of Bella and Gopher, having let them each try new tasks. Then came the review of their collected photographs and videos, and the creation of the daily report. A great day, but a tiring one too.

The tap of Lee's fingers on the tabletop had him looking up at her. She used her hands to sign to him. _How do you think the little sister did?_

He looked over at the kitchen where Alice was currently helping Emmett and Whit put the final touches on dinner. _Not bad. Seals are easy though._

_And Bella? She seemed good. Not the least bit worried._

He looked down at his kapu and smiled when he saw she'd completely relaxed and closed her eyes. He wouldn't be surprised if she'd dozed off either. She had really taken her assignment seriously and had taken hundreds of photos from a variety of angles.

His eyes returned to Lee's as he answered her. _She did amazing. I was ready for a little panic after everything. Focused all day instead. Proud of her._

_Me too. Of you. Gopher is over the moon about the work he did today._

Masen grinned. _He earned it. But you need to practice camera skills with him more._

Lee shook her head in disagreement. _I've taught him all I can. Your turn to teach._

_Alright, but he has to be serious with me. No comic book stuff while I'm teaching._

_I'll talk to him about it._ She grinned and signed one more word to him. _Whiner._

"Did you just call him a wanker?" Alice asked, setting a tray of drinks down on the table.

"_You_ know sign?" Lee questioned with wide eyes.

Alice shrugged. "A few words that Bella taught me. She's a pro. You should see how excited kids that sign get when she signs to them at Sea World. I'm not really that good at it. Bella says it's because I've always moved my hands around when I talk so when I'm signing I have a tendency to get lost in what I'm saying and move my hands around instead of forming the words."

Lee and Masen barely heard any of her rambling explanation. He was busy staring down at Bella while Lee was hoping for understanding yet preparing for an all mighty Masen tantrum.

He had to call Bella's name and nudge her leg twice before she woke. "Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I think I'm going to skip dinner and just go to bed."

He imagined his temper was a teapot on a hot stove, about to start whistling and bowling over. And then he imagined his mom taking it off the burner and giving him a warning. _Don't be accusatory_, he warned himself._ It could be a simple oversight. Let her explain first to see if there's anything to be pissed about._

"How about you tell me first why you kept it a secret you know sign language?" he questioned as calmly as he could manage.

Bella immediately sat up straighter, her pale cheeks quickly turning pink and then red. "I … uh … I know a little."

"According to Alice, you know more than a little."

Her expression went from guilty to shocked and she stared at her sister with wide eyes.

"What?" Alice cried. "I didn't know you hadn't told them you sign."

Bella shook her head in disgust and then turned her attention to Masen, giving him a pleading look. "I wasn't trying to be deceitful. I honestly thought I'd checked it off on my application. But when I realized I hadn't, I thought it was best to not say anything. And I never purposefully eavesdropped on any of your conversations."

"You thought it was best not to say anything?" he questioned, keeping his tone neutral while his mind raced, trying to make sense of her words. All he could think about was the numerous conversations he'd had with Lee about his confusion with Bella. He had been wondering how it was possible for Bella to know him so well already and now it seemed he had his answer.

"I only witnessed one conversation." Her sincerity was clear in her tone and eyes but he was unable to fully believe it. She somehow saw it or sensed it in him because she went into detail about what she'd heard. "It was the day I broke the lens hood. You were so upset and you had every right to be. Lee was trying to help you but you were even pushing her away at first. And then she started to sign and something about it helped you to calm down and hear her out. I'd already broken your prototype so the last thing I wanted to do was take anything else away from you. And I swear, I never watched another conversation. If it even looked like you might be signing with anyone, I turned away."

Masen could feel his temper trying to run wild and it took everything in him to keep it out of his voice. "You expect me to believe you only saw one conversation?"

"Yes. It's the truth."

Even as he acknowledged the honesty in her expression, he denied it with a shake of his head. "There had to have been more than one. There's no other way for you to have made all your assumptions and observations about me, getting me to trust that you cared about me."

Bella's jaw dropped. "You are being so stupid right now. You _know_ I care about you," she accused. "Every single thing I've learned about you has come from listening to what you share with me and watching your body language as you share it. You think you're some unfathomable mountain range when what you really are is a stone fish spending his days pretending to be a rock, except the only person you're poisonous too is yourself."

Her continued denial of having listened in on his conversations deepened his frustration and sent both of his hands into his mess of hair to yank on the strands. He felt that same intense anger he'd felt that night in the bar—he was pissed at not being able to have her instead of with her lying.

"You know what, move and let me out of this booth," she ordered, giving his shoulder a push. From the look on her face, he wasn't the only one feeling pissed. "You're obviously determined for there to be a self-fulfilling prophecy where I break your trust and vindicate your need to only have work relationships. Let me save us both some time and trouble and do it right now."

She went to push against his shoulder again but he stopped her by grabbing hold of her wrists. Her reddened face managed to turn a shade darker and he could see her chest moving with her heavy breathing. He'd gone too far and she had every right to be angry.

He only said two words, but he said them clearly and honestly. "I'm sorry."

"For what? Assuming the worst about me _again_?" she seethed. "Or maybe you're sorry for practically calling me a liar? Oh, I know. It's for wanting to have anything to do with me outside of work."

He let go of her wrists to press his palms against hers and link their fingers together. "Don't say that. I know I've given you every reason to feel that way, but I swear that's not what I want. I just … It doesn't make any sense. The way you say stuff about me to me, the way you seem to know how I feel when I'm not sure of my feelings."

"Do you honestly think it makes perfect sense to me that I care for you? Edward, you're everything I never wanted. You practically live in the water. You surf. You study sharks. You are every danger and fear rolled up into attractive packaging and as much as I feel like I should be running as far and as I fast as I can, the only place I ever seem to run is toward you."

Her breathing hitched and a few tears fell from her eyes and splashed against their joined hands. "And there you are … to push me away."

He leaned in, needing to be closer to her, but said nothing as his forehead touched hers. He had no idea what to say. He couldn't really ask her to forgive him again. He didn't deserve it. And sure, he could say he was sorry but it would probably sound hollow so what would be the point of that? But he had to say something—her wet brown eyes were begging him to fix this.

It was a stupid idea, probably the stupidest idea he'd ever had. But it also felt like what Esme would tell him to do so he gave it a try. "I thought you'd left. When I got in yesterday morning and your bed was made and the lamp was off. I thought you'd packed up and left. And I wasn't mad. I could see all the reasons you'd have for going home. I'm not the guy you would pick if you had a choice. And I think that's where I went wrong because right up until you said you keeping running to me, I really thought you did have a choice.

"Maybe I just wanted to believe that because I never had one. From that first time I touched you, I could feel something was different. I couldn't let go. Even when I was so pissed at you for not telling me your name, I wanted to hold you again … to kiss you again … to feel that spark that's only there around you no matter how damn much it terrifies me. 'Cause the more I feel it, the less I can stand to be away from it. From _you_.

"I know that's not an excuse for my complete stupidity but I am sorry, Bella. Truly sorr—"

She shut him up with a kiss he damn sure didn't deserve but wouldn't have passed up for all the shark protection laws in the world. Her lips were soft and forgiving while her hand clutched his hair just this side of painful. His earlier stupidity seemed to have been replaced by utter clarity because he accepted without question that this was not his kiss and he would take whatever she was willing to give. He also understood this by no means fixed everything. He had first bruised their trust with thinking she had left and now he'd cracked it open with tonight's idiocy.

Her hand moved down to softly caress his neck while she pressed her face against his shirt; her warm, quick breaths tickled his chest. He tucked his head against hers and closed his eyes, breathing her in and giving them both time to sort through the jumble of emotions he'd stirred up with his stupidity.

After what felt like a few minutes had passed, he kissed the corner of her mouth and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"You make me hate that I love you."

"I don't want you to feel that way. I want to do right by you. I want to make you happy."

"I want _us_ to be happy, Edward. I'm not expecting you to always say or do the right thing. All I'm asking for is for you to want this as much as I do, to fight for us as much as I am."

"I want to be with you," he promised. "And I know that means I have to stop trying to dissect everything that happens. _Feeling_ that you love me is more important than understanding _why_ you do."

"There's no trick to it, Edward. I love you because you're a good person. You adore your family and you'd do anything for them. You protect your team and you encourage their abilities. And when you're not being a complete ass, you're sweet and thoughtful and loving.

"I get that your mind works differently," she continued. "I get that logic overrules your emotions and I understand you're a practical person at your core. But none of that makes you a bad partner. It's your lack of trust that does that. If you're not willing to believe I'm being completely honest with you, then we can't be together."

"It's not that I didn't believe you, but that it didn't make any sense. I have to accept that not everything will."

"You might also want to try asking questions rather than jumping to conclusions. I didn't find out you get bored easily by listening in to a private conversation you were having. I learned it by watching you, seeing how when everyone else takes downtime to relax, you search out a project. And I know you love me because when you screw up you try to fix it when you could just as easily give up and consider it not worth the trouble."

"I'm truly, incredibly sorry."

She sat up and looked at him, rubbing her palm along the stubble on his jaw and smiling softly. "I believe you. And I believe _in_ you. So please do the same for me."

"I will. And I'll fix this. Because I really do love you and I don't want you to doubt that. I want us to be together."

"Okay." Her smile widened and then she took her hand away, turning forward and relaxing into her spot in the booth. "Your first fix needs to be getting everyone back in here so we can finally have dinner."

Masen looked around, shocked to find that they were alone. He'd have thought for sure Lee and Whit would stick around to witness his idiocy. Or at the very least Alice would be watching and waiting for his downfall.

"You owe, Lee," Bella told him. "She shooed them out of here to let you have your meltdown in private."

"I think this is one of those times when I owe everyone an apology."

"Yep."

He turned to look at her and for her to see how much he meant what he was about to say. "I love you. And I'm really sorry I'm making it hard to love me back."

Her thumb lightly brushed against his cheek bone. "Trust me and it won't be hard. As long as you're trying, I'm not going to give up on you."

"I never said you would."

"Not with your words."

He closed his eyes, covering up the blue she had been looking at. "I'm sorry."

She brought his head down, putting her cheek against his. "I love you. Trust that and love me back. I promise you it really is that simple."

He kissed her then and she let him—soft and slow and full of his contrition. He knew it was only the start of his fixing things but it was also the one thing he could do to really show his determination to do right by her. He kissed her with all the deeply overwhelming love he felt for her, and with the promise of a better tomorrow with him.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I call bullshit!" Whit cried while pointing an accusing finger at Gopher. "There's no way Batman can be just one guy. Even with body armor, he gets torn muscles and broken bones. There comes a point where too many of those kinds of injuries slows you down permanently. It's human anatomy one oh one."

Gopher shrugged. "He's the Batman. He defies all known anatomy research."

It was the banter between these two that had kept dinner from feeling awkward, and that had the guys cracking up laughing right now. Lee was only half-listening to them, her main focus was on the weather report she was reading over. Bella could see Alice was clearly bored but her sister didn't show any signs of wanting to leave. She wasn't sure if it was due to a desire to be near Whit or to make sure Bella didn't start arguing with Edward again.

Edward had really pissed her off with his assumption that she'd used her knowledge of sign language to eavesdrop on his personal conversations. And when he'd sunk his hands into his hair just like that night in the bar, a physical sign of how he was emotionally pushing her away, he'd pressed one too many of her buttons. In the middle of their argument it had made perfect sense to make him think she was going to call it quits. She'd figured by offering him what he seemed to be most afraid of that it would make him face it and thereby stop moving towards it. She'd wanted him to trust her but now she worried she'd gone too far. What if she had only made it harder for him to believe in her? Because rather than being distracted by her hand rubbing his back, he kept stealing glances at her—with blue eyes.

He looked at her again and smiled. "Are you as bored with their arguing as I am?"

"Have you checked your email lately?" she asked, latching on an idea of how to show him he was forgiven. If she was angry with him, she wouldn't give him something fun to enjoy.

"Not really. I sent the daily to Esme earlier but I didn't check my inbox."

"I sent you something."

"You did?" he asked, looking adorably pleased. "When?"

"Yesterday. I sent it from Esme's account when I printed the daily on the seals for Alice to read on our trip to town."

He looked over at Gopher. "Is your iPad up here? I want to check my email."

"No, sorry, bro. It's down in my room. You can go grab it if you want. It's on my dresser."

"Just use my phone," Whit said, offering the device to him.

It took him a minute to figure how to get into his account on the phone; he found the email quickly and clicked the video embedded in it. For the first twenty seconds of it, he had a confused look on his face. But as soon as he heard the words "ask your doctor about tacos" he burst into loud laughter.

"Wait, wait," Gopher yelled. "Back that up," he said to Masen. To everyone else he said, "Be quiet. It's about tacos."

Edward restarted the video and they all spent the next minute and a half snorting and giggling.

"Where did you find that?" Whit asked. "It's freakin epic!"

Bella had a huge smile on her face as she shrugged. "I saw it while playing around on Gopher's iPad. It made me think of Edward and the love of his life." She waited for him to look at her and then said, "Tacos."

His smile was huge as he leaned in to kiss her. "Smart ass. And just so we're clear, I love you more than tacos."

Gopher started quoting the video. "_Unlike other anti-depressants, tacos are formulated to be frickin delicious … and give you a warm feeling of satisfaction deep down in your tum-tum region._"

Whit joined in with him. "_Having tacos makes you feel better about not having tacos_." He laughed again and then exclaimed, "That shit's epic!"

"The video wasn't nearly as funny as watching you guys," Alice announced. "It's mindboggling how professional you guys were all day and how completely silly you're being now."

"Work hard, play hard," Lee replied with a shrug. "That's how we've always been."

Edward nudged Whit and got him to slide out of the booth. "As fun as this is, we've got an early start planned tomorrow. Time to call it a night."

"Are we really getting up at four in the morning?" Alice asked as she stood up.

Lee had her snarky smile going. "You will if you plan to participate tomorrow."

"Coming?" Edward asked, holding his hand out to Bella.

"I'll be down in a minute," she answered with a genuine smile. If he was upset in any way with her, he would be going to his project room, not asking her to go with him. "I just want to ask Lee something real quick," she explained.

He let out a groan. "Don't plot revenge with her, please."

She couldn't help laughing at him. "I'm not. I promise."

She was ready for a skeptical look from him but what she received was a genuine smile and soft kiss. "See you in a bit." And he actually sounded like he believed it.

As soon as Edward was out of sight, Lee asked, "How mad is he with me?"

Her question confused Bella. "Why would he be mad at you? I'm the one he was arguing with."

"Yeah, but I knew about the sign language and didn't tell him."

She shook her head. "He doesn't know that. And he doesn't need to know it."

"Then what did you want to talk to me about?"

"The way I handled things with him. I think I might have made things worse instead of better."

"What makes you think that? He seemed fine to me. A little embarrassed that he'd made a spectacle of himself, but otherwise calm."

"His eyes are still blue."

"Ah," Lee replied with a knowing smile. "That's not an indication that you made things worse. That's a sign that he's still kicking himself for starting the argument in the first place."

"What if it's not?"

"You're going to find out pretty quick which of us is right. If it's me, when you get downstairs he's going to be ready to talk about it more. If you're right, he'll talk about anything but the argument."

Bella nodded, wanting to be convinced but not feeling that way.

"Listen, if you're this concerned, then tell me exactly what you did that you're regretting."

With a sigh, Bella launched into her explanation. "He mentioned yesterday about having trouble trusting things would work with us. So when he started in with his accusations, I felt like that was what was driving him. I tried to be understanding and to reassure him that I care about him. But then he shoved his hands into his hair just like that first night at the bar and I just knew he was trying to find a reason not to believe me. So I kind of told him since he seemed to want things to be over, I was calling them done. At the time, I thought it was a way to get him to go all in and stop worrying so much. But now that I look back on it … What if I made it harder for him to trust me?"

"What were his first words to you when you did that?"

"He apologized."

Lee's look of worry turned into a confident smile. "He's fine. If he was having a harder time trusting you, he would have been accusatory, not apologetic. And here's the real sign for me that he's okay—he wants to spend more time with you rather than head down to his project room."

Bella smiled, happy to hear Lee had thought the same about his asking her to go downstairs. "Thanks, Lee."

"Anytime, Guppy." She stood and stretched for a second. "Going to feel like a long shift at the helm tonight. You better go down and enjoy your time with Mase before he has to come back up and relieve me."

Bella took her up on her advice, right after she gave her a quick hug of thanks.

When she reached the sleeping quarters, she found her bedroom door open and the light from her lamp spilling out into the hall.

Edward sat cross-legged in her bed with a pile of pictures spread out in front of him. Most were ones he'd taken today but she could also see quite a few that she'd captured. He'd printed out a bunch of low quality proofs for use while the team was working together to write today's daily.

She shut her bedroom door and crawled in beside him. "What are you doing?"

"Comparing the quality of the lighting in my pictures against yours. It's part of how I judge the quality of the lens hood."

"Your perfectly intact lens hood," she reminded him while freeing her hair from its ponytail.

He grinned and scooped all the pictures up into a single pile. "Yeah, it survived your touch this time." After setting the photos on her nightstand, he turned to face her. "Guess that means I have to permanently lift the ban on you entering my project room."

She found that one spot on her pillow that felt super comfortable to her head and neck and then replied to his comment. "You don't have to but it would be nice."

He filled her personal space as much as he could without being right on top of her. "What would really be nice is if I could erase that stupid argument I started earlier."

"Too bad time travel is still theoretical."

He smiled at her smart aleck response. "I'm happy to settle for my girlfriend forgiving me."

Bella was too shocked to control her reaction and her wide eyes and open mouth had him laughing.

"I'm gonna guess it was the 'girlfriend' that did that," he said, laughing a little and pulling her closer. "I was thinking that kapu holds special meaning to me but you're not used to that word. You're used to girlfriend as a commitment label."

"I'd never heard kapu before you said it," she admitted.

"I'm so used to my world, my routine, that it never crossed my mind you wouldn't be familiar with it. And telling you it means sacred and then not doing a great job of backing that up with my actions … Would you rather be referred to as my girlfriend?"

She pressed her hand to his cheek, smiling when she noticed there was finally some green seeping into the blue of his eyes. "Silly Edward. Why would I ever want to be called a word as simple as 'girlfriend' when you put your heart into calling me 'kapu'?"

His kiss started off soft and loving but with a little encouragement from her, he turned it into the deep, consuming kiss she was already thoroughly addicted to sharing with him.

Now that he'd ravaged her mouth and left her lips swollen, he focused on other parts of her. Shoulder … neck … the shell of her ear … Warm, wet kisses with a touch of tongue caressed her skin and inflamed her body. Toying. Teasing. Taunting. She could feel individual beads of sweat sliding down her back and along her sides and she vaguely wondered how much more she could take before spontaneously combusting in his arms.

He must have been asking himself the same question because he suddenly rolled onto his back and put a little distance between them.

When she was sure she could control herself being closer to him, she pressed against his side and set her chin on his chest. He had wrinkles across his forehead and his eyes were shut tight.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, trying to smooth away his wrinkles with her thumb.

He looked at her with eyes so vividly green that she was sure there was no named color in the world to match it. "I didn't understand before how kapu could mean both sacred and dangerous, but that was just because I hadn't met you yet."

She groaned and dropped her forehead to his chest so hard and fast that it caused him to grunt in pain. She mumbled "sorry" against his shirt.

"Want to tell me why you attacked me with your head?" he questioned, running his fingers through her hair.

"What you said … it was perfect and special and it made me want to kiss your stupid face."

He laughed. "What? Why is my face stupid?"

"Because the longer you kiss me, the harder it is to remember where our line is at."

"Hey," he called, tapping her shoulder. When he didn't get a response, he forced her to roll onto her back and climbed above her to keep her from hiding from him. "No matter how many things I get wrong, there will always be one thing I get right. I will always protect you. I'll never let you do anything you don't seem completely ready for. That goes as much for work as it does for us when we're alone. No matter how lost we get in kissing each other, I won't let it go any further if you aren't ready."

"How can you say that with so much confidence?"

"Kapu," he whispered against her lips before kissing them once, so softly she hardly felt it. "There's nothing I won't do to protect your happiness."

The flood of relief and security his words gave her put a beaming smile on her face. "In that case, let's find out just how long it takes for me to be done kissing you."

"I accept that challenge."

She grinned as she decided to tease him. "You sure? You want a minute to think it over? Check the logic in it?"

He answered with his lips and tongue and gentle hands, kissing her thoroughly but never taking it beyond that. And even when she was exhausted and falling asleep in his arms, he continued to kiss her, spreading tiny whispers along her temple and cheek, ensuring she drifted into sleep wearing a smile.

When she woke a few hours later, it wasn't to his kisses or even to the feel of his forehead against her shoulder, a position he often curled into and always woke her with. What had woken her this time was a hard head pushing up against her chin and fingernails digging into her forearm.

"Alice, why are you in my bed?" she slurred sleepily.

"I can't sleep."

"Your bed is two feet away from Whit's. Why not wake him?"

"Because."

A heavy sigh left her tired body. "Because why?"

Alice's sniffle was followed by a full-on sob. "Because I'm a horrible sister."

Bella immediately became more alert. "What's wrong? What happened?" she asked, pushing away Alice's hair to see her face.

"It's my fault. He loves you but I've been so awful that he got scared and said really stupid things and you can't break up with him, Bella. You have to forgive him and let him make things up to you because it won't be the same for you without him. It'll never be the same and I don't want to see any part of my dream for real." Her sister's reply had been uttered too fast and had been far too confusing for her tired mind to follow.

She sat up to help wake herself completely. "Alice, you need to start over and slow down. I didn't catch half of that and I definitely didn't understand it."

Rather than explaining herself, her sister started crying harder and turned her face into the bed. It was so unlike her that Bella was really starting to worry about her.

"Hey," she cooed as she leaned over and rubbed Alice's back. "Calm down. Whatever's wrong, I'll help you fix it."

Her sister mumbled something into the bed.

Bella wanted to feel compassionate, especially since she was worried about her sister, but it had been a long day and she was too exhausted to be subtle. "Alice, I love you but I'm also very tired. Either sit up and talk to me or go back to your own bed."

Her sister sat up, sniffling and using the collar of her shirt to dry her eyes and cheeks. "It's my fault."

"What is?"

"The argument you had with Edward. If I hadn't kept talking about taking you home, if I hadn't been so judgmental of him, but I'm really sorry, Bella. I'll do anything to help fix it. You can't break up with him."

"Alice, we're not breaking up," she assured her, once again rubbing her back. "It'll take a lot more than an argument to get either of us to give up."

"So I didn't ruin things for you?"

"No," Bella promised, smiling in hopes of calming her sister. "Now, how about you tell me what caused this sudden and _extreme_ change of heart about Edward?"

"I saw it. I saw today how wrong I was about him. About how he feels for you and why he's letting me join his team."

She gave her sister a moment to collect herself before pressing for more info. "Go on."

"He didn't invite me to impress you. I'm not saying I agree I have a problem that needs fixing, but he really did invite me to try to help me. He was so nice all day. And he answered every question I asked politely and professionally, even when I could see he was starting to get tired of all my questions.

"And then there's you. I didn't see it before. I know I wasn't really looking but I still should have seen it. The way he looks at you and how he's so aware of you. I noticed it first on the boat. He doesn't hover over you and boss you around. He just gives you an assignment and then steps back and watches kind of covertly. Like he has no doubts at _all_ that you can do it on your own but he keeps an eye on you just in case he's wrong. But he doesn't think he is—he's already proud of you before you even start.

"And then tonight when the work was done and you two were sitting together at the table … I'd thought he was impossible to read but when I really looked at him, I couldn't believe I'd ever missed it. It was right _there_. It _is_ there. Even after that huge meltdown he had, he still looked at you like you mean the world to him. And I can't tell you how very sorry I am for getting in the way of that, for not seeing how I was ruining it by wanting you to come home with me. And I mean it, Bella. I'll do anything to fix it."

"Come on," Bella coaxed, getting Alice to lie down beside her. Looking into her sister's wet eyes, she could see genuine remorse. "I'm glad you're finally seeing the real Edward and not the version you created in your head."

Alice nodded, a sniffle escaping along with a couple more tears.

"And I appreciate your desire to fix things between he and I. But relationships don't work like that. If we want to be together, then we have to put in the work and the effort ourselves. With that said, I am really happy to hear I won't have to worry about outside interference from you." She smiled wide to show she was teasing and then said, "You were starting to be a real pain in my ass, little sister."

Alice snorted at Bella's teasing.

"There's my favorite smile." She took hold of her sister's hand, knowing the physical contact would help calm her more.

"Do you think he'll put in the effort? I know you will."

"He already is. He understands where he went wrong and he's apologized for it. We've also talked about ways we can both make him feel more at ease with all the changes our relationship is bringing into his life. Unlike you and me, he's never had a boyfriend-girlfriend type of relationship. And he's definitely never attempted to have one while working. It's stressful for him, especially with the way his mind works. He's methodical and logical and he looks for everything to make perfect sense. But you and I know that's not possible with people—they often do things we can't understand or explain."

Alice's voice was soft and timid, much more like the voice of a young girl than a young woman. "Like Mom."

"Yeah," Bella agreed with a nod. She took a deep breath, smiled for her sister's sake, and then continued on with her train of thought. "The best way to help me is to stay out of my personal relationship with Edward. Let us make our mistakes and our fixes on our own. Think of yourself as my silent, background cheerleader. Even though I won't see you or hear you, I'll know you're there cheering me on, and that's all I need."

"I can do that. Well, the cheering part. I'm going to have to work on the silent and out of sight bit a little."

Bella grinned, knowing her sister was only being honest. "As for your own relationship with him, you're going to have to do something you don't have a lot of practice with. You're going to have to let the past be in the past and move forward. You can't apologize to him and expect instant forgiveness like you get with me. You have to give him time to digest everything that's happened, and time to get to know you enough to see that you're being genuine."

Alice's nose crinkled. "I was afraid you would say that. When you explained how his mind works. It's not going to make any sense to him that I'm suddenly okay with him."

"None at all," she replied with a short laugh, imaging him firing one question after another at her. "He's going to be full of questions about your change of heart. But he'll also be really happy about it, Alice. He really does want to know you and like you."

"And when he can like me, it'll be easier to get Lee to like me."

Bella laughed, thinking of the evolution of her own relationship with Lee. "Caught on to that, have ya?"

"Yes. And Whit explained too. He said Lee is slow to warm to new people, especially when they go after Edward because he's basically her brother."

"You're just lucky Whit understood why you were acting out. You think Lee is bad because she's so vocal. But if someone was really doing something to hurt Edward, that person would have much more to fear from Whit."

"How do you know?"

She shrugged, not exactly sure how to explain her feeling. "It's something in the set of his eyes, the way his lips curl when he sees Edward relaxed and happy. Lee would go to war for Edward but Whit would lay down his life for him." After a loud yawn, she said, "Not that I don't love talking with you, but we only have a few hours left that we can even sleep. I say we call it a night and save any other questions or comments from you for tomorrow."

"I agree. But only so long as I can sleep in your bed."

"You can stay the night, but don't think for a second this is going to be a habit."

Alice snorted. "Don't worry. I know I'm only borrowing _his_ side of the bed."

"Shut up and go to sleep."

Her sister chuckled and then sang, "Bella loves Edward."

She groaned into her pillow. "Sleep."

Alice let a few seconds of silence pass and then whispered, "I love you."

Bella lifted her face from her pillow just long enough to kiss her sister on the forehead. "Love you too."

Between her tiredness and the relief she felt from her sister's change of heart, Bella immediately felt into a deep, restful sleep.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen reached out to move the photo of the seal popping out of the water; the overhead light was casting a shadow on it and annoying him. Since he'd already gone over everything for tomorrow, he'd decided to do a pencil drawing of the photo as a way to kill time while the crew slept. Had anyone asked why he'd chosen this particular one out of the many they'd taken today, he might have answered honestly and said it was because it was his favorite of all the photos Bella had taken. Then again, he might not have. He'd already opened his mouth one too many times today in his opinion.

_Technically yesterday_, he thought as he glanced at the clock on the dashboard.

Turning his attention back to his sketchpad, he started to shade in part of the seal. His multitasking mind wondered what he'd do with the drawing. Would he put it up in his office downstairs with a few of the other drawings he'd liked enough to put up? Would he give it to Bella? Or would he feel he'd put too much of himself in it and lock it away in his project room?

"I've known you can be an asshole for a long time but I never figured you for self-destructive."

Masen looked at Whit with his eyebrows raised, knowing full well what his best friend was alluding to but not yet ready to admit it.

"Don't give me that confused shit. You know what I'm talking about."

He knew he wasn't getting out of this conversation so he took his feet off the chair to give his friend the seat, and tossed his sketchpad to the floor. "Shouldn't you be in bed cuddling with your dream girl?"

Whit grunted. "I would be if it wasn't for your earlier stellar display of stupidity. But thanks to you, she's in your kapu's room worried sick that she's partly responsible for your actions."

This time, Masen's look of confusion was real.

Whit shook his head and sighed heavily. "You were doing so well until you opened your big fucking mouth at the dinner table. Alice had finally seen a glimpse of what we all see, what we all know about you. That you truly care and want what's best for everyone. But then you just had to go and shit on the ground you'd earned."

"It's not like I did it on purpose," Masen defended. "I didn't purposefully set out to wreck anything. I just … Everything's been so different since Bella arrived and hardly any of it has made sense. Especially the way I feel and act around her."

"Bro, I know the girl has her finger on your eruption button, but—"

"My _what_?" he asked, laughing and staring at his friend in disbelief.

"_But_," Whit continued with a glare that dared there to be further interruption. "That's no excuse for what you did tonight. Do you even realize how close you came to losing the one thing that should matter to you most? Even more than us and sharks?"

"Nothing matters more than my family."

"Mase, your family is your family no matter what. A woman that loves you as you are and sees the good in you …" He gripped Masen's arm and squeezed as he said, "That's the rare beauty that _must_ be held onto no matter the sacrifice."

Masen sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Honestly, it got out of hand so fast. I was sitting there thinking that I needed to stay calm and not jump to conclusions and then they were popping out of my mouth."

"Be honest. Did you really think she was listening in on your conversations?"

"I entertained it but only because it was the best answer I could come up with."

"If that was your best, I'm almost afraid to ask what the worst was."

"Mind-reader," Masen admitted with a grin born of both embarrassment and guilt. It was a ridiculous idea and he had been wrong to expect there to be trickery involved with Bella becoming such a huge part of his life so quickly.

Whit nearly fell off the chair from laughing so hard. "Seriously, bro? You thought mind reading was a viable option?"

He shrugged and even laughed a little at himself. "It made about as much sense as a woman like her coming into my life right now."

"What is it with you? Seriously? You make a blessing sound like a burden."

"I can't tell the difference sometimes," he answered honestly. Bella's words from earlier came to him … "You are every danger and fear rolled up into attractive packaging and as much as I feel like I should be running as far and as I fast as I can, the only place I ever seem to run is toward you. Bella said that to me earlier."

Whit's reply chilled him to the bone with its accuracy. "She represents the danger of attachment and the fear of permanent loss."

"It's just a single summer. That's what I thought at first. But the more I'm with her, the harder it is to be away. I don't know what to do with that."

"Look, bro, I know it's damn near impossible for you to sit still and not pick things apart until you understand every little piece, but you can't do that with this. The best thing you can do for yourself and your kapu is this … Realize that you're never gonna beat this summer with her and throw yourself into enjoying every last second of it."

Thinking again of his earlier talk with Bella, Masen said, "Feeling that I love her is more important than understanding why I do."

"Now you're making sense," Whit said, leaning over to clamp a hand on his shoulder. "And now you can take your sorry ass into the kitchen and make me some coffee."

"I've got helm duty."

"I'll watch the gauges, you make the coffee. It's the least you can do to make up for the loss of my cuddling."

"How do you know it wasn't your loud ass snoring that sent her into Bella's room?"

Whit looked him directly in the eyes. "The words 'my fault' and 'I've been awful to him' don't have a damn thing to do with me or my snoring."

Masen nodded, finding nothing worthwhile to say in response. However, he did find that he was worried Bella would be angry with him for upsetting Alice.

As usual, Whit knew exactly what he was thinking. "You're not any worse off than you were before. Bella _wants_ to be with you, Mase. All you have to do is show her you want to be with her just as much."

"I will," Masen promised.

Whit made a promise of his own. "I'll kick your ass if you don't." And then he smiled, putting an end to their conversation and making a demand while pointing toward the hall and the kitchen beyond. "Pay me for my wisdom. Coffee. Now."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** How about that Carlisle? Handsome, nice ass, and super slick in the romance department!

And then there's Masen … Screwing up and making up the Masen way is pretty damn interesting. LOL

We hope you are all as happy as we are to see Alice's change of heart—and it is completely genuine.

And Whit! He is such a genuine friend, and at the same time takes no shit. Gopher would say Whit is the friend Masen needs but not the one he deserves ;)

And finally, the taco video that Guppy sends to Masen is up on the Sharkward Blog for your enjoyment!


	31. 31 Rewards of Trusting

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 31 – The Rewards of Trusting**

**Sunday, June 29th**

Bella immediately rolled over to quiet her alarm. She didn't want to wake the whole crew with it and she definitely didn't want to wake her little sister. She wanted the next hour to be just for her and Edward.

After a brief stop in the bathroom to tame her hair and get rid of what she called "morning mouth funk", she headed upstairs to the helm. Edward didn't notice her right away, his nose too deep into the book he was reading. Rather than sitting in the chair with his feet propped up on the dashboard like usual, he was on the floor with his back to the wall and one leg bent with the other straight out. If he was anything like her when lost in a book, this was position number four in the search to remain comfortable while reading for hours.

He must have felt her eyes on him because he suddenly pulled his head from the book and looked right at her. He quickly glanced at the clock on the wall. "What are you doing up? It's only three."

She faked a shocked gasp. "Oh no! I'm up at three instead of four? It's almost as if my alarm was set an hour early."

Her teasing had him grinning. "Smart ass."

"What are you reading?" she asked, trying to see the cover as she sat down beside him.

"What are you doing up?" he countered.

She shrugged as if she was here simply because she had nothing better to do. The truth was that she had nowhere she wanted to be more, not even asleep in bed. "I was thinking you might enjoy some time alone with me but if you're busy …" She made as if she was going to stand up and he immediately tossed his book aside to grab her and pull her onto his lap.

She chuckled quietly while he made himself comfortable, banding his arms around her waist and setting his chin on her shoulder. His stubble ever so slightly brushed against her cheek but it wasn't enough contact for her so she leaned into him and pressed her cheek right up against his. She could tell he liked it as much as she did because while her content sigh had been internal, his had been audible.

She felt more than heard his whispered words. "You feel so good in my arms, kapu." There was a long pause and then he told her, "I'm sorry for last night. _This_ is what I should have been focused on. Not whether or not you know sign language."

"You weren't upset about the sign language," she pointed out, hoping he would say the rest himself. If they were going to have any chance at all, he was going to have to stop shrinking away every time he felt the full strength of their bond. She knew exactly how big and scary it could feel—and she also knew he could do exactly as she was doing and lean into it rather than run from it.

"No," he agreed. "I was angry that this—_us_—that it might not be real." He swallowed thickly and held her tighter. "I was also angry that I need you because where would that leave me if you didn't need me back? Wanting you is one thing. I can turn it off and push it aside. No harm, no foul. But needing you …" With his last word his voice trailed away to nothing but a soft exhale of breath. He didn't need to say anything more, though, not with the way she could feel his heart hammering against her shoulder blade.

She picked up his right arm and with the pad of her thumb she caressed the scar on his wrist. "It's a more powerful anxiety in some ways. The other kind, it's strong and it's deep but we have no doubts we can overcome it if we just keep pushing. But this kind—it's like your whole life, even your next breath, it's all in someone else's hands and you have zero control over what happens next. It's all up to them to either love you back or let you go."

He took in a ragged breath and she could hear the shakiness in his voice. "Turn around. _Please_."

She did as he asked, folding her legs around his waist and setting her arms on his shoulders. His own hands lay flat against her lower back just beneath her shirt, the heat from his palms quickly warming her skin. The temperature difference sent a shiver running down her spine, creating an involuntary shake. Edward may or may not have noticed—all that mattered to her right then was that he was pressing harder, sinking his hands deeper into her back and temporarily satisfying her craving to feel more of him.

"Kapu." The pleading edge of his tone had her searching his face for the reason behind it. She had prepared herself to see blue eyes but she was extremely happy to see they were a beautiful shade of deep green. He was completely in this moment with her despite his uncertainty and fears.

"I don't want to let go."

"I don't want that either," she promised. "I want _this_." She leaned in and pressed her lips hard against the side of his neck, making sure he felt it. "I want to be close to you, to feel you. And I want to feel that you want me just as much." She kissed his neck again, feeling his breath catch and then his hard swallow.

"I never stop wanting you. It's just … Everything feels _more_ when you're with me."

She wrapped her arms around his head, drawing it to hers and putting her lips at his ear. "This is real, and you can trust that I love you and need you." She pulled away slightly to show him her true and happy smile. "I am your kapu, after all."

"You are." He made it sound like a promise so that was exactly how she was going to take it. His pressed his hands more firmly into her back, pushing her chest against his and bringing her lips within kissing distance. "I love you."

"I never once doubted it." Although she knew the answer already, she had one of those questions on the tip of her tongue that required verbal affirmation from him. "Did you really doubt me?"

"No. Never. It just didn't make sense that you would. Like you said, I'm not the guy you would ever pick."

She smiled in hopes of getting him to do the same. "And you certainly wouldn't have picked me since I'm not fond of your favorite creature in the sea. So I guess it's for the best that we never had a choice."

He snorted and gave her one measly kiss—sweet but measly.

She playfully huffed at him. "Here I am, loving you and even getting up an hour early just to hang out with you, and all I get for my troubles is a tiny peck."

His eyebrows lifted and he seemed unsure if he was being teased. "So you want to be rewarded for loving me?"

Bella nodded emphatically and dramatically in an effort to make him laugh, to show him she was moving on from last night's fiasco and ready to have fun with him. "It's only fair. It _is_ a tough job."

"Then I better make it a good kiss."

Her stomach twisted at his words, and then did a full-on summersault when his tongue flicked across his lower lip. He left one hand at her lower back and brought the other to her neck, pulling her in and fitting as much of her body to his as he could manage. Even in the middle of the night he still smelled like a warm beach on a sunny day, both fresh and salty with a hint of something she couldn't quite put into words.

Being this close and not having his lips on hers was suddenly no longer acceptable so she remedied it herself, grabbing a handful of his soft hair and pulling his lips to hers. He found her impatience funny and laughed against her lips—right up until she slid her tongue along his bottom lip the same way he had done earlier.

A low growl from the back of his throat was followed by a diabolical attack on every single sense she had. He started with touch—attacking her lips while positioning his hands so that she couldn't back away or ignore the brush of his thumbs against the sides of her breasts. Her senses of smell and taste quickly became useless, so full of him that she could hardly remember the aroma or flavor of anything else in existence. She gave up on seeing, finding it completely impossible because every time she opened her eyes he either shifted his lips or his thumbs just enough to make her eyes cross and then close all over again. Even with all of that she might have had a tiny shot at keeping her wits about her so she could help make sure no lines were crossed. But then she heard him—a low moan she felt reverberate deep inside herself. And she was lost.

As lost as she was, she wasn't alone and Edward never made an attempt to take things any further. He wasn't in any hurry to stop either, but then again neither was she. Her lips literally hurt from how hard they'd been kissing and yet if he'd come in for another kiss, she absolutely would have let him land it.

But he didn't. He held her instead, stroking her hair while she listened to the rock concert drum solo beat of his heart slowly calm until it became a steady, easy to count rhythm.

She had just begun to wonder if they'd knocked each other speechless when he asked, "Did Alice wake up with your alarm?"

"How did you know she was in my room?"

"Whit."

"Ah." She should have guessed that since he really did seem to know all.

"I was thinking maybe I should talk to her. Let her know that she didn't have anything to do with what happened between us last tonight. And that she's still welcome here if she wants to stay. If you think she would want me to talk to her."

Bella leaned back so she could hold Edward's face in her hands and enjoy the green of his eyes before their work began and turned them blue. "I appreciate so much that you're trying with her. I know she's been kind of a brat since she got here but I also know she was serious last night about seeing the real you and not the one she made up in her head. She wants to be friends with you, Edward. She also wants to see me happy with you."

"Really?" he asked with an adorably hopeful grin. "I'm no longer a bossy beast?"

"I wouldn't go _that_ far," she joked. "But she is looking forward to building a friendship with you."

"Friends with Thumper." He said it slowly as if he was considering it for the very first time. And then he pulled out his shitty grin. "Promise you won't get jealous when she wants to be my B-F-F?"

Bella snorted. "The day she becomes your B-F-F is the day I let you get a peek at what's under my red bikini you like so much."

"You should probably move so I can go wake her up and get started on this friendship thing."

She shook her head. "Trust me, waking her up before she absolutely has to be up is not the way to start a friendship with her."

"Then what do you suggest?"

She pretended to think about it for a moment. "I think you should focus on me right now so that I'm happy and smiling when she gets up."

"Happy and smiling, huh?" He leaned in to press a few soft kisses along the column of her neck. "What about blushing and breathless instead?"

"That … uh … that could …" That was all she got out before becoming too distracted by his touch to even try to finish her sentence. And honestly, what did she need words for anyway? He'd already said all the important things she'd needed to hear and expressed a desire to make things right with her sister. There was absolutely no reason she could come up with for talking instead of relaxing in his arms and enjoying the sweet torture of his lips on her skin. He had absolutely and unequivocally made rising early her new favorite thing.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Summer storms are a real pain in my ass," Masen grumbled as he sifted through the pages of the latest weather report. The forecast had drastically changed in the past couple of hours due to a storm system suddenly deciding to go left when it had been tracking right for two days straight.

"Shit, shit, and more shit," Lee said, leaning against his arm to read with him. She seemed to have the same idea that he did, that maybe if they kept looking at the report, the forecast would change back.

"We'll figure it out," he assured her as he stood up.

"We always do," Whit agreed. "And, hey, we have a damn near perfect day right in front of us."

"Then let's get to work and not waste a second of it," Masen said. "If anyone has any questions about the assignment sheet we went over earlier, now is the time to ask. If not, get your gear and be on deck in ten minutes."

He had expected at least one question from Thumper after all the ones she'd asked yesterday but she got up from the table and trailed off after Bella without a word.

Masen slid the weather report into the same folder he'd put today's assignment sheet and gave it a tap on the table to make sure all the pages were completely inside. He also noticed Gopher still sitting at the table.

"What?" he asked, wary of the man's excited smile.

"Mase, I know what I want my favor to be," Gopher replied, his voice full of confidence. "I want time in the cage today and—"

"_And_? There's no 'and'. You did me _one_ favor, you get _one_ favor."

"Dude! It was a huge favor!" Gopher challenged, holding his arms out to their full length.

As much as he hated to admit it, Gopher was right. Even if Bella's phone hadn't died that night, Masen had serious doubts that a phone call would have been enough. Being able to show her the video from that day and giving her the ability to see he was perfectly safe were the things that had lessened her anxiety.

With a reluctant sigh, he said, "Let me hear it before I agree to anything."

Gopher's grin was so big it was comical. "Okay, so when Whit showed me the weather report this morning, I knew tomorrow would be a scrap and we'd need something else to do. Mase, I want to pick what we do tomorrow."

His initial second of shock immediately gave way to worry for the team's safety and annoyance with Gopher. "_No_. No way in hell. Why would you even ask for that?"

"Just hang on a sec," Gopher replied calmly, lifting his hands up palms out. "The wind's gonna make the water too choppy to do anything tomorrow and the heavy rain will keep us indoors all day. There's nothing I could come up with that would be dangerous."

He lowered his eyebrows and crossed his arms, completely certain that given the chance, Gopher could absolutely find something dangerous to do indoors.

"Okay, maybe there is if I thought on it long enough," Gopher conceded with a shrug. "But that's not what I want. Plus, you get veto power. Anything you deem unsafe is out."

"And you won't give me any shit about it?"

Gopher looked at him as if he'd said something insane. "Of course I will." He then lifted a finger and added, "But I'll also go along with whatever you decide."

_Indoors. I'll be right there. Lee will be right there. He can't cause that much trouble, I guess._ Masen sighed heavily while fighting with himself. He wanted to give Gopher more opportunities to be valuable to the team but he also had a responsibility to ensure everyone's safety.

_Maybe it won't be so bad_, he thought. "What did you have in mind?" he asked as he sat across from Gopher.

Gopher's giant excited smile was back in full force. He smacked his hand against the tabletop and then slid it toward Masen. It took a second for Masen to realize there was a sheet of paper under the man's hand.

"I took a cue from you and did my research," Gopher explained. "I figure if we can't learn about sharks, then we should learn about each other."

From the look of the notes scribbled on it, Masen doubted any real research had gone into this list and said as much. "All you've done is pair us off as couples."

"Trust me, bro, there's a method to my madness."

The sounds of the others coming back upstairs had Masen shoving the sheet into his folder. "You'll have to explain it to me later. We've got work to do right now."

"That's not a 'no', right?" Gopher questioned as he got to his feet.

"It's not a 'no'," he confirmed. "Get your gear together and get on deck."

"To be continued. Cool."

Gopher and his ridiculous smile went away, leaving Masen shaking his head while turning toward the couch and the gear he'd set down on it just before breakfast. He snagged the strap of his backpack and slung it onto his shoulder, then stepped outside into the darkness of pre-dawn.

Masen was in the middle of setting up the last work-light when he heard Bella behind him. "I wondered how we'd work safely before sunrise."

"This?" he asked, smirking and pointing up at the fixture. "This is just a prop. We're not working until well after the sun is up. I just wanted to make you all get up super early."

"Liar."

He looked up from the extension cord in his hands to verify that the smile he'd heard in her voice was on her pretty face—It was and it made him smile in return. "What makes you so sure?"

"You wouldn't have stopped kissing me just to play a prank on the team."

"_You_ stopped," he reminded her. "I had no choice since you left the room."

"To get ready for the work _you_ scheduled," she argued.

"That was me, huh?" he joked as he put his arms around her and drew her closer.

She looked down at his arms and then up into his eyes again. "Isn't this interfering with your work mode?"

"I've got until the last team member gets on deck to get into work mode." He leaned in for a kiss but she pulled back with an odd look on her face. "What? Not into my breakfast breath?"

"Do you think you'll go back to studying other creatures anytime soon? Or is MMR going to be focused on sharks all the time from now on?"

"I'm sure we'll eventually study other marine life, but right now we're at our most useful studying sharks and fighting for their protection. I would love to be able to go off for three to five years to study other things and be assured that I can come back to sharks and see the same groups I'm studying now. But that's not reality at this point."

"I never thought of it that way. Right now could be the last chance for you, for everyone in the world, to see these creatures and study them and learn from them. If they don't become protected soon, they could be extinct in a few years."

"They will be unless we change things, MMR and groups like us all over the world. We have to convince governments and communities that sharks need our protection. The best way I believe to do that is to show sharks as vital members of the marine ecosystem, rather than the monsters portrayed in movies and on television. We have to change their perception in order to change their future."

"If it helps to know it, you're off to a pretty good start with me."

"At least I'm getting something right with you." He'd meant it as a joke but he knew neither of them had really taken it that way.

"You get plenty right. It's just that when you get something wrong, you go straight to setting off the giant Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza instead of using safe little sparklers."

He couldn't help his snort. "I can absolutely say I haven't heard that analogy before."

Her grin was sly as she said, "So you're admitting you don't know it all?"

"Smart ass," he breathed against her lips. And then he kissed her; a breath-stealing, sensory-overloading, and temperature-raising kiss that had the hairs on his arms prickling like he'd touched a live battery on one of his home-made remote control cars.

"I'm here, Captain!" Alice announced cheerily.

Bella laughed against his lips while he rolled his eyes and reluctantly released her. He turned to face Alice and asked, "What's your job this morning?"

Alice grinned. "Shadow you and ask questions when I don't understand a vital task. Save all other questions for break periods. And under no circumstances am I to get in your way."

"That's as much for your safety as mine," he said, feeling she needed to hear it again.

Whit, Lee, and Gopher joined them on deck and everyone broke off into their assigned teams. Whit and Lee went to work with Guppy to get the cameras ready, and Thumper joined Masen and Gopher near the railing. Gopher set down a large metal case that opened to reveal a variety of research tools, everything from an extendable gaffing hook to a roll of forty pound fishing line.

Despite Masen's repeated explanation of the difference between a vital question and a non-essential one, Thumper continued to ask about every single tool in the box. He was not surprised that his level of tolerance was dwindling the faster his frustration rose. What did surprise him was Gopher fielding a good portion of the questions to at least give Masen a chance to focus on his work.

"You're doing that wrong," Alice alerted the men from her mandatory safe distance of two feet behind the case.

_Should have made it ten_, Masen thought, continuing his check on all the components of their winch system.

"You'll waste time that way," continued Alice. "You should have two short rows with the most used items closest to you."

Gopher chuckled under his breath at Masen's frustrated eye-roll. "Want me to toss her over? Or do you want the honor?"

After taking a deep breath, Masen explained his method to her. "We setup single file in one row because it keeps Gopher close to me, reducing the risk of something falling and being damaged or causing an injury to a crew member. It probably does take longer our way, but it's safer."

She nodded but she still looked confused. "Are you sure you want to use that stuff to poke a shark? I mean, I get that you're gonna be in a cage and all, but it just seems silly. I know _I_ wouldn't poke an angry bear."

Gopher must have heard Masen's teeth grind together because he let out another quiet laugh and whispered, "You just did."

Then he did something new, something that immediately earned him another favor from Masen though he didn't know it. He grinned at Masen and then looked over at Alice and told her, "Thumper, get a pen and a piece of paper and write down the name of every item we've gone over and how it's used."

He then looked to Masen to see if there was any objection to the assignment. Wanting to see where this would go, Masen gave a slight nod only Gopher noticed.

Gopher grinned and turned his attention back to Alice. "I'm going to quiz you throughout the day until you know it all by heart. Once you do, we'll give you a more hands-on assignment. Think you can handle that?"

"Can I get a pen and paper from the office downstairs?"

"Knock yourself out," he told her.

As soon as Alice was out of sight, Masen sighed in relief and sat down for a moment to calm down and re-center himself. He also grinned at Gopher.

Gopher also relaxed and sat down to take his own breather. "I'm glad you don't seem to mind me giving her a quiet assignment."

"Not even a little. The best idea I could come up with was duct tape but Bella would have my ass."

"Yeah, you kinda filled your quota for pissing her off last night."

Masen lifted his eyebrows at him.

"No offense, bro," Gopher said with a smile. "I've been in the hot seat myself and Lee's put herself in it plenty of times. It's not fun for anyone, but it happens. None of us are perfect and we get shit wrong sometimes. But hey! You realized duct tape is a bad idea so you learned something last night. That's all any of us can hope for—to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them."

Masen's smile widened. "If I'd known you were this smart before now—"

Gopher cut him off with his deep, booming laugh. "You'd have still been an ass …" he said as he got to his feet, "… which is cool with me only so long as you don't forget you owe me time in the cage today."

"After Lee and before Whit," Masen promised, standing and then bumping fists with Gopher.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Monday, June 30th**

With all the work they'd done yesterday, trying to cram in as much as possible before the bad weather arrived, Bella should have been in a deep sleep. But the rocking of the boat had made sleeping impossible and left Bella yawning continually and feeling cranky long before it was time to get up. She traded her pajamas for a comfy t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts, grabbed her journal and pen, and headed up to the kitchen to make some coffee.

She was happily surprised to find a nearly full pot on the burner and figured it must have been Edward. He'd left her room about an hour ago for his project room, wanting to go over the details for today's assignments one more time. She could tell he wanted to be able to trust Gopher to be the team leader for a day, but she could also see how much Edward was struggling to relinquish his role as watchdog of the group. He probably felt a lot like she did when he was in the water—that it was imperative he keep watch.

Bella slid into the seat at the kitchen table and looked out at the rainy world. Unfortunately, it was well before sunrise and the only thing she could see was the reflection of her own tired face distorted by the fat rain drops sliding quickly down the glass. She realized she could also hear the muffled voice of the weather announcer coming from the ship's weather radio. She was pretty sure it was Whit's turn at the helm but she really wasn't up for company just yet.

She stared at the cover of her journal, remembering how last night she'd naively assumed it would be easy to write about her day. The fact that she'd been nervous all day but had never had an anxiety attack had bolstered her confidence. Plus, Edward had been sitting beside her in bed at that moment. She'd opened the journal, turned to a fresh page, and put the pen to the paper. And nothing had come out. Not a single thing.

An involuntary smile curled her lips as she thought of Edward's idea of making her feel better about her writer's block. He had set his hand under hers on the mattress and curled his pinky around hers. His eyes had been green and his smile had been sweet, happy, and genuine.

"You're holding my hand," he'd told her.

She'd stared at him for a minute, trying to figure out what he was up to. "You put your finger around mine. _You're_ holding _my_ hand."

He'd looked down at their hands and then back at her. "That's purely inconceivable, and this hand holding business is clearly a figment of your exhausted imagination. You should probably get some sleep to fix that. Or if you're not as tired as your imagination leads me to believe, I've got an idea on how to spend an hour or two."

She hadn't been sure whether to laugh, to kiss him, or to question his use of the word 'inconceivable'. It was so rarely heard and she knew so few people who were fans of _The Princess Bride_. In the end she'd decided playing along was best.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?" he'd responded, pretending to be lost in the book in his hands.

She'd leaned into him and breathed her words beside his ear. "I like it when you hold my hand."

A fake groan and a book toss later had found them wrapped up in each other's arms and kisses, the journal and the writer's block completely forgotten for a time. She'd even managed to sleep for a little while until she'd felt Edward get up from the bed. She'd promised him she'd try to go back to sleep but by then the storm had rolled in and the rocking had begun.

And now here she was with sleep an impossibility and the journal sitting in front of her again. And the truth that the longer she put it off, the harder it would be to get it done. Not only would she be battling with her desire to forget it all instead, the details would have started to fade.

Taking up her pen, she focused on the facts first …

_Sighted: Great White Sharks_

_Where: False Bay, around three miles from Seal Island_

_Description: Majority of sightings were underwater shadows. Did see a few heads break the surface near the cage._

_Side Note: _

She paused and took a deep breath, worried her mind would go blank all over again. She drew a question mark on the page, half-heartedly hoping it would work as a key and unlock her thoughts. That didn't work for her so she wrote a single word … _Alice_. And just like that, the words came fast and free.

_It's draining to be brave for someone else. Not to say that it's ever easy to be brave for myself, but it's a different kind of hard to do it for someone else. Observing my expressions and my body language, making sure I'm not giving away how hard my heart is pounding while tracking that shadow drawing ever closer to the cage Edward and my friends are in. But I can't complain about it too much because I think it's what kept my constant nervous feeling from turning into anxiety. I'd love to say it was all my work with Edward but I know I haven't really faced my fears yet—I haven't conquered them._

_Seeing Alice work with Edward and Gopher, watching her take her assignment seriously, it was amazing the way she just dove in and gave it her all. I don't expect it to last any more than I expect her truce with Edward to last. He's right about her, that her fear is worse than mine, and that she ignores it. While I couldn't tear my eyes away from those shadows, she always managed to find something she needed to do on the other side of the boat or even indoors. This purposeful ignorance will catch up with her eventually and it'll most likely come out in anger, though tears are also a distinct possibility with her. And no matter what, it will definitely come with more pleading for me to leave and go home with her. I'm still hopeful for change so my answer will be still be "no"._

_Edward's also right about sharks. Not completely, of course. I don't think they're beautiful. I don't think something built for a violent life can ever attain beauty. It's not like the shark has a moral compass and a soul to redeem itself of the damage it inflicts. But I will admit they are magnetic creatures. They draw your eyes to them and they hold your attention, your fascination, and even your breath._

_There's another truth to sharks—their every move carries the power to change your life and all it takes is seconds for it to happen. As strange as it feels to admit it, they don't do it purposefully or maliciously. They only do what they were built to do—swim and eat. I haven't decided how I feel about this. It doesn't make the loss of my father any easier to accept. There still feels like there should be someone to blame, some action to point to and say "That's it. That's the source of my pain and grief and loss and if I can tell everyone to avoid that one thing, then no one will suffer the way I have." But that's not how it works. It's not that easy, that black and white. I feel like the only thing I learned from yesterday was to look at the same problem from a different view but with the same end result, which is no resolution at all._

The sound of a slurp had Bella lifting her head and finding Lee sitting across from her. "You work just like Masen," Lee told her. "So far into your work that the world could fall down around you and you wouldn't hear a thing."

Bella blushed and closed her journal. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Long enough to know whatever you were writing wasn't enjoyable. Want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Good because I want to hear about Masen." The smile she flashed let Bella know if she had wanted to talk about something else, Lee definitely would have listened.

"What about him?" Bella asked, wondering what she could say that Lee wouldn't already know.

"For starters, I was really excited by the change I saw in him yesterday. It was all Bella all the time."

She found herself blushing again. "It wasn't. He paid attention to you guys too. He even joked with Alice a little last night during dinner."

"Scraps! That's what we got." The giant smile on Lee's face let Bella know she was being teased. "So is he actually sleeping or is he freaking out about how different yesterday went?"

"Actually, he's in his project room freaking out about today. What about you? What's your excuse for being up at this hour?"

For once, Lee blushed. "I am too excited to sleep. I'm beyond proud of my Emmett. He's taking a step out of his comfortable background role to show he has leadership skills. He doesn't take it lightly and he very much wants to prove he can do it. Not to me because he knows I have complete confidence in him. He wants to show Masen and Whit. And I'm proud of Masen too. It's huge for him to trust our safety to someone else."

Bella wasn't sure how to phrase her worry that Edward wouldn't be able to go through with this favor. "The way Edward was writing all over that page, even down the side of it, I wasn't sure he was ever going to feel comfortable with Gopher's plan."

"Knowing Mase, he's probably scrutinizing that poor sheet of paper again. But I really believe he'll come through and give it a chance." Lee shifted in her seat and shifted the focus of the conversation. "What about you? What has you up?"

"First it was the boat rocking but then I wanted to try writing about yesterday."

"I was teasing earlier, but I'm serious right now. The difference you made yesterday, the change we saw in Masen, that was amazing to see. He needs that. He needs that balance between work and real life and you not only give it to him, you make him happy about it. And as far as your work goes, I think you did a damn fine job as a spotter. I know it was hard on you and I could tell a couple times the word got stuck in your throat, but every single time you pulled it through."

"Thank you," Bella replied, absolutely beaming inside and out from knowing the praise had been whole-heartedly earned.

"But!" Lee warned, shaking a finger at her. "You have got to stop worrying about your sister. And before you say it, I know exactly how hard that is to do. Mase and Whit may not be blood relatives, but they are damn sure my little brothers and I would do anything to protect them. Sometimes the best way to do that is to focus on me and let them handle their own business. None of us can afford to be distracted by while we're working."

She nodded, recognizing the truth and wisdom in what Lee was saying. She also thought about the journal entry she'd made and how most of it had pertained to her sister rather than to the sharks she was supposed to have been studying.

"I'm hungry," Lee announced. "Want to make a snack with me?"

"Sure. Should we make some for Whit since he's at the helm?"

"Oh, I guess we can be nice to him," Lee answered with a soft chuckle.

The ladies decided instead of making a snack they'd make something that could be warmed up for breakfast for everyone. They found all the ingredients for banana nut muffins and set to work while comparing favorite foods for all occasions.

They were in the middle of sharing warm muffins and laughs with Whit when Edward and Gopher came into the room. Edward had what was now a well-worn sheet of paper in his hands and Gopher was sporting a huge smile.

"Morning, Minions," Gopher greeted.

"What did I _just_ say?" Edward asked, looking as if he'd love nothing more than to smack Gopher.

Gopher must have legitimately been shocked because his voice was an octave higher than usual. "You meant _all_ day?"

Lee and Whit laughed at them while Bella grinned and shook her head, wondering how in the world these two polar opposite personalities would manage to work together today.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"So what's everyone else doing?" Bella asked as she grabbed a duster from the shelf.

Masen smirked, knowing she wasn't going to like his answer. "I'm not supposed to tell. Gopher thinks it's best if his master plan stays between him and me until after dinner tonight."

"Seriously?" she asked, stopping to look at him. "You aren't going to tell me?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't. I'm open to bribery."

She rolled her eyes. "You mandated there was to be no joking today," she reminded him while reaching up on her tip-toes for a roll of paper towels.

He slipped an arm around her and pulled her against him. "I'm not joking." He smirked at her gasp and then snagged the roll off the shelf for her.

She spun to face him and nearly collided with him since he was still standing right behind her. "Don't you think it's a little hypocritical to demand seriousness from everyone else while you joke around?"

"You must have some seaweed in your ears because you don't seem to have heard me the first time. I'm _not_ joking. Besides, we all know Gopher isn't going to make it an entire day without being himself. Hell, he probably won't even last the first couple of hours. I made that demand to start him off in the right frame of mind in hopes that at least part of his brain will remember to focus on the team's safety throughout the day."

"Is this really about safety? Because I'm having trouble imagining any indoor task that would lead to harm."

Masen quickly ticked off a few for her. "Inattention could leave a wet spot on a freshly washed floor and lead to a slip and fall accident. Missed trash could become a trip hazard. Not realizing a knife is in the sink could lead to a sliced hand. Last year alone there were over 48,000 unintentional injuries. And that's just U.S. statistics."

Bella stared at him for a long moment. "You're not just giving him a hard time. You really are worried."

"Gopher is a good guy, and he is smart about a lot of things, but he's also an in-the-moment guy. He's focused on what's right in front of him while I'm trying to see every nook and cranny possible."

"You spend so much time and energy searching for dangers and finding ways to avoid them … Does it ever bother you?"

He was pretty sure she was trying to delicately ask if he ever felt depressed by all the injury and death statistics he knew. "To me there are two things in life. Facts and events. The facts are all the things that could happen. They're also just numbers. It's the events that count because those are things that have actually happened. Those are the experiences and the memories that make us who we are and affect future decisions."

"If that's true, then why did you see me as such a threat? We didn't have events between us yet."

He smiled and put his arms around her, getting as close to her as possible and enjoying the way it made her blush. "Kapu, you make the facts irrelevant. For a guy like me, someone who plans every day according to the facts, you are as terrifying as you are exhilarating. Every single thing about you is an unknown."

Her brows creased and her brown eyes filled with sadness. "I'm your anomaly. Everything I do causes you to have to deviate in some way and I make every day harder for you."

"_No_." He said it sternly and as a promise. "You have made every day different, there's no denying that. Some have been fun and amazing, and others have been stressful and trying. And sure, I've had to deviate a lot from what I consider to be my norm, but I can't think of a single instance where that turned out to be a bad thing."

"What about my run-in with the ray?"

"Stressful but also fun. I got to hang out with you pretty much uninterrupted, it brought the entire team closer together, and it showed me a different side of Gopher. Plus, it brought your uncle and your sister into our lives, which in turn brought Esme and Whit some extra happiness."

She smiled as she pressed her palms to his stubble-covered cheeks. "You're amazing. You and your brilliant, unique mind. I'm throwing off the facts and changing the events, causing you to fight your own self to be with me, and from all that you pull out the positives."

She leaned up while pulling his face down to hers and planted one hell of a kiss on his lips, a kiss he enthusiastically returned.

As much as the thought of staying here appealed to him, he knew they needed to get started on their cleaning duties. They'd been assigned the sleeping deck, and the office alone was going to take at least a couple of hours. Whit and Lee were great at their work but not so much on filing away all of it.

With Bella's help the office only took half the time he'd expected. She'd even made some suggestions for a more efficient filing system that would maximize their shelf space. They were saving dailies, assignment sheets, and photos in separate binders which kept the document types together but also meant they needed to pull out three binders to look up one day. Bella's suggestion was to keep only a year's worth of information on the shelf, with everything together and each binder containing a month of information. If any older data needed to be kept, it could be kept in boxes stacked across the hall in the office they used as a medic's station. It was one of those ideas that was so simple it was hard to understand how he'd missed it. Then again, it could be hard not to get tunnel vision when caring so much about a project.

"Where to next?" Bella asked, following Masen out into the hallway.

Looking toward his room, Masen realized he'd never shown it to her. She'd probably seen it while working with Gopher but that wasn't the same, especially since he knew Gopher would protect his privacy and not talk about anything she saw in there, especially his treasured photos.

He didn't know why he felt nervous about inviting her in yet he stood there scratching his nose and debating on whether to get it over with or save it for last. And then he realized he was looking at things all wrong. He shouldn't be thinking of getting it over with—he should be excited to share another part of his world with her. In fact, now that he was thinking about it, he knew just what he wanted to show her first.

"I wanna show you something," he said, offering his hand to her.

She smiled and linked her fingers with his, not hesitating for a second to let him lead her wherever he wanted.

Once they were in his room, he let go of her hand so he could grab his sketchpad from his nightstand. He flipped it open to the sketch he'd done the other night and then turned to show it to her.

She came closer and touched the edge of the paper. "Did you do this?"

He held the pad tighter to keep from scratching the bridge of his nose and giving away just how nervous he was for her reaction. "Sometimes when I really like a photo, I'll make a sketch of it. Out of all the ones we took at Seal Island, yours was my favorite."

"It's beautiful." Her tone alone told him she meant it but it was nice to also see it in her eyes. "You're really talented, Edward. I'm just wondering … what's so special about a seal floating?"

"It's the way he's floating with his flippers up. One person can look at it and think he's soaking up the sun, enjoying the mild waves. Someone else can think he's praying for shark-free waters. And some will even just see a seal floating. This is a photo that tells a story, that speaks to people."

She blushed at his praise even as her happy smile spread across her face. "I know the photo belongs to MMR, but could I have the sketch?"

He hadn't expected that and his shock kept him silent too long which ended up making Bella nervous enough to say "never mind".

_That_ loosened his tongue right up. "Are you kidding? You can't say 'never mind' after paying me a huge compliment like that, kapu." He carefully tore the page from his pad and handed it to her. "It's yours."

"Thank you," she said softly, her blush once again blazing brightly.

"Why are you feeling nervous?"

"I'm not nervous. Not really. Actually, I'm amazed to find something else you're great at. It's starting to look like there's nothing you can't do."

"I guess we're gonna find out." He took a deep breath and then a leap of faith, trusting that this was the right step to take with her. "So we're in my room. Ask me anything you want about anything you see in here."

Bella carefully set the sketch on his bed and then made a beeline for his bookcase, picking up the picture frames sitting on top. She held the one in her left hand a little higher. "Elizabeth and you?"

He nodded while taking the photo from her. "That's the lake my grandparents' house backed up to. There was a dock and a small sailboat. We had a lot of good times there."

"Did you miss it when you moved to Hawaii?"

"Not really. I wanted my mom more than I wanted a boat and a lake."

She rested her head on his arm and touched the edge of the frame. "It's a beautiful picture, seeing her sharing her love of the water with you." She smiled up at him and he could see in her eyes that she was going to tease him. She got this little glint in the corners every time she made fun of him.

"But that hat? Really?" She didn't even try to hide the laughter in her voice.

"You're hating on my baby hat? Isn't there some law that all babies are beautiful or something?"

She snorted. "You're right in that all parents think their babies are beautiful but that doesn't apply to the rest of the world. Besides, that's an abnormally ugly hat."

He couldn't help grinning at her silliness. "I'll admit it's not the most flattering thing she ever put me in. Still, it beats the sailor suit."

Bella gasped and her eyes grew at least two sizes. "There is a picture of you in a sailor suit? Where? I have to see this!"

"Not happening."

"Fine. I'll ask Esme."

"Ask away. She won't show you. She made me a solemn promise that picture would never see the light of day again."

"We'll see."

He ignored her taunt. "What's your question on this one?" he asked, taking the second picture frame from her.

"The little girl in this one?" Bella asked, tapping the glass. "Esme?"

"Yeah." His smile was loving and his eyes tender as he looked at the old photograph. "One of Elizabeth's favorite pictures of her too. Supposedly, Esme and I were best friends from the first moment she held me."

"That's sweet."

Masen put both pictures back on the bookcase and then sat down on the edge of his bed with Bella. "Most people think so but my grandparents were worried it was a sign she would follow Elizabeth's footsteps and have a child too young so they sent her away to boarding school. It pretty much ruined her relationship with them, not that it had been that great before. She was a last minute surprise. Instead of getting the overbearing parenting my mom got, Esme was pretty much left to her nanny and the housekeepers.

"When Elizabeth first told me we were going to visit Esme in Hawaii, I was kind of worried. Esme called us and wrote us letters all the time but that's not the same as being in the same room together. I thought maybe she might blame me since it was sort of my fault she got sent away and was just being nice for Elizabeth's sake. But the minute I stepped off the plane, Esme had me in her arms, giving me embarrassing kisses right there in public and yapping away about all the things we were going to do together."

"Did you ever worry she was so nice just because your mother was sick?"

"We didn't know Elizabeth was sick then. We were just going to Hawaii for a two-week summer vacation."

"How did … Um …"

Masen smiled and put an arm around her to let her know he was alright with her asking. "A few days into the trip, she woke up too weak to get out of bed. They both told me it was just jet-lag catching up with her and that I shouldn't worry. Esme seemed positive that Elizabeth just needed a day at the spa. Almost a week later, they were sitting me down to tell me Elizabeth was sick, and that while I'd been stuck with Tanya and her sisters, Esme had actually taken Elizabeth to the hospital for tests."

He smiled again, but this time it was tainted by his sadness and the intensity with which he missed his mother. "She wouldn't let any of us mope," he shared, thinking of his mother's strength and her determination to keep life as normal as possible for as long as possible. "She made sure we made the most of the summer. And if she was ever too sick to participate, she made sure Esme and I still went through with whatever was planned."

Bella threaded her fingers through his and gave him a smile only she could—one full of understanding and comfort. "Thank you."

His lips rested against her forehead for a long moment before he stood and pulled her up with him. "We need to get back to work."

"One question first," she replied, tugging at his hand to get him to stop moving. "The books on your shelf. _Peter Pan_ and _Treasure Island_ are definite pirate books. And I can even see where Nemo is a pirate of sorts in _20,000 Leagues Under The Sea_. But there's one book I can't quite figure out."

Masen smirked, knowing exactly which book had caught her eye. "Dread Pirate Roberts was feared across all seven seas for his ruthlessness and mastery of a sword. He absolutely belongs on that shelf."

Bella's eyes lit up and her smile filled her face. "You really have read it! You've read _The Princess Bride_. What did you think of the movie? It deviated in a few spots but I thought it was pretty good otherwise." Her excitement had him laughing.

Since they really did need to get back work, he made her an offer he was sure she wouldn't refuse, "I'll tell you all about while we clean the next room." He gave her hand a gentle tug but her feet didn't move and her excitement drained completely from her eyes and face. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"I—It'll sound stupid."

"So? We've already established I'm good at saying stupid things. If you want to share something with me, then I want to hear it, silly or not."

"I wanted Miracle Max to be real, even if it was just for one day. I wanted—" She shook her head, unable to finish her thought.

"You wanted mostly dead and not all dead so Max could bring your dad back. Bella, that's not stupid." He tugged on her hand once more, getting her to come closer so he could hug her and reassure her. With his chin resting on top of her head, he gave her a few words of comfort as well. "It's definitely not any sillier than searching an atlas for Florin."

"Yeah?"

"Two of them, actually. I thought the first was incomplete." He'd never told anyone about that, not even Esme. She probably had some idea though; he'd asked her where Florin was after not finding it in the second atlas, but she had never asked why he wanted to know. He'd never thought to tell Whit or Lee, probably because they always spent the entire movie laughing and reciting the lines in silly accents.

Bella stepped away and smiled while sliding her fingers under her eyes to dry them. "We should get back to work. Never know if Gopher will check on his teams."

Wanting to make sure she was okay and back to being in a good mood, Masen took her hand and kissed the back of it. "As you wish."

He not only got the blush he'd expected, he was rewarded with a big genuine smile like he'd hoped.

The conversation during the completion of their cleaning duties never faltered and covered so many topics that he never had a chance to feel bored or tired of talking. Bella even brought up sharks a couple of times, though it was always in reference to non-dangerous species like the whale shark and zebra shark.

"Your turn," Bella said, offering him the mop and sliding the bucket closer with her foot. When he made no move to take it, she grabbed his hand and wrapped it around the handle for him. "The deal was that we each mop half. My half is done so get busy with yours."

He pulled out his shitty grin, surprised she was missing such an obvious detail. "I'd love to get to work, Guppy, but you're holding up my progress."

"How do you figure that one?"

He leaned against the mop handle and looked down at her feet long enough to make sure she'd noticed. "If I start mopping with you standing here, you're gonna be stuck until the floor dries. Not to mention your little area will remain unclean."

She blushed. And then she ranted while making her way to the stairwell. "This is all your fault. You've been distracting me all day with your teasing and your bribery comments. I was prepared for you to be worried and wanting to check on the others every five minutes but instead I get a comedian on my hands."

"Your lips," he corrected, still smirking. The truth was that as much as he was enjoying her company, and all the kissing, he was worried about the others and often fighting the urge to sneak off to check on them.

She spun to face him, her grin almost as big as his. "Lips you won't touch again if you don't get your half done."

"Keep telling yourself that, Guppy."

She laughed at him. "Edward, you're not irresistible."

"Come here and say that," he challenged, pointing at the floor directly in front of him.

"Oh, no!" she replied, laughing again. "You need to mop and I'm going to dump in the first load of laundry."

"Come here. It'll just take a few seconds. Or less."

He was able to hear her laughter long after he lost sight of her. He smiled while shaking his head and thinking of her smile and the way her eyes turned caramel whenever she was enjoying herself. It was by far the strangest work day he'd ever had, but in some ways it was also one of the best. It was infinitely more relaxing than a typical day, and it was definitely moving at a slower pace. Plus for all the talking and his occasional teasing, their work was getting done completely and correctly. There was no way working like this could happen on deck but knowing it was possible for the inside duties was some interesting information to have collected.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"That's not a very healthy choice," Bella said in answer to Edward's question.

His head immediately popped up from behind the refrigerator door. "What do you mean a B-L-T isn't healthy?" he asked, managing to pull off an offended expression. "It has lettuce and tomato as two of the main ingredients. That gives you a vegetable and a fruit in the same dish."

"It also gives you greasy bacon."

"But you love bacon. I know you do because you stole mine."

She giggled, remembering how shocked he'd looked that morning. "I do love it, but I also know to eat it in moderation. Now salmon is very healthy and it doesn't take a large portion to have you feeling full. And you'll love the olive oil and rosemary red potatoes I make as a side."

He closed the refrigerator door and came over to where she was sitting on the small island. After sliding her right up to the edge, he uncrossed her legs and wrapped them around his waist. "I could make you forget all about your dinner idea."

She smiled as her fingers disappeared into the silk jungle that was his wild hair, doing her best to hide his effects on her so she could tease him for a change. "There you go again, thinking you're utterly irresistible. It didn't work with the mopping or with Alice during the tiger shark video, and it's not going to work with me now."

"I am incredibly proud of you for how you handled yourself during the video. You didn't look away once and you helped me try to engage Alice in our discussion."

She frowned, sure he wouldn't be proud if he knew how many times she'd come close to throwing up because of her anxiety. Just as quickly as she had the thought, she corrected herself. _That's not true. He would still be proud. He would remind me that it's a natural reaction. He would tell me watching the video is major progress no matter how much anxiety I felt. Last time I was running off and crying at the sight of those tigers and today I held it together. Plus I talked about what I remembered of skipjacks._

Edward's voice pulled her out of her head. "Hey, where'd you go just now, Guppy?"

"Nowhere," she answered with a smile. "I'm right here."

"I know you better than that."

She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his, delighted by the truth of his words. "I'm still getting used to the idea that it's okay to be anxious so long as I keep trying. At first I found it hard to see my progress today because I was thinking of all the anxiety I'd felt. But then I compared how much of the video I made it through before with how I did today and I could see there's definite progress."

"Have you thought any more about what I said?"

"About learning to incorporate the anxiety rather than fighting it? I have on and off a little but right now I just can't picture doing that."

"I know it's not going to be easy but the next time you start to feel anxious, try to turn it into energy. Let it motivate you and drive you."

She sat up straight and gave him a nod. "I'll try. For now, let's get back to deciding on dinner."

"There's only one reasonable way to solve this." He released her legs from his waist then reached into his cargo shorts and pulled out a quarter. "Coin toss."

"Okay, but if you win, we're baking the bacon."

"Baking the bacon?" he asked through his laughter. "I _know_ I heard that wrong."

"You get all the crisp and none of the popping grease. Plus cleanup is way easier because you just fold the foil up and discard."

He crossed his arms. "No. I'm not letting a bacon-travesty occur in my kitchen. It's not happening."

Bella reached out and ruffled Edward's mess of hair. "It's so cute how you think you have a choice. Now flip the coin."

"Smart ass." He ducked in for a quick kiss and then balanced the quarter on his fingers. "Heads or tails, Guppy?"

"Ooh, that's an awfully big decision. I think I need some—"

He flipped the coin, sending it up into the air and cutting off her teasing.

"Heads!" she yelled as she tracked the coin's movement down and into his palm.

Edward opened his hand and showed her a coin tails up. "Victory is mine!" he boasted with a grin.

"Half yours. I'm still baking the bacon."

"I'm warning you now, if you ruin my bacon, there will be hell to pay."

She laughed as she slid off the counter. "If you don't like it, make your own darn bacon."

He grabbed her up, lifting her feet from the floor and making her squeal. "You're spending far too much time with Lee and Whit."

"And you like it." She pecked his lips and then wiggled out of his hold.

After setting the oven to preheat, she opened the cabinet where Gopher kept the baking dishes. She could feel Edward watching and she grinned as she thought of how sweet it was going to be to hear him say she was right once he tasted the bacon.

Just as she went to put the bacon in the oven, Edward called for her to stop. He darted around the island and went to the small pantry at the edge of the kitchen. When he finally stepped away from it, he had a fire extinguisher in his hands.

Her surprise had her laughing. "Edward! Really?"

"You can never be too safe, Guppy."

She let him see her eye roll and then she slid the bacon into the oven.

Not only did Edward end up liking her bacon, the entire team raved about it and Gopher made her promise to share how she'd done it. He even declared it was now the only way anyone was allowed to make bacon; Bella highly doubted Edward would stick to that. It felt incredible to see everyone enjoying themselves and getting along.

Lee tugged her arm. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Bella asked as she stood with Lee.

"The rain's finally stopping. Let's go up to the observation deck and get some air."

Bella was pretty sure air wasn't the only thing Lee planned to get up there.

She was proved right as soon as they made it outside. "How in the world did you keep Masen from running around checking on everyone every few minutes?"

Bella laughed. "I didn't do a thing. All I can come up with is that he really did put his trust in Gopher. Whatever revisions he made to the assignment sheet, they must have been enough to let him feel secure."

"Masen is a worry-wart. Always has been and always will be." Lee grinned. "_I_ think he was distracted by a certain someone. Fess up, Guppy. How much was work today and how much was play?"

"All I will say is that if there was any play involved, he started it. It was the weirdest and the best work day I've had yet with him."

"Huh," Lee said, her grin faltering as her eyebrows drew together.

Before Bella could ask her what she meant, Edward came out onto the deck. "I get up for a refill and you two disappear. What are you up to?" 

Lee put her hand against his chest and pushed him toward the sofa on the other side. "You've had Guppy all to yourself all day. It's my turn."

Edward laughed as he grabbed her wrist. With one quick pull, he had Lee in his arms, laughing and squealing. "One of these days you're going to have to realize you're not the boss of me."

She snorted loudly. "You first."

"Unhand my woman," Gopher ordered from the doorway.

"Why should I?" Edward challenged.

"We don't work tomorrow and I have beer," Gopher replied, grinning and holding up two beers.

Only after Edward had released Lee did Gopher pass him a beer, the two of them sitting down together on the sofa. Lee and Bella looked at each other and grinned; she knew they were both hoping what they were seeing right now would become the new norm.

Lee turned toward the railing and took hold of Bella's elbow, getting her to turn too. Bella blushed, knowing they were about to listen in to Gopher and Edward and also knowing it wasn't going to be anything too terribly private or Lee would have had them go inside.

"So have you figured out the point of my assignment for you yet?" Gopher questioned.

For far too long the only sound was of a label being peeled off a bottle.

"It's not just about someone else running the team," Edward stated. "I know that much."

"Let me give you a clue … You worked all day side-by-side with Guppy. Did you feel overly distracted at any point?"

"No."

Bella wasn't completely sure since she was still learning his moods and signs, but he sounded surprised.

"Everyone survived today unscathed, right?"

Edward snorted. "Yeah, you did good, Gopher."

"_We_ did good, Mase. You shared the responsibility instead of shouldering it all yourself. And because you weren't on constant alert, you were able to enjoy your workday in ways you don't normally experience."

"That had more to do with being indoors."

"You sure about that?"

"Some of it definitely had to do with my partner for the day."

"Partner is the exact right word, Mase. That's what she is, at work and in your personal life. And the more you share with her, the more you're both going to enjoy it." Gopher raised his voice, "As for you two over there, you might as well come sit with us since you're listening to everything we say anyway."

"Don't mind if I do," Lee said as she turned to face them. She marched right on over, sat down on Gopher's lap, and snagged his beer from him.

Gopher and Edward laughed at her behavior while Bella moved toward the chair next to them. Just as she went to sit, Edward grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him.

"Save the chair for Whit and your sister," he said as he made himself comfortable with his chin on her shoulder.

"How annoyed are you at being overheard?"

He chuckled and held her tighter. "Not at all because I expected it. Besides, it's nothing I wouldn't have told you if you'd have asked."

"I was enjoying today too much to question it."

"It can't be every day, especially not days where we're in the water. But I can see the benefits of letting someone else run the team once in a while."

"What about the benefits of baked bacon?"

He tickled her side until she squealed. "Smart ass."

"Yeah, but you like that about me."

He hummed his agreement against her neck and then softly kissed her skin.

She felt Gopher nudge Edward and then she watched them grin and clink their beers together. In that moment, she'd never felt more calm or more herself. _This_, this boat in these waters, this was the first place that had felt like home since losing her father. She felt a little guilty knowing how hard her uncle had worked to make Florida feel like home. And then she felt Edward's lips on her neck and she was happy to just relax and enjoy the night.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** We hope you all enjoyed!

We've got a special surprise for all of you tonight! We've put up a teaser for the next chapter on the blog! Enjoy!


	32. 32 Right Thing Hurts

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 32 – When The Right Thing Hurts**

**Thursday, July 3rd**

"Not hungry?" Masen asked having noticed Bella's lunch was mostly untouched.

"Still kind of full from breakfast." She was leaning against him with her head on his shoulder, the tip of her nose and the apples of her cheeks the only parts visible to him.

At first he'd taken her silence for tiredness but now he was wondering if there might be more to it. They had been out in the sun for hours before taking a break for lunch; her skin didn't have any redness from sunburn but that didn't mean she wasn't feeling the effects of a little heat exhaustion.

"You sure it's not the sun getting to you?" he asked. "Want me to grab my hat for you after we're done eating?"

Alice interrupted before Bella could answer him. "Bella, what time is it?"

"I don't know." Her voice sounded a bit sleepy and he knew she'd woken up a couple times last night so maybe it was just normal tiredness affecting her.

Alice rolled her eyes at her sister. "Look at your watch, silly. I want to know if I have enough time to call Uncle Carlisle."

"You have time. Go call him."

"You better make sure. I don't want your boyfriend there getting mad at me for running late."

Masen swallowed his food and flipped his wrist to look at this watch. "We've got fifteen minutes left of lunch. Go make your call, Thumper."

Alice didn't move from her spot across the table. "Bella, what's wrong? Did I make you mad or something?" Her entire body froze and then her eyes widened. "Did something happen to Daddy's watch?"

"The watch is fine, Alice. Go make your phone call."

"Prove it. Show it to me," Alice challenged.

With an annoyed sigh, Bella quickly pulled her hand from under the table to prove the watch was fine. But she wasn't quick enough putting it away and Alice spotted her wrist seconds before Masen did.

"Bella!" she screeched as she held tightly to her sister's fingers, keeping the reddened skin above and below the watch in full view.

Masen gently but firmly pulled away Alice's hand and then removed the watch from Bella's wrist. Her skin was beyond red—it had been rubbed raw to the point of bleeding in a few areas.

Alice's cry had pulled Whit and Gopher away from their dish duty in the kitchen and had gotten Lee to put her book down and get off the couch. All three looked at Bella's wrist and then to Masen.

"Bella, what—" That was as far as Alice got before Masen shut her up by pointing a finger at her.

"Not another word," he warned. The last thing Bella needed was to have her sister scolding her or using this as a reason to go home. It was just an accident, a by-product of anxiety—nothing more.

Still holding Bella's wrist, he nudged her to get out of the booth.

"I'm sorry." Even if he'd missed the sadness in Bella's voice, there was no way he could have missed it in her eyes.

He forced a smile for her, not wanting her to feel any worse than she already did. He knew she hadn't fully accepted yet that her anxiety wasn't going to get her sent home. He also knew from experience the embarrassment she felt for not being able to stop herself from twisting the watch.

"Let's get you patched up," he said, letting go of her arm so she could get to her feet.

They went downstairs with Whit to the room he used as a medic station. He had Bella sit on one of the two rolling stools and prop her arm on the counter while he pulled out all the supplies he felt he'd need.

Masen stood beside her, rubbing her shoulders to comfort her while wracking his brain for ideas on how to handle this.

_It was too much too soon_.

He wished he'd realized that truth before Bella had twisted her watch one too many times. He'd been vigilant about checking in with her, asking how she was doing. Then again, he hadn't realized when it had been him with his watch in Whit's hospital room. He glanced down at the scar on his wrist, remembering how irritated he'd felt with himself about it. He also remembered what it had taken to stop himself from doing it again.

Bella was different, though. She was stronger in so many ways. And just because her anxiety had bested her this time didn't mean it would happen again.

_As her mentor, as head of MMR, you know you can't take that chance._

"I'm sorry." Bella's voice got him out of his head and he smiled at her, hoping to reassure her.

"It'll be fine. Whit will get you patched up and we'll get back to work."

"It doesn't even really hurt. I just …" She blew out a breath and repeated his words, "It'll be fine."

This time Whit was the one to respond. "Don't worry about it, Guppy. Honestly, I should be thanking you. I'm usually practicing my skills on the CPR dummy, but with you around I'm getting plenty of hands-on application."

She sniffled and tried to smile as twins tears fell from eyes. Masen wiped them away and then pressed his lips against her temple, wishing he knew what to say to comfort her. She didn't need to feel guilty on top of her frustration and pain.

_I'll have to change things up some. Get her to take a step back and absolutely make sure she understands it's temporary_, he thought as he watched Whit use a Q-tip to carefully clean the areas where her skin had broken open from the constant rubbing of her watch against her wrist.

The past two days of complete focus on the Great Whites with Bella as a spotter and then helping to review the still and video footage for the daily reports … She wasn't used to that much exposure, to fighting her natural reaction to them for that long. Her anxiety had quickly gotten the best of her and now she had a raw wrist with a smattering of superficial cuts.

"I'm interrupting," Bella said, sighing heavily and shifting on the stool to put space between herself and Masen. "We should be done with lunch and getting back to work."

"We've got plenty of daylight left," Whit assured her. "Besides, I'm almost done. Just got a little more cleaning to do and then I'm gonna spray your wrist with this antibiotic solution and wrap it with gauze. You'll be ready to go in under ten minutes. Five if you keep still."

"Sorry." She fidgeted again even as she said it, once again putting space between her body and Masen's.

He swallowed down the aggravation he felt at being pushed away, reminding himself that it wasn't personal. She was just trying to prove to herself she was strong enough to get through this, to keep going.

_Or maybe she has an idea of what you're about to do_, he said to himself.

_I can't just take it from her, though._ There had to be a way to let her keep it with her and also keep it from being able to hurt her. He just had to figure out what it was.

_Putting it on the other wrist would just end up giving her two raw wrists._

_She's not going to put it in her pocket and risk having it fall out._

The image of his camera floating on top of the water came to him then and he smiled, knowing just what to do.

"I'll be right back. I've just got to check on something." He was out of the room in a flash and practically jumping down the stairs to get to the lower deck.

He found the large plastic bin with the balls and the thin, white rope that had been used to keep his camera afloat on the water's surface. If her watch was in her pocket and tied to her shorts, then it couldn't accidentally get lost.

He used his hands to measure out a decent length of rope and then pulled his pocket knife from his cargo shorts to cut it. He took his rope up to the kitchen and used the burner on the stove to set the cut end on fire. He quickly blew it out, wanting to just singe the end to prevent fraying.

"What in the hell are you doing?"

He turned to find Lee on the couch with her book in her hands once again. "Preventing fraying," he said, showing her the rope.

"I have the strongest feeling that's for Bella."

"It's the best I could come up with on the fly."

"What exactly are you thinking?" she asked, sitting up and putting her book down.

"I can't ask her to part with it, not completely. Her confidence is already shaky and that would just make it worse."

"You're not going to let her wear the watch while working. You know you can't."

"I know."

Lee must have heard in his voice how much this was eating at him. "You don't have a choice, Mase. This is absolutely a safety first issue."

"I know."

"And _I_ know that doesn't make it feel any less shitty. I wish I knew a way to help."

"Actually, if you could keep her sister away from her for an hour or two, just give me some time to build her confidence back up. She just needs to see it's a setback, not a failure."

"She also needs to realize this is the first time she's been one hundred percent focused on sharks in her work with us. We've had a lot of unexpected breaks with the other crew and the weather, not to mention her downtime from the ray incident. This much exposure at once would be a lot for anyone, but especially someone with her history."

"All things I plan to point out to her once I'm sure she's in the right frame of mind to listen."

"Good. And while you're getting her there, I'll be keeping Thumper occupied. Bella's pretty good at knowing her limits and admitting to them so I doubt she's going to want to continue being a spotter today. What do you think about me taking over for Bella and then having Alice in charge of the clipboard, writing down the number of sharks spotted, estimated length, and time of day? She can help without having to look at the sharks. Last thing we need is to have her freak out while Bella's already feeling vulnerable."

"That should work," Masen said with a nod. He couldn't have expressed how relieved he was to know Lee understood and was ready to help. Her earlier reluctance with Bella had been partly his fault so he was happy to see it wasn't affecting their new friendship.

" … not to get it wet." Whit's voice put an end to Masen and Lee's conversation and they both smiled as Whit and Bella came into view.

"As soon as we're done for the day," Whit continued, "… have Masen help you take it off, clean it, and then put a light coat of antibiotic ointment over it."

Bella nodded at Whit and then stopped in front of Masen. Her injured wrist was wrapped in crisp, white gauze and her watch was wrapped around the fingers of her other hand. He took a deep breath, readying himself for what he had to do.

"Guppy—"

"_No_." She said it urgently and full of demand. "Not with what you're about to say."

Taking her into his arms, he held her tightly and hoped it gave her at least a tiny bit of comfort. "Kapu, I have to do what's best for everyone. I know you understand that, just as I know it doesn't make this any easier on you."

"Just say it so we can get this part over."

He held her tighter, knowing that saying it quickly wasn't going to make it hurt any less. "You can't wear your watch on your wrist while working."

He felt a tap on his hand and looked up to see Lee holding the piece of rope out to him. He gave her a grateful smile as he took it.

"I have an idea on how you can keep it with you, though," he said to Bella as he slipped the watch from her fingers and into the palm of his hand.

He knelt in front of her, slid the rope through the watch, put the watch into the pocket of Bella's shorts, then fed the rope through her belt loops and tied the ends together at her hip. And to make sure she understood she wasn't alone in any part of this, he took off his own watch and handed it to Whit. "If you can't wear yours, I can't wear mine," he told her as he stood, wondering how she was going to react.

She looked for a second like she was going to say something and then she was hugging him harder than she ever had before. Her voice was a shaky whisper, "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. We can just go back to work and you and I can talk in private later. Or if you want to talk about it now, I'll hand the reigns over to Whit."

"I want to go back to work, but not as a spotter. And not permanently. Just not for the rest of today."

"Alright. Lee will be spotter and you can work with Gopher, help him keep an eye on the time and the oxygen in our tanks. Unless you want to work inside."

"No, I want to still be on deck."

"Then you work with Gopher the rest of the day. We'll talk tonight."

"Alice?"

"She'll work with Lee the rest of the day. Give you some time to think before you talk with her."

Bella nodded and then pulled back, covering the bulge in her pocket with her hand. "Thank you for this. You could have had me leave it in my room. Taking the time to figure this out … Thank you."

"You said you wanted to be rewarded for being with me so here you go." His smart ass comment got a surprised laugh out of her.

"I didn't think it was possible to laugh today but here you are to prove me wrong."

"Oh, please!" Lee said, putting an arm around Bella's shoulders. "Don't tell him shit like that. He already has enough trouble fitting his body and ego through the door at the same time."

Whit snorted while Masen rolled his eyes and Bella pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

"You know it's true, Mase," Lee insisted.

"I know it's time to get back to work. You three get on deck while I grab Gopher and Thumper," Masen ordered.

He made a move toward the helm, having heard Gopher's voice coming from that direction, but was stopped by Bella grabbing his arm. "Thank you," she said softly and earnestly.

He pulled her into his arms for one more hug and a quick kiss, feeling that this wasn't a complete fix but still a damn good patch.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her conviction wavering at the sight of the dark circles under her eyes. _Am I really doing what I should? Or am I putting myself and everyone else at risk? Should I have more control by this point? There are changes, I have seen them. But are they enough? Am I strong enough for this or has everything up to this point just been stubbornness?_

She blew out a breath and lowered her head as she gripped the edge of the sink tighter. She was pissed and she hadn't been really, truly pissed in a long time. Especially not with her own self. She usually felt like she was doing her best, giving things her all. But tonight, thinking of how she'd let the team down and looking at her injured wrist …

She lifted her head and glared at her reflection. "No. The nightmares don't get to win. The anxiety doesn't get to win. I don't care if it's strength or stubbornness. I can do this. I _will_ do this. I want my life to be more than this. And it's just like Whit said … No risk, no reward."

A knock on the door was followed by Alice's voice. "Bella? Are you done yet? I traded bathroom slots with Whit. I can't take being sweaty another second. Please tell me you're done."

Bella smiled and she even laughed a little upon hearing her sister's foot tap against the hallway floor. She gathered her things together and opened the door with the hope that her sister would be too worried about a shower to comment on her wrist.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now get out." Alice pushed her into the hall and then slammed the door. She opened it right back up, said "I love you", and then slammed it shut again.

"Why are doors being slammed on my boat?"

Bella lifted her head in the direction of Edward's voice and found him standing in his doorway in just a pair of basketball shorts. He'd had first shower tonight and she could tell from the way the light shined on his wild hair that it was still damp.

"Everything okay?" he asked. It seemed that her silence was concerning him; if he knew her lack of verbal skills was a result of his shirtless state, he'd be impossible to be around.

She gave herself a shake and told him, "I'm okay. Are you okay?"

"I'm great. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're in your room. You're usually in mine."

"Yeah," he agreed, running his hand through his wet hair. "I was thinking …"

She walked toward him; she didn't like being so far away and unable to see his eyes while they talked. "Thinking or overthinking?" she asked with a grin.

He waited until he had his arms around her to answer. "I was thinking you might like to stay in my room tonight. Have some room to stretch out instead of being scrunched into your bed."

"I like being scrunched in with you."

"I like it too but sometimes a little space is nice. More room. Extra pillows." His touch was feather-light as he traced the dark skin beneath her eye. "And maybe a longer stretch of sleep."

She grinned at her own naivety—of course he would notice.

He skimmed his nose along the column of her neck and then pressed a kiss to the underside of her jaw. "So what do you think? Want to spend the night in my room?"

"I get the side next to the lamp."

His heavy sigh was followed by his forehead resting against hers and his green eyes looking deep into hers. "I know it's hard right now. Maybe it even feels a little impossible since you're not really sleeping on top of struggling with adjusting to full-time focus on sharks. Whatever you're thinking, whatever you're feeling, I'm here to listen if you want to talk about it. That goes for work and anything else you want to tell me."

The idea of talking to him, of knowing that no matter what she said it absolutely would not get back to Alice, that sounded more appealing than she could have ever imagined. She had no idea what she'd say but that didn't stop her from enjoying the feeling of freedom it gave her. She also wanted to enjoy his opening up more so she asked if they could have their work talk in his room rather than the office.

While Edward went to grab some items from the office, Bella crawled up into his large bed and made herself comfortable. He'd told her to do it so she didn't feel the least bit guilty for piling most of the pillows around herself.

"I think you missed a couple pillows," Edward said with a laugh as he closed the door behind him.

"No, I left those for you."

"Your generosity astounds me," he replied while settling in beside her.

"Like it even matters. You're going to end up sharing my pillow just like you always do." Her teeth sunk into her lower lip and her face heated from her nervous blush. She hadn't meant to say that out loud and she worried pointing out his behavior would make him pull back. He'd been doing a lot better since their argument on Saturday night but she knew he was still adjusting to all the changes she was causing in his life.

He seemed absolutely fine, though. He even teased her by telling her she better enjoy her pillow pile while she could.

And then he opened up the folder he'd taken from his office and pulled out a copy of today's assignment sheet. Her eyes immediately fell to the red ink that noted the swap in duties between her and Lee.

"What's your first thought when you see this?" he questioned as he passed the paper to her.

She frowned and felt her earlier disappointment in herself all over again. "I didn't pull my weight."

"Wrong."

She looked at him with pure disbelief etched on her face.

"Bella, you realized your assignment was too much and you requested a position you could handle. You kept your team safe."

"That's a nice spin but that's not—"

"It takes more strength to admit you can't do something than it does to pretend otherwise and hope it all turns out okay. Think about last week when we were at Seal Island. How easy would it have been for Gopher to boast about his camera skills rather than admit to me he wasn't sure he could do it?"

"That was pretty risky," she admitted. "He probably didn't expect you to still let him."

"So why do you think he told me the truth?"

She shrugged, honestly not having any clue.

"He's not ashamed to admit when he's unsure. The shame would be in letting down his team by hiding it."

"I did more than just change job duties, Edward," she said, lifting her wrist for them both to see the redness there.

"You're right. You lost one battle against your anxiety. _One_. So you changed job duties and were a damn good helper to Gopher. That's not failure, Bella. That's a small setback."

"Don't forget about the Daily. I couldn't help with it tonight."

"And yet you're forgetting that you helped Lee edit it."

"Editing's just grammar and punctuation. It's not—"

"Look, if you're determined to beat yourself up about today, then I'm not going to stop you. Sit here and pick at yourself if you want. And when you're done and ready to listen to your mentor's point of view, you let me know."

Bella blew out a breath. She knew what she thought of herself right now and she also knew it was fueled by the huge amount of disappointment she felt. Maybe it would be good to get a different opinion, especially the opinion of her mentor, the man she was entrusting to help her get control of her shark issues.

"Edward, I'd really like to know your view on today."

He gave her an encouraging smile. "There's wisdom in recognizing when you're overwhelmed, Bella. Catching it before it becomes a problem neutralizes any dangers that could be caused by it, dangers to you and your team.

"I'm also of the opinion that editing a paper is no less important than writing it. We can put together the greatest research papers of our generation but if they sound like a fifth-grader wrote them, no one will take them seriously.

"And finally, I'd like to see you stop beating yourself up because none of this—not your father's death or your fear of sharks—none of this is your fault. You didn't make it happen and there's nothing you could have done to stop it."

He was right. Mostly. She was beating herself up rather than trying to be objective about what had happened today. There were a lot of moving parts to this team and every task was important, even a small one like editing a paper or washing some dishes. But as far as her father, she still wasn't completely convinced there wasn't something she could have done differently that day.

For tonight, though, she would focus on her work and the words of her mentor. "You're right. It was just a setback."

"Do you really feel that way?"

"I do. I just …" She blew out a breath and looked down at her wrist. "I let my disappointment in myself get the best of me."

"Have you ever thought your standards might be too high?"

She knew she shouldn't be joking right now, but she just couldn't help herself. "I let you in, didn't I?"

He laughed, and then he gently held her wrist and pressed a soft kiss on her tender skin.

She swallowed thickly, wanting to talk and yet feeling like the words were sticking in her throat. "I thought … I thought the more I came face to face with them, the easier it would be to ignore the way I feel around them. Submersion would lead to numbness. But now …"

He reached into the folder again and this time he took out a profile photo of a Great White's head, its sharp teeth visible from its mouth being slightly parted. Bella shivered involuntarily and had to force herself not to look away.

"Now it feels more like drowning." He had basically plucked the words right out of her head. She wanted to say something in return but she wasn't sure what.

"But you aren't drowning," he promised. "We won't let you. We'll keep you afloat. If that means you have to occasionally step back to regroup, then that's what it takes. It's no different than if Whit came to me right now and said he wanted time off from getting in the cage with me."

"Whit would never do that."

"Probably not now," Edward agreed with a nod. "But the way we are now, the smooth machine we are now, that's not how it was when we started out. We all started with our own fears and prejudices and we've had years to work through them. You're just starting, Bella."

She took a deep breath to steady herself and then she looked into his blue eyes to watch his reaction to what she wanted to share with him. "Sometimes I'd go to work with my dad and we'd go to where they were building new types of protective equipment. Whenever they would get stuck he would say 'Quitters never win and winners never quit, but that doesn't mean winners don't think about quitting. The difference between the two is the next step'.

"What do you think as my mentor?" she asked. "What's my next step?"

"I think you should back off. Take some of the pressure off yourself. Instead of having a huge goal of not being anxious around sharks, give yourself smaller, more manageable goals. Work your way up from listening to us put together a few reports to reviewing the footage and photos with us. When you're comfortable viewing images you can move up to looking at sharks in the water again."

"But it's already the third of July. What if I slow down and then run out of time?"

"We have seven weeks left here. I honestly believe that's plenty of time."

_Seven weeks … Look at how much he changed my life in one week. There's no telling what can happen in seven with both of us working toward the same goal. But if we're wrong and I'm still too afraid for Atlanta … To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure about Atlanta at all anymore, scared or not._

"What's your next step gonna be, Guppy?"

She smiled as she returned the assignment sheet to him. "I'm going to step back to being Gopher's helper and be an observer during the daily report writing. Just until I feel ready for more."

"That is a solid plan. You must have one really smart mentor," Edward said as he grinned at her.

"One really smart ass one," she teased, getting him to laugh.

"Nice." He rolled away to set the folder on the floor and then came back, setting his head next to hers on her pillow. "Now that work is out of the way, is there anything else you want to talk about?"

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, scrunching in as close as she could. "I could thank you again for your solution with my watch."

"I feel an 'or' coming my way."

"Or you can kiss me and feel my thanks."

He wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his back, pulling her on top and getting a shocked laugh out of her. He had such a serious look in his eyes but his lips were curled in a playful smirk; she wondered what he was thinking to give him such a contrasting look.

"Come here."

As much as she wanted to follow his command, she needed to satisfy her curiosity first. She seemed to always be in arms reach and yet he said it in a way that made her feel like she was twenty feet away. She just had to know what he was thinking in those moments. "How is it that even when I'm right on top of you, I'm not close enough for you?"

He grinned. "'Cause when it comes to you, only submersion will do."

She matched his grin—and his innuendo. "You have _no_ idea just how submerged I'd like you to be. Too bad your line's in the way."

There was a flash of green, a brief sensation of falling, and then nothing but the feel of him. The warmth of his lips. The scratch of his stubble. The weight of his body covering hers. The heat of his bare chest seeping through her nightshirt. It was all too much and not enough at the same time.

Minutes later—or hours for all she knew—she noticed the sting in her hands from the grip she had on his soft hair and muscular arm. Her chest burned from her refusal to come up for air and her skin had a tingling warmth to it as if she was relaxing in a sauna. She hadn't felt this alive since that night in the bar pressed between his body and the wall. She'd never craved a man's kiss or touch this way, as if it was more necessary to her than her next breath.

Edward was the one to finally break the kiss and give their lungs a break, though he didn't sound any happier about it than she felt. She'd heard his muttered "fuck" even with the harshness of their breathing.

Her palm pressed against his stubble, the short hairs digging in as she lifted his chin and glimpsed the fire inside the green. The burn deep inside of her intensified, narrowing everything down to this man in this moment and evaporating her ability to think clearly. There were no lines and no careers—just a deep sense of wrong that they were no longer kissing.

He still wasn't breathing any easier than she was but he didn't resist when she lifted up to fit her mouth against his. This kiss was soft and slow enough that she could keep her eyes open and enjoy the deep green of his. Her hands explored his back, soaking up the warmth of his skin and mapping his muscles. She still felt that live-wire effect he had on her but there was also a deep calm to being with him this way and she started to regroup her scattered thoughts.

Her attempt to regain her wits turned into an absolute lost cause when he sent them scattering again with a single touch—his rough fingers and soft palm enveloping her bare breast in a firm hold. Her eyes rolled back into her head from the pleasure while her fingers dug into his shoulders, fighting to hold on to a shred of responsibility when all she wanted was to let go and feel everything with him.

Edward tore his lips from hers and slammed his face into the pillow beside her head. She heard him groan and then he mumbled a single word—_Line_.

Her laugh was breathy and a little hoarse from all of their kissing. "You might see it better if you remove your hand."

"This is my consolation prize."

"It's an invitation to trouble. I'm not exactly brimming with self-control at the moment."

He let go of her breast but not her body, remaining on top of her with his face still buried in the pillow. She only caught bits and pieces of his grumbling, just enough to know he was reinstating his self-control and that his only regret was their need for a line.

He finally lifted his head out of the pillow and rolled off of her. However, the space between them barely lasted a second because he immediately reached for her and pulled her across the bed, fitting her back to his chest and tucking her head under his chin.

"I was beginning to worry," she joked, stroking his arm resting just below her breasts. "I wasn't sure if you were talking into the pillow or trying to eat it."

"Feathers."

"What?" she asked with a laugh.

"If I had bit the pillow, you would have seen feathers."

"No wonder they're so comfortable. I'm going to have to trade pillows with you when you aren't looking."

She felt the breath from his quiet laugh against her scalp. This moment right here, warm all over from his kisses and his touch, if she could stay in this one moment then there'd be no room for bad dreams.

She had already started to drift off when she heard him; his voice wasn't much louder than a whisper. "Not because of what we were doing. Not because it's expected. Only because I feel it so damn much when you let me hold you in my arms. I love you, kapu."

Her smile was sleepy and her heart was full as she answered him. "Love you, Edward. Always."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Whit's POV:**

Whit lowered the comic book Gopher had loaned him to get a look at the tiny woman sitting on his abdomen. The mischievous twinkle in her eyes brought out his smirk and caused him to lift a single eyebrow in question of her position.

Alice took a few seconds to figure out where she wanted her hands—he had been fine with them resting on his chest but she decided in the end to put them on her own knees. "Yeah, I know it's weird. Going straight from 'you stay in your bed and I stay in mine' to sitting on you." She took one hand from her knee and linked her fingers through his. "But there are extenuating circumstances."

Whit used his free hand to close his book and set it aside, giving her his full attention. "This is going to be good."

She cocked her head to the side as she stared at him. "How do you know?"

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"That one that means things are about to change with you whether the world is ready for them or not."

"I don't even know if _I'm_ ready," she admitted. "But before I tell you about that, I have to tell you how I arrived here."

"I'm all yours."

Once again she cocked her head to the side, as if she was having trouble seeing him clearly. "You really are mine, aren't you?" She sat up straight and gave him a sly smile. "You're mine and you haven't even kissed me yet."

"I beg to differ. I've kissed you plenty. I can tell you exactly how you taste first thing in the morning and just before you fall asleep at night."

"Those have been great, but they've also been in our dreams. We need the real thing."

"I didn't realize we were there yet."

"We aren't because I haven't told you yet. You keep distracting me."

Whit pretended to zip his lips closed, eliciting a soft laugh from Alice.

"It's because of Bella," Alice began. "Well, not entirely. It's more because of Masen, which is totally weird given how we started out with each other. I went to check on her after my shower but she wasn't in her room. I figured she was upstairs but then I saw that Masen's door was closed. My first thought was that she was mad at me since I was the one who called attention to her wrist. But I know that's not my sister so I dismissed that idea. And then I thought she was avoiding me so I couldn't tell her she needs to go home with me. I totally get why she would think that but that isn't what I'm thinking."

She took a deep breath before launching into the next rambling piece of her explanation. "I'm thinking that Masen was right in how he handled her wrist. I didn't like being sent away and I was angry about it, but only for a little while. Only until I saw him tying our dad's watch to Bella's pocket. He wouldn't do that if he didn't have complete faith in her. He would tell her it was time to go home. But he didn't and it's not because he wants her here for his own personal reasons. He's really committed to helping her with her shark thing, which by the way I still don't completely understand. What I do know is that I don't have to because _he_ does.

"And there's one other thing I finally get … Masen isn't your complete opposite at all. He has your kindness. He could have ordered her to leave the watch in her room and she would have complied because he had every right to do it. But he found a compromise instead."

Whit had started smiling the minute she'd come into his room but now that she'd shared her conclusions with him, he was absolutely beaming. His dream girl and his best friend were finally starting to see each other clearly.

Alice reached out and traced his lower lip with her thumb. "I'm glad our talk is making you happy."

He sat up quickly and wrapped his arms around her, making sure she was stuck right there with him. "I'm glad the real you is finally coming out."

"Me too." Her smile turned to a smirk as she said, "Now we just need the real you to come out. You're being far more gentlemanly in real life than you have been in our dreams."

Whit cried "what" in shock at her accusation. "I've been a gentleman every time!"

She snorted. "You kissed me five minutes into our first dream."

"No. _You_ kissed _me_," he corrected.

"I tripped and you caught me and kissed me."

"Yeah, you tripped right up against my lips."

She ran her hands through his hair and then gripped the back of his neck. "Serious moment … When are you going to kiss me for real?"

Whit wished he could kiss her right now but he knew he couldn't and have a clear conscious at the same time. He couldn't kiss her and take that next step with her without her knowing a vital piece of his story that he hadn't shared yet.

"Alice, I would love nothing more than to spend the entire night getting intimately familiar with your beautiful lips. But I can't. Not until you know exactly who you're kissing."

She smiled and put her hand over his heart. "I know your heart, Jasper Whitlock. I know everything I need to about you."

He lifted her hand and kissed her palm while keeping eye contact with her. "Almost everything."

"You're worried."

"Yes," he agreed. "I'm worried you won't listen to the entire story, that you'll hear part of it and then tune out the rest. I'm terrified that you'll listen to it all and then run. Most of all, I'm hopeful that you'll hear this—hear _me_—and it will be nothing more than a piece of me that you accept into your heart."

Alice held both of his hands in hers with a determined look on her face. "Then acceptance is what you'll get."

He knew she believed she was being honest, just like he knew what he was about to share would be extremely hard for her to hear, much less accept. "You know that I started MMR with Masen and Lee. What you don't know is why we made the decision to pursue this career path rather than the ones we earned college degrees in. Masen and I have always been fascinated by sharks. Every August when Shark Week rolls around, I would camp out at his house and we would spend all of our time in front of the television. Now we record it and watch it as soon as we get home from our summer research. We've always been fascinated, but it wasn't until just before we formed MMR that we became _focused_.

"Masen has been the leader from the start but I was the catalyst." His voice and hands shook from the emotions raging inside of him. He couldn't live with being anything less than honest with her but he also didn't want to have to live without her.

Taking a deep breath, he said the words with the power to end everything with her right here and now. "Alice, I'm a shark attack survivor."

She blinked a few times and then slowly shook her head. Seconds later her wide eyes were pleading with him to take back his words.

"Please just hear me out. I know that's a hard thing to hear. I know it makes you think of your dad. And maybe it even makes you think I'm a crazy shark person like you thought with Masen at first. But, Alice, I'm completely sane and my place here with MMR is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

"I'm a survivor, Alice. That means that as painful as the attack was for my family, for Masen and Lee, and for myself, I made it through it. I came out the other end, and I did it with a clarity I wouldn't have achieved any other way.

"I love the water. I have been in love with it since before I could walk and talk. You told me about your dad's love of the water. It's like that but deeper. I can't live away from the water. Physically, of course I can, but mentally and emotionally, I need that connection to the water. I need to be in it, whether I'm surfing or swimming. It's the one place I feel most at home, most myself. Being a nurse was a practical career, doing something I was good at and helping people at the same time. But it was also something that took me away from the water more than I liked. I'm not sure I would have ever been able to balance the two in a satisfactory way. Not without MMR having come along.

"I'm a survivor and I still love the water."

Alice didn't speak or move and he wasn't completely sure she was breathing.

"Please talk to me. Please tell me what you're thinking."

She dropped her eyes and appeared to be staring at their hands—at least she hadn't pulled away or run off. Yet.

She lifted her head, looking at him with scared eyes and speaking with a wavering voice. "Just so I have this clear … You were bitten by a shark and lived. So you decide to take that gift and risk it every single day by getting into the water with sharks. Does that sum it up?"

He could see the hurt in her eyes and feel the terror in her grip on his hands. "You can't sum this up, Alice. It's a complex situation with a lot of moving parts. My life is a gift but I'm not risking it. I'm making the most of it by saving others, both animals and humans. We're doing everything we can to make the world safer for marine life and families all over the world. I'm not part of MMR to test my fate. I'm here to make the most of my life through a career I'm passionate about."

Tears rolled off the apples of her cheeks and splashed on his bare chest. She made no move to wipe them away. Instead, she leaned back to trace with shaking fingers the latitude and longitude numbers tattooed on his side. "These are latitude and longitude, right? If I looked these up..."

"It would show you the beach in Hawaii where we were surfing that morning."

"And these numbers?" she asked, tracing the tattoo just underneath the coordinates.

"The number of days I was in the hospital recovering."

"Where did … Can I see it?"

"Sure, but you'll have to move. My bite's on my left leg."

Her eyes widened and he knew exactly what she was thinking about—multiple dreams of running on the beach together and her playful teasing.

"Don't you feel bad, Alice. Not for one second. You had every right to tease and no way to know why my running is awkward."

She tore her hands from his but before he could protest she locked her arms around his shoulders and pressed her face into the side of his neck. Her small body felt even tinier pressed again him this way and he could feel the tremor running through her.

"Alice, I'm still me," he promised as he stroked her hair gently. "I'm still the man I was twenty minutes ago. The only difference is now you know why I suck at running."

"Why were you in the hospital so long? How close were you to—"

He knew that even though she'd asked two questions, she only wanted an answer to one of them. "Masen and Lee insisted that I get reconstructive surgery. They sold me on it by saying my surfing would suck without it."

"Were they right?"

"Yes. And they were scared like you are right now. Even to this day, they don't like for me to be the first in the water. And we never let anyone go in the water alone. But, Alice, they also recognize my love of the water and they will never deny me."

She lifted her head, looking at him with wet eyes and the saddest expression he'd ever seen on a woman's face. "I can't deny you either. Not if I want to be with you."

He nodded in agreement. "I hope you understand why I had to tell you now."

"You didn't want to kiss me without me knowing this piece of you. That you love the water and call yourself a survivor rather than a victim. And that you really believe what you do helps." She sighed as she lowered her head. "This is a lot to take in."

"I know."

Her eyes met his again and her nose crinkled in disgust. "You are a crazy shark person, whether you think so or not."

"We could debate that for a long time. Decades work for me. How about you?" he asked, hoping a little humor would be helpful.

"This isn't how my summer is supposed to go. Bella being here … Masen being such a bossy beast … You being …" She shook her head. "I don't know how to classify you. You're the man of my dreams but you're also what nightmares are made of. A kind, friendly, charming guy that I could easily fall madly in love with. And then I'd spend my life worrying incessantly for you."

"Could you ever see yourself trusting me enough not to worry for me?"

"If it was a matter of trusting you, there'd be nothing to talk about. But it's the monsters with the sharp, angry teeth that I don't trust."

"They're not monsters, Alice. They don't maliciously attack people. They are creatures exploring their world and we are the strangers in it. Their bite is to figure out what we are, not to ruin lives."

"Whatever they are, right now they're a wall."

"They don't have to be."

"You're asking the impossible."

He held her tighter, wanting to stop that look of leaving he could see in her eyes. "I'm asking for _you_, Alice. I'm asking to have you in my life and not just my dreams."

Her features softened as she brought her face closer to his, allowing him to smell her mouthwash on her breath. "I just … I wanna try one thing."

She licked her lips and then closed the small gap between them, kissing him soft and slow and leaving him completely clueless as to if this was "goodbye" or "hello". Either way, he was determined to revel in it for as long as she would allow. Her lips were pillow soft and her curves were supple and perfect even though his hands dwarfed them—his own personal collection of tiny treasures. The kiss was hers to do with as she pleased but in the meantime the rest of her skin was his to explore. The small of her back. The dip of her hip. The smooth skin beneath her breasts. All so soft and welcoming.

And then she pulled away.

She pulled away to say a goodbye.

But not to him.

She said goodbye to her shirt and to spending the night anywhere other than in his arms.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** Sorry this one took so long to get out to you guys! We hope you all enjoyed it!


	33. 33 Thumper Owns All Horns

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 33 – Thumper Owns All The Horns**

**Friday, July 4th**

After tightening the last screw, Masen put down his screwdriver and picked up his birthday gift. The added hardware made it heavier than his lucky mask—and more difficult to find that balance between comfort and a secure fit, but he was determined to get it working and use it at least once. When he was finally satisfied with its placement, he turned his head toward his cot and his test subject.

Bella slept soundly, using his lucky shirt as a blanket. The past couple of days had been hard for her, spending her days on deck spotting sharks and her afternoons indoors reviewing video and still footage of the Great Whites. In addition to the drain her anxiety had on her, she wasn't sleeping well, waking up six and seven times throughout the night and never really getting into a deep sleep.

Then there was her watch. She'd given herself a brush burn from the twisting, leaving him no choice in the matter. Whit and Lee had agreed it was the right call but he'd still felt sick to his stomach when he'd told her she couldn't wear it while working anymore. She'd of course been upset but she'd also seemed to understand it was for her safety—she at least wasn't mad with him. When he'd accidentally woken her last night while leaving his bed, she'd insisted on coming down to his project room with him to watch him work. And when he'd finally insisted it was time for her to get some sleep around midnight, she'd chosen the small cot over his big bed upstairs.

Looking at her now, seeing her so relaxed and at peace, he loved it, but it also annoyed him that it couldn't be this way for her all the time. He knew things would get better over time, but that didn't give him any added patience right now. What he did have right now was a working camera—_hopefully_—to capture this moment of peace for the both of them.

He pressed the release button and heard the whir of the camera's small engine followed by the click of the shutter. He carefully took the mask off and set it on his plan table with one hand while reaching for his screwdriver with the other. Powered by his excitement, it took him less than a minute to get the digital card out of the camera and into his laptop. _Hope this works_, he thought as he waited for his computer to read the information on the card.

The sight of the open options box had him grinning wide and tapping excitedly on the touchpad to get the folder open so he could see if there was an actual viable image contained within.

There was a photo but it was almost too dark to make out. Still, Masen wasn't discouraged. The aperture could be fiddled with, letting in more light. It was one of the trickier parts to mess with but certainly not impossible. He'd been worried the digital card receiver was damaged, one of the few things he couldn't yet fix.

After making a few adjustments, Masen closed up the casing on the mask and put the digital card back into it. He put it on and spun his chair so that he was once again looking down at his kapu.

It was on the second whir-snap of the lens that Bella's eyes fluttered open.

He pushed his mask up onto his forehead and got out of the chair, kneeling down next to her. "Morning."

She giggled softly. "You look like a mad scientist."

He grinned while taking the mask off. "Better?"

Her fingers traced the edge of his hairline. "Mark from the mask. What were you doing with it?"

"I was testing the adjustments I made to the camera."

She perked up at his words, her eyes opening fully. "It works?"

"It's taking pictures. Now I just need to get the light balance right so it can take usable photos."

She pushed his lucky shirt aside and sat up. "Let's check the one you just took."

They moved to his plan table where his laptop was ready and waiting. He quickly removed the card from the mask and put it into the machine. Bella stood just behind him with her arms around his neck and her chin resting on his shoulder.

The first picture wasn't much better than the original but it seemed to have been an angle issue because the second was damn near perfect.

She lightly slapped his chest while giggling. "Really, Edward? All the maps on your walls and your prototype right there on the shelf and you take photos of me."

"It's not as good as the one of you at Boulders Bay Beach, but it has its own charm."

"Charm? It's basically a picture of your shirt, my nose, and a mess of tangled brown hair."

He tapped the laptop's screen. "Don't forget your pursed lips and your cheek resting in the palm of your hand."

"How in the world did you see all of that? You barely glanced at it."

He turned his chair around and tugged her between his legs, smiling up at her while wrapping his arms around her. "There's not much I don't see when I look at you." He drew her lips to his and kissed her long and slow, something he'd been itching to do for hours now. He was careful not to let the kiss get away from them; as much as he'd enjoyed last night he knew it wasn't smart to tempt their self-control too much. There were seven weeks left on location and then a week of wind-down back home in Hawaii and only then would the internship be over, freeing them to fully immerse themselves in their personal relationship.

Bella didn't so much pull away from him as stumble against him and he had to laugh at being able to knock her off balance—she'd been doing it to him from the moment she'd walked into his life.

"It's not funny," she said, struggling not to smile. "Okay, maybe it's a little funny. But it would be a lot funnier if it happened to you once in a while."

"Trust me, kapu, you knock me on my ass daily."

Her lips curled in a small smile while her fingers caressed the hair at the back of his neck. "Good."

"Know what else is good? You look rested. Though I don't know how on that tiny cot."

"You can just come right out and ask how I'm feeling, you know. You don't have to build up to it or anything. I know you're just trying to make sure I'm okay."

He wasn't sure what he'd done to give himself away—and he felt like a giant ass all over again for thinking it was impossible for her to read him, that she had to have been eavesdropping.

"I'm honestly looking forward to working with Gopher today," she assured him. "I'm even excited to get to work, and I haven't felt that lately knowing I would be working as a spotter. And because I know you'll ask, I didn't say anything because I really wanted it to be a passing feeling, that I _would_ get excited about it."

He remained quiet, sensing she had more to say from the way her fingers kept moving through his hair.

"I was being too hard on myself yesterday. It's not realistic to expect this to be like school where I master a lesson on the first try and earn an A. This is more like a puzzle and I have to slowly fit the pieces together in order to see a finished product at the end."

He smiled at the conviction in her voice, once again in awe of her ability to battle back from her anxieties and find her strength again. "That's probably the most perfect explanation I've ever heard."

Her smile was wide and genuine. "So now that we're both feeling better, what's next? More test photos with the mask?"

He glanced at the clock on the wall above his file cabinets. "Unfortunately, it's nearly time for bathroom allotments to start."

"And breakfast is right behind that and then you give out our duties and then our half day of work begins."

He hated seeing her so disappointed and at the very same time he found it cute as hell. After kissing away her pout, he promised to bring the mask home with them and give it a try in the waters of Gordon's Bay. He knew he could convince Whit to swim out with him to test it.

Masen and Bella parted ways on the stairs—actually, Lee forced them to stop "sucking face" and go their separate ways. She and Bella had drawn breakfast duty for this morning and she had refused to go upstairs without her assistant.

He headed into the bathroom since he had the first slot, still grumbling under his breath about Lee's interruption. He didn't need a shower since he'd taken one last night but he did need to give his facial hair a buzz with the electric shaver. He considered shaving it all off just to freak Esme out but then decided to save it for an actual special occasion. Messing with her was fun but seeing her get that "mom look" in her eyes was always better.

By the time breakfast was over and he was standing up to read over the assignment sheet, Masen was feeling pretty damn good. His kapu had slept, she'd eaten all of her breakfast, and she'd been engaged in all of this morning's conversations. She was ready to go and re-engaged and he'd helped to get her there.

"Assignments," he announced, pulling the sheet from his folder. "Today's going to be a little different. For one, it's only a half day. For another, we moved closer to Seal Island first thing this morning. We're now positioned in what's called Zone 4. It's reportedly the most active zone around the island. As with all new areas we enter, there will be no cage work on the first day, observation only.

"Whit, you've got spotter duty today. Thumper, you're his helper, same deal as yesterday with Lee. You write down everything he calls out to you.

"Lee, you're in charge of video today and Gopher is your second. You decide where you want the cameras placed and on what areas you want them trained."

She immediately lifted a finger up. "Hold on just one damn minute. You are not putting me in charge on a half day where there's no hope of an afternoon recovery if you hate my choices. Not without a damn good reason for it."

He made no attempt to control his smirk. "You all wanted me to share more of the responsibilities with each of you. I'm simply granting your wish."

"You don't _simply_ do anything, Mase," she replied with a steely glare. "But fine. I'll run the video cameras. Just know that you don't get to bitch about it later if you don't like the footage."

His smirk widened into his shitty smile. "No bitching involved. I'll just make you redo it all when we get back to work on Monday."

Gopher snorted. "That's the Masen we know and love."

Masen continued on with the assignments. "Guppy and I will get Galeos ready to dock. Secure the cage, disassemble the wench, store away the gear we've been using the past few days and etcetera and etcetera. We'll also be keeping a close watch on the time to make sure we all stay on schedule.

"Today is a half day so when we break for lunch, we're actually going to head back to Gordon's Bay instead of having lunch on the boat. Esme's expecting us and she's going to have a meal waiting so there's no lunch duty today. We're also not going to have our regularly scheduled cleaning so I ask that each of you clean up your rooms before we disembark from the boat. Don't leave any food lying around, Whit."

"Why are you calling me out like that, bro?" Whit asked, leaning across the table to see Masen clearly.

"Because you sleep with chocolate in your pillowcase," Bella answered.

"That," Masen said, smiling proudly and pointing at Bella with his thumb. "If there are no questions, then let's clean up and be on deck in fifteen minutes."

The table cleared out and the boat filled with buzzing voices and hurried footsteps as they discussed the pros and cons of today's assignments while rushing downstairs to get ready.

Masen went into his office to put away his folder and heard the door slam behind him. He looked up from his desk to find Alice leaning against the door with a fuming mad look on her pinched face.

He had no idea what he'd done to set her off this time but he was sure she'd tell him all about it. "Can I help you with something, Thumper?"

Her face went from red to purple. "You're a real asshole, you know that? You're purposefully giving my sister crap work. Yesterday wasn't her best day, sure, but that doesn't mean you treat her like a baby and put her in the corner. You're supposed to be helping her. You promised her."

He managed not to outright yell at her, but he made no attempt to hide his anger. "Don't mistake my desire to be nice to you for Bella's sake as some kind of free pass to say whatever stupid ass thoughts are in your head."

"Stupid!" she screeched, sounding more like a gull than a girl.

"You heard me. _Stupid_. I don't know what is it about me that makes it so easy for you to jump to the worst fucking conclusion you possibly could, but you need to get control of that shit. Immediately."

"Being an ass to me isn't going to make me leave this room. Not until you give my sister a real assignment."

It was one thing to question him as a person. That he expected and couldn't give a shit about. But she was questioning his commitment as a mentor to Bella's success and happiness and that was something he could not stand. It had truly hurt him to take her father's watch away yesterday. That on top of the stress of his responsibilities to the team, to the new mentor program, and all the changes in his life—having Alice questioning him pushed him right over his limit.

"I'm done with your bullshit," he yelled, slamming his fist down on the desk. "I'm fucking _done_." He came around the desk and stood right in front of her. "You don't come aboard my boat and question me as if I have answer to you. You don't question my commitment to my team. And I don't care what relation you are to Bella, you don't _ever_ question my commitment to her. No one cares more about the safety of everyone on this boat than I do and the fact that you refuse to see that proves how determined you are to hate me."

She lifted up on her toes, trying to be face to face with him. "I'll question anything I want when my sister is involved."

"Your sister, huh? Because you love her so much more than anyone else, right? More than me for sure, right? I've got some questions, Alice. How's your sister been sleeping the past few days? How many times a night does she force herself to wake up from her nightmares?"

Alice blinked at him.

"Don't know any of those, huh? Maybe you'll know this one. How does she feel about her assignment? About taking a step back to regroup?"

Again, Alice only stared.

"Last one. Because you know me so well that you can call me an asshole with complete conviction. How much work do I put into every single action plan I make for my team?"

No answer from Alice.

"Your silence is exactly why I can say 'fuck you' without an ounce of remorse. I know the answers and I know Bella. I know I'm helping her in the exact way she needs. I'm taking away direct contact with sharks so that she can have a break from her anxiety. I promised Bella I would do whatever was necessary to protect her and that's exactly what I'm doing, what I'll always do.

"Maybe if you didn't have your head so far up your ass, you'd notice I'm protecting you too. Why the hell else would I have you standing around writing on a clipboard, letting you be in the middle of everything without actually putting you in direct contact?"

Her stony expression didn't change even a tiny bit; her mind was already made up about him.

"You can stand there and think I'm just some asshole putting your sister near sharks all you want. But that's not going to change the truth. Only one of us is doing what's best for your sister and it sure as fuck isn't you.

"Work today or don't work, Alice. I don't give a shit. Just don't get in your sister's way. And stay the fuck out of mine." He pushed her aside and stormed off to his room, needing space and time to calm down. He had a team depending on him and not a lot of time to get himself in the right frame of mind to keep them safe.

He shouldn't give a damn what Alice thought of him, yet he couldn't keep it from bothering him. It wasn't a question of whether or not she liked him because he truly didn't give a shit. It was her distrust of his intentions toward Bella that bothered him.

None of it could be allowed to get in the way of his work—that was an absolute. They only had a half-day and a lot of work to get done in that short time frame. He needed to be focused on his team and the plan he'd come up with for them today. While Bella wouldn't be seeing any sharks today, she would be talking to him about them. He hoped that giving her an arsenal of shark facts would help keep her mind from imagining them as monsters; he knew her perception of them was a huge factor in her anxiety around them.

There was a knock on his door followed by Bella's voice calling his name.

He took a deep breath, pushed down his feelings about his run-in with Alice, and opened the door with a smile. "Ready?"

"Almost," she replied while ducking under his arm and entering his room. She went over to his dresser and snagged his MMR hat from the top of it. She threaded her ponytail through the back and adjusted the bill on her forehead, smiling wide at him when she was done. "I needed my hat."

He laughed at her boldness and marveled at her ability to change his mood so quickly and thoroughly. There was still plenty of anger over Alice's accusations, but the pleasure he felt at seeing Bella smiling while wearing his hat outweighed it easily.

"Out!" he ordered, pointing at the hallway and hiding his smile.

She gave his cheek a quick kiss and then scooted past him.

He let her get as far as the doorway and then he dragged her back to him by the tail of her shirt, her giggles filling his room and widening his smile. He managed to get her wiggling body turned around and found her lips with his. He'd meant for it to be soft and sweet but the taste of her on his tongue was too good for just a small sampling. He could tell she agreed from the grip her hands had on his hair.

"Hey! You two stop that!" Lee ordered from the hallway. "What did I tell you two about sucking face on company time?"

Masen laughed under his breath, not wanting to give Lee the satisfaction of hearing it. She was already enjoying throwing his words back at him far too much.

Bella had to blink a few times before the glazed look in her eyes started to fade away to be replaced with eagerness. "Time for work."

He stood there for a moment just enjoying his certainty that Alice was completely wrong about him. If he wasn't helping Bella, she wouldn't be excited to get to work right now. She'd be anxious and mousy instead of her usual bold and determined self.

"Edward, let's go, slowpoke!" Bella said as she tugged on his hand. "I still need you to wrap my wrist before we can go up on deck."

"I'm gonna wrap your mouth while I'm at it," he joked, allowing her to pull him into the hall. "You get a little sleep and suddenly your right back to being a smart ass."

"You would know best since it's your constant state of being."

Gopher had overheard their conversation and was now laughing at the both of them. "Guppy one. Masen none."

"You, inside," he ordered Bella, pointing at the medical room. He turned to Gopher and said, "You need to head upstairs and make sure the camera is fully charged with a fresh digital card in it."

Gopher stepped in closer and spoke low so that only Masen would hear. "I heard some of what Thumper said to you in the office. I hope you know she's a hundred percent wrong. You're giving Bella exactly what she needs from her mentor and her partner."

Masen wasn't sure how to respond, much less how to thank Gopher for saying exactly what he'd needed to hear. He settled for giving the man's shoulder a squeeze.

Gopher grinned and gave him a hard pat on the back. "I got your back, bro."

Masen snorted and shook his head. "Get your ass upstairs and get a camera."

"Aye Aye, Captain!" Gopher responded with a salute.

Masen's smile was completely genuine and his mind was back at what it considered to be rest, fully focused on work and the day ahead of his team. He'd get Bella's wrist wrapped for her, they'd get the boat ready for docking while the others gathered more shark footage, and then everyone would make it back to Gordon's Bay safe and sound.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Okay, you are never allowed to wrap my wrist again," Bella declared while laughing.

"What are you talking about? It's perfect," Edward argued.

She couldn't stop laughing. "It's _so_ crooked. I could do a better job one-handed."

"It's your fault for distracting me."

"And what exactly was I doing to distract you?"

He smiled while helping her to her feet. "Looking adorable in my hat."

She crooked her finger at him and tipped the bill of her hat back to give him room to come in for a kiss.

He was taking her up on the invitation too but then he stopped at the sound of Alice's voice. "Bella, I need to talk to you real quick."

Bella mouthed "sorry" to him and then craned her neck to see her sister over his shoulder. "Later, Alice. We're finishing up with my wrist now and heading upstairs."

"It'll only take a few minutes."

Bella pressed down on the waterproof tape Edward had just laid across the end of the gauze covering her wrist. Once she was sure it wasn't going to move, she answered her sister. "We don't have a few minutes."

"Bella, this is really important."

"So is our work, Alice."

"Bella—"

She stepped around Edward to see her sister. "I said later. Look, I know this isn't really important to you, but it is to me and my team. I promise I'll make time for you after our work is done."

"Is that good or do you need another piece of tape?" Edward asked from behind her.

"It's good," Bella promised. "Now let's get going."

"I'm going to sit today out," Alice said, backing out of the room. "I'm not really feeling well."

If her sister thought claiming to be ill would get her to stay inside and take care of her, she was sadly mistaken. She was finally excited about work again and she wasn't going to let that feeling pass her by. "Get some rest, Sis. I'll check on you when we're done for the day." Bella kissed her sister's cheek and then headed upstairs with Edward by her side.

After letting Whit know of the change in plans, and assuring him that Alice was fine, Bella started in on her work with Edward.

"What's first?" she asked, looking between the cage and the wench.

"It's _your_ team. You tell me." His grin was a combination of his smirk and his proud smile—she loved that he only smiled that way for her. The team knew him so well after such long friendships and they had so much history together; it was nice to have a part of him that was only hers.

Bella surveyed the gear once more and then gave her best guess as to what he'd pick. "Well since the cage is partially blocking the wench, I say we tackle it first."

"Not bad, Guppy. Not bad at all."

She beamed at his praise.

And then she'd sweated her butt off under his direction. They'd moved the cage to the other side of the boat and secured it tightly. Then they'd dismantled part of the wench and crated the parts. After that, they'd had to take the crates down to the mechanical room on the bottom deck. Once they'd finished with the big items, they'd started in on all of the small ones. There had been numerous containers of gear to be towed and stowed. In between all of their hard work, Edward had kept track of the time and had routinely checked in with every team member to make sure they were all okay and not running into issues with their assignments.

Now with the work all done, Bella turned her face into the shower's cool spray, washing away some of the dirt and sweat and thinking of how hard Edward worked every day to protect them all. It was amazing to watch him keep track of every big and little detail and still have enough focus to make sure every team member was safe. She admired his dedication. Even more, she respected him for doing the right thing no matter how much it might hurt a person he cared about. It was undeniably upsetting to be without her watch, to feel the absence of its comforting weight on her wrist, but it was also the right choice for the entire team. They depended on each other so much that having a distracted or injured team member was an unacceptable risk.

While soaping up her body, she thought back on how he'd gradually worked sharks into their assignment. He'd mostly stuck with sharing information about non-lethal sharks, giving her the migratory habits of one species and then the diet of another. He'd kept it interesting and fun, turning it into a guessing game for her. The best part was that at no point had she felt anxious.

Out of the shower and dressed in clean, dry, and fresh-smelling clothing, she went upstairs to spend some time with Edward. She knew he'd be at the helm and she was hoping he might let her drive the boat once they got close to Gordon's Bay. She also wanted to thank him for making today a great work day for her.

The sounds of boisterous male laughter had her stopping at the edge of the hallway. If Edward was having some guy time with Whit, she didn't want to interrupt.

It was Gopher's voice she heard first. "I'm just sayin'. Some girls are mad dogs. You can either run or shoot."

His comment was followed by more laughter and then a yelp.

"Whit, that hurt, man," Gopher whined.

"You deserved it," Whit told him. "And since when the hell are you on Team Masen? And _you_!"

"Fucker!" That had been Edward. She was sure of it.

"That's what you get for encouraging Gopher," Whit said.

"Not my fault the man has a point," Edward replied.

"And it's not entirely Alice's fault that she blew up on you."

"It damn sure isn't yours," Edward insisted. "She has her own mind and mouth and both are determined to paint me the bad guy."

"Mase, I told her about my leg last night. I know that had to be on her mind today."

"So what? I should give her a free pass to shit on me because you have a gimpy leg?"

"Fuck you, my leg's not gimpy."

More laughter came from the room, confusing the hell out of Bella because she couldn't figure out what they'd found funny.

"All I'm trying to say is that there's more to Alice than what you've seen of her," Whit shared.

"Great for her," Edward replied. "And I truly wish you the best with her. But as far as MMR goes, she's done."

"I agree with Mase on this one," Gopher announced. "She's not taking any of this seriously. She's got her own agenda and that's all she cares about."

"Mase, as my friend—as my _brother_—I'm begging you not to make a decision today. Just give both of you the next couple of days to calm down and think through things before making any decisions."

Bella stepped into the room and answered Whit. "No. If Alice is putting the team in danger, then she has to go before someone gets hurt."

"Guys, want to give us some privacy?" Edward looked at his friends in a way that made it clear this was an order and not a real question.

Gopher clamped a hand on Whit's shoulder. "Come on, bro. Let's go make sure your room is free of food contraband."

Bella waited until the two men were right in front of her and then she put her arms around Whit and hugged him tightly. "Don't blame yourself. Not unless you want me to kick your ass."

"But how do I know hearing about my leg didn't push her into arguing with him?"

"Whit, we've all lost people we love and pieces of ourselves, and we're all still responsible for everything we say and do. We make the choice every day not to be angry at the world or to blame others for our tragedies. Alice has that same choice to make and none of us are responsible for her choosing wrong."

"Thank you," he said as he returned her hug just as hard. "I'm a lucky man to have you in my life."

She smiled and kissed his cheek before letting him go. "Alright. Off with you two. Go find all the chocolate."

With those two gone, Bella turned to face Edward, finding him frowning. "Guess you've got something to tell me," she said as she approached him.

"I was going to tell you tomorrow." He seemed sincere, looking right into her eyes and not hesitating to wrap his arms around her. "Just wanted you to have one nice, calm day."

She took his face into her hands and smiled at him. "Edward, we're in South Africa surrounded by Great White Sharks. There is no calm."

He laughed and hugged her tighter, lowering his head to her shoulder and pressing a soft kiss against her neck. She could feel the tension in his body and knew it would feed into his reluctance to tell her what was going on. She figured the best way to handle this would be to make it seem like it was no big deal.

She pulled away and hopped up into one of the chairs, folding her legs in front of her. "So!" she said with a big smile. "What happened with Thumper? Did she argue in favor of chumming?"

He leaned back against the dash panel, crossing his arms and legs. He was definitely guarded but the fact that he was still looking right at her gave her hope he would eventually open up.

"I want to ask you something first," he finally said. "What did you think of your assignment today?"

"I loved it," she answered immediately and honestly. "I'm not saying it's an assignment I want to take part in every week, but I think it was important work. Now I get why it's such a big deal. MMR has a lot of gear, some sharp and some heavy and some are both. You have to protect it all from thieves while protecting the boat from the gear. And I really liked the way you slid shark facts in with your guessing game. It was unconventional and fascinating. I wasn't expecting it and by the time I realized what you were doing, I was having so much fun with it that there was no room for any anxiety to creep in."

She smiled wide and added, "Plus, I can now authoritatively tell people that dogfish sharks are named for their tendency to travel in packs, not for their ability to bark underwater."

He grinned but it barely touched his eyes. He was questioning himself as her mentor and that pissed her off. She was complicating his life in enough ways and he didn't need the stress her sister was causing. He damn sure didn't deserve for anyone to make him question himself as a mentor, especially since he was doing a damn fine job at it in her opinion.

"Come here," she ordered, pointing at the floor directly in front of her.

His blue eyes widened in surprise. "Excuse me? Did you just order me to do something?"

"Right here," she said, still pointing the spot out for him.

He was trying hard not to grin as he stood up straight and uncrossed his legs and arms. He seemed to be waiting for enough time to pass for him to believe he was moving because he wanted to and not because she'd told him to.

When he was finally standing in front of her, she grabbed a handful of his shirt and used it to pull his face down to hers. "You listen to me, Edward Masen. You are a damn good mentor and every success I've had with this team has been because of you. Because you're patient … because you adjust your plans to fit my experiences … because you _care_. Even if I wasn't your kapu, I know you would care enough to see me through this internship. I know it and you know it. Don't you dare let anyone make you question yourself."

His mouth moved roughly against hers while his hands gripped her hips tightly; she easily matched the passion of his kiss and the intensity of his hold, as fueled by her anger at her sister as he was by his pent-up tension. It meant a lot for him to go above and beyond with Alice for Bella's sake but it wasn't what she wanted. Not for any of them. Not if it caused him stress and to question himself.

"I tried." His voice was rough and breathy and his green eyes bored into her, making her feel more flushed. "I didn't want to argue with her. But she accused me of pushing you out of the way instead of helping you."

"She had no right to do that. You and I talked about my options and I agreed with you that stepping back was right."

"What if you hadn't agreed?"

She pressed her hand against his cheek, missing the sting of his stubble since he'd shaved it down so much this morning. "I would have told you. I would have asked for more options. But I didn't need to because your idea made sense. Because I trust you as my mentor. No matter what we've had right or wrong in our personal relationship, you have always made the right call, the best choice for me, when it comes to this internship."

"I never make a decision without looking at the choices from every angle."

"Edward, I know that."

"I'm not wrong here, Bella. I'm not going to apologize for what I said to her because I meant every word."

"Stop," she said, holding his face with both hands now. "You don't have to justify anything to me. You know this team better than anyone. If you feel Alice is an unacceptable risk, then I believe you."

He sighed and relaxed some, his fingers no longer digging into her hips. "That's the part that pisses me off the most. If she would just keep her mouth shut and really look at what we're doing, she would see that we're not crazy shark people putting you in danger. She would see the progress you're making and how hard we're all working to help you be successful. Hell maybe she'd even have some success in her own struggles."

Bella smiled and pulled on his shirt, bringing his lips to hers for a soft, quick kiss. "You have such a good heart."

She only got a small grin in response but at least it touched his eyes this time. She felt exceedingly proud of herself for getting them to turn green with how guarded and tense he'd been at the start of their conversation.

"Esme tells me that a lot," he shared.

"And you have the nerve to doubt her? Oh, Edward," she said with a pretend sigh. "What will I do with you?"

A full on smirk curled his lips. "I've got a couple ideas."

"Ones that don't involve our line?" she challenged.

He decided to kiss her again rather than answer her. It wasn't much slower or softer than their first kiss but it definitely didn't have the tension. This was purely him expressing his attraction to her and vice-versa.

He let out a groan while pulling away. "You make it ridiculously easy to forget why there's a line."

"_Me_? What about _you_?"

His lips were curled into his shitty grin. "I'm completely innocent. A bystander in this mess."

"Yeah, okay," she replied with a snort. She patted his chest while uncrossing her legs and getting onto her feet. "You stand there and believe that while I go have a chat with my sister."

"Hold on a minute," Edward said, locking her in his arms. "I don't want you putting yourself in the middle of this. Well, not any more than you already are. I just … I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'm going to do for her what I've done for you. I'm going to listen to what she has to say and then give her my opinion. I can't promise we'll both leave unhurt. I can only promise it's necessary. It's time she gets it through her head that she's not going to get what she wants. I'm tired of her disregarding what I want and need, and I'll be damned if I let her put any of us at risk with her attempts to get what she wants."

He nodded and let her go despite looking as if it was the last thing he wanted to do.

"I'll be fine," she promised. And then she teased him in hopes of relaxing him. "I'm just going to make it clear to my sister that I'm on Team Masen. No big deal at all."

He shook his head at her, smiling all the while. "I'll be right here if you want to talk after."

"See you in a bit then." She leaned up and kissed his jaw and then headed off to find her sister.

Bella found Alice upstairs on the viewing deck, curled up in the chair and hiding behind her knees.

Bella sat on the loveseat and took in the view for a moment. "Beautiful view, huh?" she asked.

Alice shrugged. "It's not bad."

Bella grinned, not because she found her sister's response funny but because it was exactly what she'd expected. "It's interesting how our strengths can so easily become our faults. My attention to detail and my ability to visualize the future from choices made today … I know those traits fuel my anxiety. And you, with your fathomless determination. Your whole life, every goal you've set for yourself you've followed through on. Except for the occasional times when what you wanted conflicted with what someone else needed."

Alice finally looked at her and for once she seemed open to talking rather than guarded and ready for a fight. "I'm not determined, Bella. I'm terrified."

"Of what?"

"You getting hurt. Or worse. And Whit, he's …"

"What about Whit?"

"Have you _seen_ his leg?" she asked, her eyes wide and fearful. "Do you _know_ what happened to him?"

Bella nodded. "He shared his experience with me."

"Experience." Alice reached up and roughly wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry, but a visit to the Eiffel Tower is an experience. Having a shark attack you is … There aren't even words for what it is."

In that moment, Bella saw herself in her sister. She saw how she had been when she'd first arrived, when she had been so sure nothing Edward or anyone else said would ever change her opinion that sharks were vile, monstrous beasts.

"Alice," she said as she reached out and put a comforting hand on her sister's knee. "It's a life event. It's something he experienced and survived. He had to decide how to react to it, how to incorporate it into his life, how to move on from it. And you know what? I think he's done a marvelous job. He held on to his love of the water. He retained his confidence and his outgoing personality.

"There are some things he's changed about his life. He isn't the first in the water and he doesn't swim or surf alone. He makes sure everyone on his team knows basic first aid, CPR, and tourniquet skills. And he never, ever denies himself dessert. He survived and now he has a passion for life that's beautiful and inspiring."

After wiping away more tears, Alice sniffled and asked, "But for how long?"

"No one knows how long they have, Alice. I don't. You don't. Uncle Carl doesn't. What if you live to be a hundred and all you can say about your life is that you're a hundred? What if you only live to be thirty but your funeral takes all day from all the people you touched, the lives you shared in?"

"You'd rather risk dying young to say you conquered your fear of sharks than live to be old and gray with me?"

Bella threw her head back and groaned. "Alice, you're doing it again. You're picking pieces of what I'm saying instead of hearing the entire message."

"I get it!" Alice yelled at her. "I get that everyone is a-okay with this stuff except for me. I'm the troublemaker for hating this, for hating how scared I am for all of you."

"No, you're the troublemaker because of instead of saying what you just said to me, you blame people and make hurtful accusations."

"I didn't—"

"You did and you have been since you got here." An idea came to Bella on how to get through to her little sister. "Get up and come with me."

Bella led Alice downstairs and into the MMR office. She went to the desk first, knowing she'd find the folder with today's assignment sheet there. She pulled the sheet out and showed it to her sister.

"Do you see this? Do you see our names and the details of our assignments? This page is front and back for a half day, Alice. Remember that. A half day." Bella put the sheet in Alice's hand and went over to the file cabinet where Edward stored his backup materials.

She pulled out the expanding file folder and turned to show it to her sister. "See all this? This is how he got to that single sheet. There are multiple weather reports in here, beginning last night and going through this morning just before he announced our assignments. I know that because he does the same thing every single time he plans a day for the team."

She reached in and shuffled through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She pulled it out and slapped it onto the desk for her sister to see. "This is his rough draft of the assignments. Here are our names and his initial idea for each of us. Here are the pros and cons and potential consequences. Here's the last time we had the assignment so he can make sure no one is getting bored. And over here in the margins, this is where he writes what he hopes we gain from the day.

"And here you are," she said, having flipped the sheet over and found her sister's name at the bottom. "Right there, read what it says," she demanded, her finger pointing at the sharp, slanted print in the margin.

Alice's eyes widened and her mouth moved without sound.

"Read it," Bella commanded.

With one last nervous glance at her sister, Alice picked up the paper and began to read. "Helping to collect data gives Alice a way to safely participate and hopefully lead to her beginning to feel like a member of the team rather than the lone outcast. Her purposeful aversion to shark sightings continues and until I see her curiosity peaked, I will not give her contact assignments. As with all members of my team, mental well-being is second only to physical safety."

Alice lowered the paper and Bella hoped it was remorse she was seeing in her sister's brown eyes. "Bella, I didn't know he—"

"Stop," Bella ordered. On the outside, she appeared forceful and demanding but on the inside she was reveling in relief over finally getting through to her sister. "Don't make any excuses. Don't tell me how hard this is for you. Just answer one simple question. Do you want to be here? Not for me. Not for Whit. But for _you_. Do you want to be here?"

Alice fidgeted and looked anywhere but at her sister. "Yeah but—"

"Here are the conditions then. First, you don't have to like what the team does, you just have to stay out of the way if you don't want to participate. We are not going to stop just because you want us to and you're only wasting everyone's time by trying to stop us.

"Second, you don't have to like my choice to be here, but you do have to accept it. No more attempts to play on my feelings for you, or my fears, to get me to go home.

"Third, be honest. If you're scared, then say you're scared. We can all understand that and we might even be able to help you feel better by talking it out with you.

"And finally, and most importantly for me, stop attacking Edward. I am here because I want to be here, not because he's forcing me. I am part of the MMR team because it's what I want, not because he's brainwashed me. Every assignment he gives me takes into account my anxieties, my goals, and my abilities. You will not question his decisions as my mentor. Do it again, and I'll put you on a plane for home myself.

"Now, if you want to stay, and if you give me your word that you'll meet my conditions, then I'll go to bat for you with Edward. I'm not promising I can convince him, only that I'll try. If you can't abide by them, then pack your things and go home."

Bella took the sheets from her sister and put everything back where Edward had filed them. "Think long and hard, Alice. Either you stay and become a real team member, or you go home. It's up to you to choose."

She kissed her sister's cheek and then headed upstairs to find Edward and relieve him of the curiosity that most likely had him pacing at the helm.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Kid, I'm beginning to suspect you're purposefully moving at a snail's pace," Esme commented.

Masen smirked, keeping his eyes on the laptop monitor and his fingers clicking away at the keys. "Maybe if someone wasn't interrupting me every two seconds to tell me to hurry, I might be done by now."

"Doubtful," she replied with a snort. "You're in full-on perfectionist mode, though you refuse to tell me what put you into it."

"It's over so there's no point in talking about it."

"It's not over so long as you're perturbed by it."

He thought about it for a bit and ended up agreeing with her. He turned his chair to face her. "Alice and I ended up having an argument. She accused me of not having Bella's best interest in mind and I went off on her."

Esme set her chin in the palm of her hand, looking like she was about to have the world's most interesting conversation. "Details. Provide them."

He rolled his eyes at her. "You never just take my word for anything."

She laughed and ruffled his hair. "And you never learn that loving you doesn't mean I automatically believe every word coming out of your mouth. You have, on occasion, reacted in a less than ideal way."

"So what are you trying to say?" he asked, grinning because he knew exactly what she meant since it had been a running gag between them for years.

"Dramatic, Edward. You can be dramatic at times."

"That word is not in my vocabulary."

"Sure. But if it were, would you say you exhibited the signs of it?"

"Not this time," he promised her. "I told you earlier all about Bella hurting herself with her watch and how I didn't want to just take it away from her. Alice was there, Mom. She wasn't standing right beside us but I know she was watching with Gopher from the hall. She saw me tie Bella's watch to her shorts. She saw me give my own watch to Whit.

"Knowing that, knowing the lengths I went to in order to not take away the watch, Alice still automatically decided the worst about me today. She believed I was breaking my promise to Bella by giving her busy work and pushing her aside rather than helping her with her anxiety. Had she just asked me rather than accusing me, I would have told her all about the detailed conversation I'd had with Bella last night.

"Mom, I honestly don't want to fight with Alice. I really don't. But she's been with us for nearly a week and she stubbornly refuses to see how much my team means to me."

"We are your family first."

"Exactly. No matter what people think of me personally, I've never had anyone question my dedication to my team. It pissed me off." He let out a breath and under the weight of her stare he shared what he'd held back. "It kinda hurt too."

"I would imagine so. She did so much more than question your intentions with Bella. She questioned your love for your family, your commitment to their protection. As devil's advocate, though, I have to point out that she doesn't know you like we do."

"She hasn't tried, Mom. I've done all I can to show her I care and at every turn she's found a way to claim it's an act for Bella's sake. I hate to say it, but I don't think I can help Alice."

"What does Bella think?"

Masen stared at his mom, wondering how the hell she knew.

Esme laughed. "Kid, if you hadn't talked to her about this, you would still be pissed and not just in perturbed perfectionist mode."

He grinned, surprised and thankful all over again that Bella could make him feel less stressed about it all. "I explained what had happened and then she went to talk to Alice about it. She thinks she finally got through to her too. Said she showed her all the backup paperwork for today's assignment sheet."

"You don't seem convinced."

He shrugged. "I thought I was making progress with Alice until this morning."

"I can see why you'd be reluctant to put any stock into it. But at the same time, sisters have an insight into each other that no one else ever manages."

He grinned and took hold of her hand. "Like you and Elizabeth."

"Exactly," Esme replied with a soft, slightly sad smile. "We knew all the ways to make each other laugh, and all the buttons to push when we were fighting. I've seen that same bond in Bella and Alice."

Masen rubbed his hands over his face in agitation. "I've been asked not to make up my mind about Alice one way or the other."

"Ah ha," his mom cried. "_There_ is the source of your perfection and my frustration. So tell me, Kid, how'd Bella convince you to agree to that?"

He snorted at the smirk on his mom's face. "She asked nicely. And it was really more Whit than her. He tossed a 'brother' into his pleading request."

"Ooh, right in the heart," Esme said as she patted Masen's chest. "Pesky thing about families. They know your weak spots."

"I'm still not completely convinced you didn't give Whit and Lee lists when I first brought them home to meet you."

"Of course I did," Esme said, her twinkling gray eyes giving away that she was joking. "You know, I used to update that sucker yearly but then Bella arrived and it's been daily ever since."

He grabbed the arms of her rolling chair and pushed her away from him and the desk. "You are done." He turned his own chair to face the laptop and went back to finalizing his daily report.

He could hear Esme purposefully edging closer slowly and loudly until he felt her lips on his cheek.

"Love you, Kid."

"Love you too, Mom."

She stood and ruffled his hair. "You better. And you better finish that report up too. I'm ready to get outside and enjoy the fire-pit with our family."

"Five more minutes," he promised, planning to stop for her whether he was completely done or not.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Another dark giggle came from Lee—Bella had counted seven so far and her curiosity could no longer handle not knowing what her friend was seeing on her iPad screen. She wandered away from Gopher and Whit's conversation and sat down beside Lee on the beach blanket.

"What are you—Oh my!" Bella's face immediately heated up.

Lee's dark giggle floated on the night air again. "Guppy, even in the dark there's no hiding your blush."

"The screen's pretty bright," Bella defended.

Lee smiled wider. "Look at this one. Completely life-like. Except for the part about it being green."

"How the heck did you end up on this page?"

"You know, I'm not sure but now that I've found it, I'm highly entertained. Let me scroll back down and show you some of the comments."

Bella read a couple and found herself giggling right along with Lee. "This one's got a point. The one who shakes with rage is the only one without motion."

"Oh jeebus!" Lee squealed, tapping the screen enthusiastically. "Look at this one. 'Hulk Smash'. That is brilliant."

"If the picture's not a fake, then smashing is definite if you're not careful," Bella replied, setting them both off giggling again.

"What is so fun—_Hello_." Esme squeezed herself in between Bella and Lee and snatched the iPad. "Twin motors. I can get under that."

Lee nearly fell over laughing while Bella sputtered and floundered.

"Oh, but I do like the curves on Thor," Esme continued as if this conversation was the most normal thing in the world. She put an arm around Bella and smiled. "I know. It's weird with me being a mom. But remember, I'm only thirty-five and my sex drive is fully intact."

"Bet Carlisle likes that about you," Lee said as she wiped away tears from her wild laughter.

"And let me tell you, with a man like him, these will all be poor substitutes," Esme assured her. "Still, we have to be able to take care of things on our own from time to time. As a responsible female figure in your lives, it's my duty to warn you both … No matter what font the 'discrete' comes in, there ain't no hiding the final scene of the play."

Lee looked directly at Esme and with a serious expression told her, "I fucking love you, Esme Masen."

Esme winked at Lee. "I fucking love you too, Lee Hale." She then turned to look at Bella. "I fucking love you too, Bella Cullen."

Bella was too busy laughing to respond. She had never met anyone that could switch from responsible parent to fun adult the way that Esme could and she felt extremely lucky to have her in her life. And from the sound of it, her uncle was pretty lucky too.

"While I like the look of Iron Man, it's too bad there's not a He-Man one," Esme lamented. "How fun would it be to yell out 'by the power of grayskull'?"

Lee was almost as red in the face as Bella. "Different brand of comics, Esme."

"Was He-Man actually ever a comic?" Bella questioned.

The ladies were so entrenched with their conversation that they hadn't noticed Gopher approaching them and they jumped at the sound of his voice. "He-Man was a marketing tool for the toy company Mattel while Iron Man is a comic book character from the Marvel universe. But I've got a feeling none of that is going to be as interesting as the reason for the laughter, the comic book talk, and the guilty looks you three are sporting."

"A guilty look would imply we have something to feel bad about, and I assure you we do not," Esme stated emphatically. "We're merely enjoying the wonders of the internet."

Gopher reached out and snagged the iPad from Esme's hands. "_Woah_! What the hell?" His wide eyes shot over to his girlfriend. "Lee?"

"What's she done now?" Whit asked as he walked up beside Gopher. He took a look at the screen, let out a whistle, and said, "Somebody's lacking some satisfaction."

Gopher glared at him. "She's not lacking for a damn thing, especially not satisfaction."

"That website begs to differ," Whit replied with a chuckle.

"Lee already has a real hulk. What the hell would she do with this little imposter?"

Whit snorted. "What indeed."

"Now, boys, there's no need to get your panties twisted," Esme told them. "We're only perusing a few well-endowed options to keep the fire burning bright. You should both appreciate the work we women put into maintaining happy and healthy relationships."

The guys looked at each other and then smiled at Esme, the both of them speaking at the same time. "Bullshit."

Esme pretended to be shocked and even let out a gasp. "What have I ever done to make you two doubt my sincerity?"

They lifted their hands and started recounting things but since they were talking over each other, Bella couldn't understand a word they were saying.

"What's going on out here?" Edward asked, walking up with his arms full of fresh beers. "I could hear you guys from the house."

"Our women are thinking about replacing us," Gopher told him.

"No one said anything about replacing," Lee corrected. Then she smiled wickedly and added, "We're just checking out some additional ways to have fun."

Once Edward had passed out all of the beers, he took the iPad from Gopher and looked over the website that had been entertaining the ladies and was the source of the guys' shouting. Bella watched as his neutral expression turned to one of speculation and his eyebrows lifted toward his hairline.

He smiled his shitty grin and used one hand to rub at his chin, as if he was deciding which of the thousands of smart ass comments swimming in his head was the best to share with the group.

His eyes finally settled on Esme. "Mom, if you'd told Carlisle you were this horny, I bet he'd have canceled some business meetings to get back here."

"You shit!" Esme passed her beer to Lee and then lunged at her son. He had already handed off the iPad and he easily spun out of her way. He'd also put himself right in front of Lee and she gave his back a hard push, sending him flailing forward and allowing Esme to tackle him into the sand.

"Can't believe you would say that to me," Esme scolded him.

He continued laughing. "You were the one who went and fell in love."

"I told you that in confidence." She was laughing too much for it to sound believable for even a second. Not to mention that they'd all seen the way she looked at Carlisle and him at her.

"I'm not sure Uncle Carl would know what to make of this," Bella said as she watched Edward help Esme to her feet. "But I can't wait to see him try when I explain it."

Edward plopped down on the blanket and set his head in Bella's lap. "I can't wait to see how red your face gets when you tell him how it all started."

She used the rim of her beer bottle to hide her smile. "No idea what you're talking about," she said before taking a long swallow.

"Where's Thumper?" Gopher asked as he sat down beside Lee. "She's missing a good time."

"She wasn't feeling well so she went to bed early," Whit answered.

"Hope she's okay," Gopher said sincerely.

"She's fine," Bella assured him. "This is what she does when she's embarrassed about her behavior and unsure of how to fix it. She hides in her room under the guise of an upset stomach. She'll be fine as soon as she apologizes."

"No more work talk," Esme warned. "We have the weekend off and we are going to enjoy it as a family."

"Any ideas on where you'd like us to go?" Edward asked. He seemed to be enjoying having Bella running her fingers through his hair—he was completely relaxed with his eyes closed.

"A local recommended Kleinmond," Esme shared. "Cute little town about an hour away from here and it has a great beach. I thought we could pack a picnic lunch and spend the day enjoying the sun and the surf."

"I'll look it up and see if surfing's possible or boogie boards only," Lee offered.

Esme tapped Bella's knee to get her attention. "While they're playing in the water, you and I can take a walk to the bookstore to get ourselves some new books. Maybe Alice will want to tag along too."

Bella nodded in approval. "Some fun reading material would be good. It'll give me a nice break from my required reading. Edward thinks the more scientific facts I know about sharks, the less I'll fear them. He's given me his copy of _Great White_ to read."

"Oh, one of his favorite books written by his favorite nature photographer. I bet he paired that with _The Book of Sharks_ by Richard Ellis."

Bella grinned, tickled by how well Esme knew her son. "How'd you know?"

Esme snorted. "He talked about that book for three months straight after reading it. It was all 'did you know this' and 'did you know this person did this'. I could barely get a word in. He's just lucky I love seeing him so passionate or I'd have used Lee's duct tape idea on him."

"You know, I _am_ laying right here," Edward said. "I hear every word you're saying."

"You're looking mighty comfortable with the intern, Kid. You sure that's wise?"

Bella could tell from the twinkle in Esme's gray eyes that she was teasing, but Edward must have missed it because he immediately sat up and put some space between himself and Bella.

"Jeebus, Kid," Esme cried, nearly laughing too much to talk. "Too easy."

Edward said nothing. He just sat there with his arms and legs crossed and a disgruntled look on his face.

Esme sobered up and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Edward. I was just getting a little payback for your earlier teasing about Carlisle. I didn't realize you were still concerned about Bella being our intern."

"I'll be concerned right up until she's not. I don't want her career suffering because she cares about me."

"Edward, that's not going to happen."

"Damn right it won't. I won't let it."

"Does it matter what _I_ want?" Bella asked, worried as much by the conversation as the frustrated look on Edward's face. She had that twisting feeling deep in her gut again, that sense that everything could get messed up from just one wrong word.

She took away the distance between them, ignoring the wary look in his eyes and sitting right in his lap. Somewhere inside of him he wanted this or his eyes wouldn't have still been green. "We're not working right now," she told him. "That means I'm not the intern. I'm just your kapu. End of discussion."

He sighed heavily. And then he slid his arms around her and pressed his face against her neck. She could feel the flutter of his lashes tickling her skin along with the rapid beat of his heart against her back.

Esme mouthed "sorry" to Bella and she smiled in response. It wasn't Esme's fault or even really Edward's. This was because of Alice, because of the way her sister had made him question himself today.

If Bella went far enough back, she could blame it on herself, her mother, her father, her uncle … But where would that get any of them? It seemed once again that Edward was right. Blame would only ever fuel the negative emotions and reactions. It was time to accept things as being natural consequences and then work on rehabilitating those reactions.

"Would it be alright if I joined you guys?" Alice's voice was the last Bella had expected to hear tonight.

"There's a free spot right here next to me, sweetheart," Esme offered with a smile. "But if you'd rather sit with Whit, that's fine."

"I, uh … I think I'd like to sit next to you instead," Alice answered, casting a nervous glance at Whit. She probably thought he was upset with her for attacking his best friend. Bella knew that he was, but she also knew he was worried for Alice—and possibly irrevocably in love with her.

A long silence followed Alice's arrival, leaving the crash of the waves and the crackle of the fire as the only voices in the dark. Bella wished Gopher would say something funny to break the tension. Even better would be if Whit said something wise—or if Alice apologized.

None of those things happened. Instead, the quiet was broken in an unexpected and unique way.

Lee began to sing.

"_Took my love and I took it down_."

She looked to Whit and he grinned as he joined in with her.

"_Climbed a mountain and I turned around._

_And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills_

'_Til the landslide brought me down._"

It wasn't a concert performance by any means, but Bella could tell the song meant something to them. It was in the way they looked at each other, smiling as if they were sharing a longstanding and lovely secret between them.

She became even more convinced of her theory when Esme, Gopher, and Edward's voices joined in with Whit and Lee.

"_Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?_

_Can the child within my heart rise above?_

_Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?_

_Can I handle the seasons of my life?_

_Well, I've been afraid of changing_

'_Cause I've built my life around you._

_But time makes you bolder,_

_Even children get older,_

_And I'm getting older too._

_Take my love, take it down._

_Ah ha, climb a mountain and turn around._

_And if you see my reflection in snow covered hills,_

_Well, the landslide will bring you down._

_Oh, oh, the landslide will bring you down._

The song ended as abruptly as it began, leaving Bella with goosebumps on her arms and a lump in her throat.

"Esme introduced us to this song," Edward whispered into her ear. "Whenever one of us feels like life's overwhelming us she either plays it or makes us sing it. It's supposed to remind us that we're never alone, not for the highs and never for the lows. Guess Lee felt we needed it after everything with Alice today."

"That was beautiful," Bella said loudly to ensure everyone heard her.

"I agree completely with Bella." Carlisle's voice had them all looking up at him. "I only caught the end but it was magnificent."

Esme squealed as she struggled to her feet, ignoring all the laughter at her expense. She was a woman on a mission and Bella was pretty sure she only had eyes and ears for Carlisle at that point.

"Yep. My mom's a goner," Edward said with a quiet laugh.

"You really think?"

"Oh, I know," he assured her. "She's all in."

"Good. Because I'm convinced he is too."

"He damn well better be. He's got his tongue in my mom's mouth."

Bella snorted at Edward's petulant tone. "Pretty sure her tongue was the instigator."

"You know what this means?" Whit asked as he plopped down beside them. "I've lost any shot I ever had with her."

"You have a crush on Esme?" Alice asked, looking both shocked and worried.

Bella and Edward laughed while Whit tried to explain it was only a long-running family joke.

Bella could tell Whit was only confusing Alice more so she spoke up. "It's his way of annoying Edward."

Alice didn't look completely convinced. "It's a weird way to annoy someone."

"No weirder than your wayward attempts to piss Masen off," Whit pointed out.

Alice sucked in a breath and grimaced. "I deserved that. I own the horns, right?"

"What?" Whit and Edward asked at the same time.

Bella chuckled. "It's something Gopher told her."

"When you mess with the bull, you own the horns," Alice clarified. She then locked eyes with Edward. "I'm sorry."

"We're not talking work," Edward replied matter-of-factly. "Esme forbid it. You can ask your sister if you don't believe me."

"No, this isn't about work. This is just about how I've treated you. I'm sorry."

Bella sunk her teeth into her lower lip, waiting to see what Edward would do. He had every right to blow Alice off; she'd been rude from the start and she certainly hadn't given him any reasons to trust her. Bella didn't want him to accept the apology for her sake either. So what did that leave?

"I appreciate the strength it takes to admit you were wrong and apologize. I don't think you're a bad person, Alice. But I don't think we're going to be friends anytime soon either." He moved Bella off of his lap and onto the blanket then got to his feet. "I'm gonna call it a night."

"Want some company?" Bella asked, hoping he'd agree but not expecting it.

He shrugged. "If you want. I'd understand if you wanted to spend some time with your uncle."

Bella immediately stood. "He'll be here tomorrow."

Edward grinned and offered his hand to her, which she happily took and squeezed tightly. They walked over to Esme and Carlisle to exchange hugs and goodnight wishes before heading inside.

Once they were in the quiet of the house, they managed to clean away the sand from their legs and feet, and then grab a snack from the kitchen without waking Lizzy.

"Are you actually tired?" Bella asked as she closed her bedroom door. "Or did you just want to get away?"

Edward flopped down onto the end of her bed. "Both."

She eyed him closely, noting that he did look tired, but there was also frustration in his expression and she wanted so badly to improve his mood. She thrust the bowl of fruit forward and excitedly said, "Look! Plumbs!"

He took his hands out of his hair and stared at her. "Did you just say 'plumbs'?"

Her embarrassment had her cheeks turning a dark shade of red. "You know what I meant."

"I'm not so sure about that," he said, propping himself up on his elbows. "You already surprised the hell out of me once tonight."

She shrugged and settled herself into the chair, putting her feet next to his thighs and then tossing him a plum.

He stared at the fruit, turning it over and over in his hand before finally turning his green eyes on Bella. "I'm sorry about before. About my reaction to Esme."

Since he'd reacted well to teasing earlier in the day, she tried it again now. "You had a pretty stressful day so I might be inclined to forgive you for it."

"What would I have to do to persuade you to forgive me?"

"Well …" she said strictly to tease him.

"Please don't tell me you want one of those toys from the website."

She hadn't given it any real thought but she couldn't resist seeing where this conversation might lead. "It's an idea. It would definitely keep our line safe."

He sat up and took a bite from his plum, obliviously licking away the juice that dripped down his chin. "On the one hand, it's nice to know I'm not the only one looking forward to when the internship ends. On the other, I don't believe I should have to deal with competition before I've even been given a shot."

Bella controlled her smile. "Lucky for you then that our line keeps you out of the competition."

Edward pointed the last little bit that remained of his plum at her. "If we're being technical here, there's no competition at all if I'm not in on it."

She gave him a pretty good replica of his shitty grin; the perfect comeback was sitting on the tip of her tongue just waiting to be launched. "You might be out of the running but there was more than one Avenger available to fight my frustration."

Edward's jaw dropped and he stared at her as if he'd never seen her before.

Bella managed to hold herself together for ten seconds, but only because she counted it off out of determination to make him squirm as long as she could. As soon as she hit ten, she started laughing hard enough to turn her face red all over again.

Her laughter ended with a gulp produced by Edward's closeness. His hands gripped the arms of the chair and his face was right in front of hers, leaving her the impossible task of deciding which to look at—his lips or his eyes.

He inched closer until she could smell the plum on his breath. "Are you really frustrated?"

"Sometimes."

"How about now?"

"You, um … Maybe?"

His soft lips were warm on her neck. "You sound awfully unsure, kapu."

She groaned and somehow found the strength to push him away. "You are so mean."

He chuckled at her. "Like you weren't being mean a minute ago."

"I was trying to cheer you up," she defended. "You know, we probably should have a plan. Saying there's a line and we're going to stay on this side of it is great, but how are we going to ensure success? As much as I want to do what's right, to do what makes you feel comfortable, there's a point where what we're feeling makes thinking straight impossible."

His shitty grin came out. "One way is to keep our clothes on."

She briefly considered reaching for a plum in the bowl on the floor to toss one at his head. "That's a faulty theory. We've kept our clothes on and yet your hand ended up on my flesh."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her like some old time villain of vaudeville. "And what soft flesh it is."

"Hey, Mister! This is serious business. I'm trying to protect your virtue." How she didn't crack up laughing while saying it, she'd never know.

He took hold of her hands and tugged. "Come here." Once she was situated on his leg he told her, "How much of this is because of my earlier reaction and how much is actual worry?"

Bella felt bad about her answer because she knew he was trying his hardest. "Eighty-twenty."

He held her tighter and pressed his lips against her temple. "I'm sorry. I let Alice get in my head more than I realized. Not that I'm claiming that's an excuse, I'm just trying to explain. I never should have reacted the way I did and I damn sure shouldn't have pulled away from you. I can't help being concerned for your career but I also can't let that worry put distance between us. I want this to work, Bella. I want _us_ to work."

She smiled as her palm pressed against his cheek and stubble. "That is all the inclination I need to forgive you."

His answering smile and his follow-up kiss left no doubt in her mind that he was happy to be forgiven.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: ** Yeah for Masen and his birthday gift! We weren't entirely sure he would be able to get it to work so we were happy to see he fixed it and got himself a new photo of his kapu.

That Alice! One minute she's climbing out of the hole and the next she's digging it deeper! She might just push Masen to chum for the first time ever. LOL

We want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy this time with your families and make memories to last a lifetime. Also, be safe! Make sure you're around for many more years and memories.


	34. 34 What Do I Stand For

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 34 – What Do I Stand For**

**Friday, July 11th**

Masen could hear Bella approaching just as he could tell she was trying to be stealthy about it. He rolled his eyes even as he stayed perfectly still to allow her the illusion of sneaking up on him.

Her arms slipped around his neck and her lips brushed his cheek. "Gotcha."

"Lucky me," he said, just barely stopping himself from laughing. He tugged lightly on her arm. "Come here."

She let him go to move in front of him, standing between his legs and locking her fingers with his. "How'd the nightshift go?"

He answered her question while trying to get her closer for a kiss. "Pretty quiet. That storm Whit was tracking stayed far to our left."

"That's good." From the cocky curve of her lips, he knew she was resisting on purpose. The more her confidence rose with her work, the more relaxed she became in all areas of her life. Moments like this one where she was completely comfortable in her skin and full of boldness, they were the hardest times to resist the need he felt to possess every inch of her and be possessed by her. It made no damn sense to be this full of need when there were so many good, responsible reasons to wait.

Her sweet breath on his lips jerked him out of his head and back into the moment where his vision was filled by chocolate eyes mirroring his need—and his love. That look from her kept his kiss slow and sweet and safe. Funny how that would be his kryptonite, the weak spot that corralled his baser needs for the bigger want, for protecting their relationship as much as their careers. The expedition was going to end in six weeks and the internship would finish the week after that, but if he kept himself in check, the relationship would continue and _that_ was what he wanted most.

She gave a little hum of pleasure and then pulled her lips from his. Her eyes were a little dazed but there was also determination and he wondered what she was thinking about.

She told him before he could ask. "I made a decision this morning. I've spent the last week reading the books you assigned, watching the videos you recommended, and asking questions of every team member. I've read all the dailies in that time and helped put together the last two, including going through all the footage. And yesterday, I watched every breach as the team filmed them. I won't lie and say I'm not nervous or maybe even a little scared, but I'm also ready for more. I'm ready for active contact again."

His posture remained relaxed and he appeared to be considering her request. On the inside, he was jittery with energy and so damn proud of her. He had known she was ready as soon as she'd asked to help create the dailies again, but he'd also known she needed to believe it for herself.

He smiled and said, "I'm sure Whit won't mind relinquishing spotter duties to you."

Bella reached for her naked wrist but caught herself and put her hand back at her side. "Actually, I was hoping it would be Lee who wouldn't mind a swap."

Masen's eyebrows lifted as he pictured Bella in Lee's spot. He wasn't opposed to the idea. In fact, he couldn't even say he was surprised by it. He'd seen Bella watching Lee yesterday, her curiosity far exceeding any nervousness she'd felt. But it was a position that required he be one hundred percent certain Bella was ready for it.

"I know it's a lot to ask, for you to trust me to go from books to an important role like this. I'll understand if you say 'no'." Her sincerity was clear—just as clear as the seriousness in her gaze.

"Why should I consider you for this role?"

"I'm ready. You've given me an army of facts, from feeding habits to typical behaviors. None of that is foolproof, of course. Sharks, especially Great Whites, are smart in their own way and that allows them a level of unpredictability. But I have a baseline of what to expect now and that's going to keep me in the moment and out of my head."

He smiled with pride at her, happy to see she finally had the confidence in herself that he'd had for days now. "Guppy, you're going to work with the camera today."

She squealed and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Not all day," he warned, getting her to look at him. "We only have two days to work the decoys in this zone. After that, the sharks get annoyed and the decoys get destroyed. You can either have the morning shift or the afternoon one."

"Afternoon. They're much more active in the morning so Lee should have that slot."

"Then the afternoon is yours, Guppy."

Her smile was so big it almost didn't fit her face and it made him laugh. "I can't help it," she told him. "I'm excited. I'm not questioning if I'm making progress anymore because I can see it and for the first time, I can feel it." She smiled and then brushed her lips over his teasingly. "And I have you to thank for that."

"I've got some ideas on how you can thank me," he said, thinking about how good her baked bacon had been.

"Bet mine are better," she said while sliding her hands up his thighs.

He couldn't tell if she was joking or not—he just knew he didn't want to find out right now when there was no time to explore it. He was fully prepared to keep them on the safe side of their line, but that didn't mean they couldn't slide right up next to it.

"Masen, I don't get it."

He and Bella both groaned at the sound of Alice's voice.

The little sister didn't seem to realize she was interrupting anything because she kept going. "I've read this report twice now and watched the video three times, but I still don't get it. How does seeing the shark swimming around and jumping out of the water give you these conclusions in your report?"

Since deciding to stay for a second time, Alice had been much more a part of the team. She was taking her assignments seriously, as well as her work on deck with the team. There was still much to be desired with her overall attitude, especially towards him, but she at least wasn't getting in the way of Bella's progress anymore.

"Which part are you confused by?" Bella asked, taking the report from her sister.

"This one right here," Alice explained, tapping her finger against the page. "How do a couple of birds tell you anything? They're not even in the video at all. You just hear them squawking a bit at the start and the very end."

"You're looking at it backwards," Masen informed her. "The birds don't tell us a shark is coming. They tell us a shark has already been there. It's called 'predation'. Black Back Gulls spend their days searching the surface of the water for scraps, the kind left behind by a shark breaching and catching a seal. Sharks are territory hunters so if you find the birds feeding on scraps in one area, the chances are very high that there will be another breach in that exact spot."

"Oh." Alice still looked confused.

"Have you ever watched any National Geographic with the lions in Africa?" he asked her.

"Yeah, those are Uncle Carl's favorites," Alice answered excitedly. "The way the females go chasing after dinner and the males come by all muscled out and scaring off other males and predators."

"Think about when they make a kill. What happens nine out of ten times?"

"Um … well, when it's in the daytime you can see some birds trying to get some of the meal. And at night, hyenas. There are always hyenas on the nighttime goggles."

"Exactly. Those animals know they will get fed if they follow the lions. Same thing with gulls and sharks."

"Wow." Alice was honestly impressed, which made Masen shake his head at her. She could have been impressed long ago if she'd have listened half as well as she was doing now. She turned to Bella. "How does he do that? Make things relatable that way?"

Bella glanced at him from the corner of her eye and smiled. "He's a genius when it comes to his work."

"And an evil genius everywhere else," Alice muttered. He hoped the fact that she was smiling meant she didn't seriously believe that about him.

"Nah, Lee's the evil genius," Bella corrected. "Her revenge schemes are unmatched."

Alice cringed and Masen knew she was thinking of her first day back on the ship. Lee's stipulation to allowing her on board had been that she couldn't speak for twenty-four hours. She could only observe and write down legitimate questions to be answered at breakfast the next day. Alice was finally starting to see it was more of a learning lesson than a punishment. She wouldn't have paid half as much attention to what the team was doing if she'd been allowed to run her mouth like usual. But that didn't mean she'd admit to it being a good idea.

"Want me to grab your assignment sheet from the office?" Bella asked Masen, bringing the conversation back around to today's work.

"I've got it up here already," he said, reaching for the stack of papers on the seat next to him. He'd gone over it a few times during his helm duty. "Would you keep an eye on the gauges so I can focus on making the changes?"

"I'm happy to be in charge of Galeos," she said as she moved toward the steering wheel.

"Can you really drive this thing?" Alice asked.

"Of course I can. I've done it six or seven times now." Bella's declaration had Masen snorting. He knew the vast difference between actually driving this ship and just steering it through the water.

"Eyes only, Guppy," he said just to tease her. She wouldn't touch any of the control panel buttons without asking.

He pulled out his assignment sheet and clicked his pen, for once happy with having to reorganize at the last minute. And truthfully, it wasn't that much of a change. Instead of Lee spending all day on the skiff with him and Gopher, Bella would be there this afternoon to take photos with the still camera. The team was going to lay out their decoys in Zone 4 today and tomorrow to capture as much footage of Great Whites breaching as they could get. From the activity they'd witnessed here this past week, they were sure to get some amazing shots.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Are we going to talk about this?"

"About what?"

Lee stopped loading the camera bag and turned to Bella with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her lips. "Don't give me the doe eyes, Guppy. You know what you did."

"Of course _I_ know what I did. I'm just not sure what _you_ think I did."

Lee's expression was a dichotomy with her caramel eyes glaring and her smile beaming. "You stole my job."

Bella wanted to laugh badly but she wanted to keep bantering with Lee more. "If by stole, you mean earned, then yes, I certainly did."

"Earned it? I'll be the judge of that. Tell me, Guppy, what's the most interesting thing you've learned this past week?"

"Well ..." she said, pausing to consider all of her options. She smiled as she shared her choice, "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

She nodded in agreement. "The most interesting fact is that we know nothing about Great White mating habits. We've only recently learned that females give birth to between six and sixty pups at a time in practically the same location each year. But we still don't know how they became pregnant. No one has ever witnessed it. For all of our technology, all the conservation groups and marine biologists studying this species, we are utterly clueless. How do adult sharks, upwards of fourteen feet, manage to mate in secret every single year?"

"What do you think of the theory that males latch onto females with their teeth?"

"If I was a female shark and a male shark was coming at me with two penises, I'd try to run too." Bella's answer had both women cracking up.

"Can you imagine if guys had two heads to think with?" Lee joked.

"We already do," Gopher commented, stopping right beside them with his arms loaded with video camera equipment.

"I meant two heads that you men actually use," Lee clarified. "The one on your shoulders is often used as a hat rack."

Gopher shook his head and sighed. "Still mad about the early wake-up then," he said as he walked away from them.

Lee ignored him and focused on Bella. "Masen must be feeling pretty pleased that you're getting back into the action."

"I hope so. We didn't really get to talk after he agreed to the change. Alice managed to interrupt for the bazillionth time."

"Still think she's not doing it on purpose?"

"Yeah, she's honestly oblivious. She's all wrapped up in trying to prove Edward wrong about her, that she's fine with sharks and him."

Lee snorted. "Interrupting his time with his kapu is not the way to do it."

"Definitely not," Bella agreed with a laugh. "So are you really mad at Gopher?"

She shrugged. "I'm not mad so much as annoyed. I specifically asked him last night to be quiet when getting up this morning, that I've been a light sleeper the past couple of days and I'm finding it hard to fall back to sleep once I'm up."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Lee answered with a nod. "Just a little homesickness. I always feel it around this point during our trips. Doesn't take me long to get it over it, though. I just need a couple nights of restful sleep." She grinned and added, "It wouldn't hurt to also have a man who doesn't sound like a herd of elephants when he gets ready in the morning."

"Cameras ready yet?" Masen asked, poking his head into the room.

"Just finished packing the bags," Lee assured him. She winked at Bella and then said, "I'll just run these out to Gopher to put on the skiff."

Once she was gone, Edward smiled and reached out, taking advantage of Bella's half shirt and loose shorts to grasp her hips and bring her closer. His hands felt warm and wonderful on her bare skin.

"I didn't get to tell you this earlier and I wanted you to hear it before we start working," he confided. "You had a hard week recovering from your setback and refocusing yourself. It wasn't easy and you had plenty of frustrating moments but you kept going. When it came time for the next step, you took it on your own. I am so damn proud of you, kapu."

She beamed at his praise, fully believing that she had earned this moment and that she would be successful with her assignment today.

"You have to stop smiling like that," he said, rubbing his thumb against her lower lip.

"Why's that?"

"So I can kiss you."

Her smile immediately went away and she tilted her face up in expectation. There was a quick flash of his smirk and then he was kissing her; a bone-melting, fiery kiss that had her swooning and leaning into him to stay on her feet.

She could tell from his cocky grin that he knew he'd thrown off her balance once again. She was more interested in the source than in his reaction though. "What brought that on?"

"If I told you that, it would take the mystery out of it. You don't want that to happen, do you?" He couldn't have really been expecting an answer, not with the way he was skimming kisses along her collarbone.

With a heavy sigh, he removed his lips and hands and stood up straight, slipping into mentor-mode. "You still ready? Still feel confident about your assignments today?"

"One hundred percent."

He smiled—the one that was a mix of pride and love, and was just for her. "Then let's get to it, Guppy."

Bella spent her morning working with Whit and Thumper in the crow's nest, searching for signs of predation and calling out the locations for Great Whites they spotted in their area. Based on their sightings, Gopher occasionally started up the skiff and moved closer to or farther away from parts of the zone.

By the time they'd stopped for lunch, they'd filmed seven breaches without having to put out a single decoy. Masen, Lee, and Gopher had talked over each other all through lunch, each trying to share their up-close view with Bella and Whit. She'd hoped Alice would stick around to share in the fun but she'd understood she wasn't ready yet. Alice still hadn't backed down from her claim that she was fine and sharks didn't bother her, and until she did there was nothing anyone could do for her.

Whit appeared beside Bella and looked down at the skiff with her. "It's that time, Guppy. You ready for this?"

She smiled and rubbed his shoulder. "Are you ready? You're going to be left here with Thumper and I'm sure she's going to be very vocal in her dislike."

"I'm not so sure you're right about that. While you've been busy making your changes, she's been making a few of her own."

"I've seen her efforts to participate more, but her overall attitude hasn't improved that much."

"Not on the surface," he agreed. "But she's working on it."

"You guys actually manage to talk?" Bella teased. Alice had confided a couple days ago that she and Whit were sharing more than a bed, which in Alice-speak meant that they had moved up from boyfriend and girlfriend to lovers. It was hard not to envy their freedom to be together so Bella focused on being happy that her sister was happy.

Whit actually blushed. "She … uh … I love her, Bella. This isn't some summer fling for me. I never would have let things go so far if I didn't love her."

She smiled to reassure him. "I know. If I thought it was anything less, I'd kick your ass for sleeping with my baby sister."

"Guppy, you gonna stare at the boat all day or actually get on it?" Gopher asked from right behind them.

She turned to him and gave his shoulder a shove. "Are you questioning my commitment to our mission?"

Gopher grinned as he set his arm on Whit's shoulder. "You hear that, Whit? 'Our' mission. She's pretty cocky today standing around in her MMR shirt."

Bella smiled wide and pinched the edge of her baby blue shirt, proudly showing off the MMR logo. "Looks pretty good on me, huh?" She'd specifically run down to change into this shirt after lunch, wanting to wear it for the first time during her first shark-focused task.

"Looks amazing," Edward said as he grabbed her from behind and pulled her against his chest. "You do great this afternoon and you'll earn yourself a hat."

"I'm partial to the one I swiped from you," she said, laughing and tapping the hat on her head.

"Um … here are the bags," Alice said, holding out the two camera bags Lee had repacked after lunch.

Gopher smiled as he took them from her. "Thanks, Thumper."

She gave him a nervous smile and then turned her worried eyes toward Bella. "Good luck."

Bella grinned. "You almost sounded like you meant it."

"I do mean it," Alice assured her. "I just also wish you wouldn't do this."

Bella stepped away from Edward to hug her little sister. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She cupped her sister's face and smiled brightly at her. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"You better."

She kissed Alice's cheek and then turned around to board the skiff with Edward and Gopher. She was nervous and excited, but most importantly she was confident.

They spent the afternoon watching the birds on the water and waiting. Lee checked in on the radio every fifteen minutes to update them that were no updates while Edward and Gopher looked over the map spread out on the floor and debated where to drop a decoy if it should come to that. It was so dull that Gopher even joked Alice had somehow found a way to wish the sharks out of the area.

The first sign that things were changing was the black back gulls Edward had talked about just this morning. They had been off to their far right but now they were circling over a patch of water about thirty feet in front of them.

"Camera up, Guppy," Edward ordered as he put his own around his neck. "Gopher, get on the radio and find out what Lee sees."

Before Gopher could reach for the radio, Lee's voice was coming through it. "We've got potential action, guys. Straight ahead of you. A few seals have broken from a larger group and we've got a dark shadow moving to intercept."

Edward picked up his binoculars again while the gulls' cries grew louder. "It's gonna happen and it's closer to us than I'm comfortable with. Gopher, start the engine and stay at the controls in case we need to make a quick exit. Guppy, I want you grounded. Back up from the edge and take a knee."

She did as he asked and then lifted her camera to her eye and set her finger over the shutter button. She was feeling anxious but it was a jittery, excited kind rather than the fear-fueled version she was used to experiencing. She had no doubt that she could take these pictures and contribute to her team.

For the next twenty seconds—she knew because she'd counted—no one made a sound.

_Twenty one … _

All hell broke loose and it all happened so fast that if she'd dared to blink, she would have missed it. The Great White breached, soaring up and out of the water with its mouth of razor sharp teeth exposed and in pursuit of two young seals. One seal was torpedoed by the shark's nose and tossed away from the great beast. The other did a somersault that caused it to smack into the shark's lower jaw before disappearing back into the water.

The shark twisted its body as it reentered the water and charged after the acrobatic seal. It was as if the shark had pinned some kind of homing device to the seal with the way it seemed to easily switch paths to stay on the tail of the seal.

Both animals suddenly disappeared under the water, leaving ripples running across the surface.

Seconds later, there was another breach and this time the seal was in the shark's mouth. Somehow, by some miraculous event, the seal twisted and popped out from between the shark's massive jaws. The ensuing slam back into the water was closer this time, as was the spray from it, stopping only a few feet away from the skiff.

"Where'd they go?" Gopher yelled.

Bella let go of her camera, leaving it dangling from her neck, and searched the area for any sign of the seals or the shark.

The radio crackled behind them and then Whit was yelling at them. "Masen, get out of there! They're heading straight for you guys!"

"Too late," Edward said as the seal popped up right beside where he was standing. "Gopher, gun it. Get us out of here."

Gopher tried to do exactly that but he was a little too eager and he flooded the engine, causing it to stall out. "Shit, shit, and more shit."

"Fuck!" Masen roared. "Okay, okay. Open the throttle all the way, no choke, and keep turning the engine over until it starts." He slung his camera around to his back and locked eyes with Bella. "We've gotta grab the seal. We can't let it use the boat to try and hide."

"What? Are you crazy?" she screamed at him.

"We don't have a choice. You can do this, Bella. Help me protect our team."

She trusted him. She trusted that if there was any other way, he'd go with it. She pulled at her camera twice before realizing she would never get it off that way and finally lifted it over her head and set it on the floor of the skiff. Her arms and legs shook as she scrambled over to Edward, wishing her trust in him equated to courage.

Kneeling at the edge, she groaned at the sight of the seal with a chunk of its back missing.

"It's going to be okay, Guppy," Edward told her. "On two we lift up and over."

She nodded to show she was listening.

"One. Two."

They reached into the water together, with Bella's hands closing around the wriggling tail and Edward grasping the head between his large hands.

"Up, up, up," he coached as they pulled the seal out of the water and into the boat.

Over the shouted complaints of the seal, Bella heard the skiff's engine roar to life. She felt the push of the boat darting forward and then they were cutting through the water. She actively ignored what she'd seen while they'd been lowering the seal to the boat's deck.

"Head for Seal Island," Edward shouted while struggling to contain the seal at the back of the boat.

"What if it's following us?" Bella asked, her eyes wide from a mix of adrenaline and fear.

"It won't," he assured her. "It's going to stay in the area for a few minutes to try and figure out where the seal has gone."

"Masen!" Lee's shout came through the radio clearly.

"Gopher, talk her down," Edward ordered.

"No harm, no foul," Gopher yelled into the radio, fighting to be heard over the cries of the seal and the roar of the engine. "I say again, no harm, no foul. We've got an injured seal aboard and we're going to drop it off with its seal buddies at the island and then head back to base."

"You get your ass back on this boat A-S-A-P, Emmett," Lee demanded.

"I'll be there before you can take all ninety-nine bottles of beer off the wall. Over and out."

"Guppy, talk to me," Edward said, moving his head into her line of sight. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm not letting go." She wasn't sure what she meant by that but at least she was still functioning and not crippled by a panic attack.

"That's good. We'll keep the seal immobilized so he can't harm himself or us. We'll be at the island in no time."

"This isn't really happening, is it?"

He laughed. "I take you out for a photo shoot and we end up in an action adventure."

"I'm not sure I'm feeling the adventure part right now," she replied with a shaky laugh.

"Come on, Guppy!" Gopher called out from the front of the boat. "Who else do you know gets to say they raced out of a shark's path while holding on to a seal?"

"Don't forget the flooded engine that required the holding of the seal," Edward said, giving Gopher a dirty look.

"Yeah, yeah. I fucked up. Trust me, I am kicking my own ass right now. All these years of perfectly running the skiff and I manage to flood the engine at the absolute worst time."

"Next time, I drive and _you_ hold the seal," Bella told him.

"Next time?" Gopher asked with a boisterous laugh. "Mase, you hear your cocky intern?"

"I hear her," Edward replied, looking right at Bella and smiling proudly.

The seal let out another loud squeal while attempting to twist free, causing Bella to look down and make sure her grip wasn't going to slip. She couldn't help feeling revolted by the damage to its back.

"Will it live, you think?" she asked.

Edward shrugged. "As bad as it looks, I think it's mostly topical damage. That would explain why there's a lot of blood but not a huge rush of it. Also, the bite isn't deep enough to reveal the spinal column so he likely doesn't have internal injuries. From what I saw as it was happening, he was already twisting out of her mouth when her teeth clamped down on his pelt. If he can manage not to get an infection, he should live."

Once they made it to the island, Gopher came back to help Edward toss the seal into the water. Bella stood beside them, watching the injured young seal scoot his way up a sloped make-shift ramp of rock and onto the island's hard surface. They had no idea if the seal would survive its injuries but at least for now it had survived the shark attack.

Edward had them all clean the seal's blood from their hands and then he worked on mopping up the floorboards with scraps of fabric while Gopher drove them back toward Galeos.

Bella felt she was holding up fine under the circumstances, not making a big deal of her shaking hands as she reached for the camera she'd been using. Shaking hands was nothing when compared to what she'd just seen and experienced.

A drop of blood hung from the corner of the casing and then fell to darken the wooden deck. She saw everything that had happened all over again, from the initial breach to the giant black eye of the shark staring at her as it slid past the boat in search of the seal she'd just helped pull out of the water. A hard shiver tore through her as she wondered if Edward knew how close the shark had been to the boat.

All at once the sounds around her faded until she could only hear her heartbeat roaring in her ears. She tried to suck in a breath but her throat felt closed up and she realized the shaking in her hands had spread to her entire body.

Edward noticed the change in her immediately and grabbed her by the elbows, keeping her steady on her knees. "Breathe, Bella. Just focus on me and take a breath."

She focused on his eyes, on the concern and the love she saw in the steel blue, and somehow managed a small breath.

"That's good. Now take another and then another. It's okay. No harm, no foul. You're okay. I'm okay. Gopher is okay."

"Damn straight," Gopher confirmed, laying a big, steady hand on her back. "No harm, no foul. And you, Guppy. You were _epic_."

Edward brushed her sweaty hair from her face. "I know this was more than you bargained for today, but you did great. You listened, you were helpful, and you protected your team. I am so damn proud of you."

"I … I don't …" She was trying to tell him she wasn't sure why she was freaking out but the words wouldn't come.

"It's okay. It's a lot to take in. You were expecting a few photos, not to have to grab hold of an injured seal. This is a huge deal and it's okay to freak out a little. Just sit here and breathe for a moment."

The radio squawked behind them. "Firefly, come in. This is Galeos. Over."

Edward immediately looked toward the radio but stayed where he was crouched in front of Bella.

"I've got Guppy," Gopher assured Edward. "Let the others know we're okay. You know Lee's only going to believe it if she hears it from you."

Edward kissed Bella's cheek and then went for the radio. "Galeos, this is Firefly. We're okay and we're heading back to base. No harm, no foul. Over."

"Pick up the pace. We should see you by now. Over."

"You'll see us shortly," Edward promised. "Over and out."

"Come on, Guppy," Gopher said as he helped her to her feet. "Help Mase drive us home while I finish the cleanup he started."

She took Edward's outstretched hand and let him pull her between his body and the steering wheel. He held her tight against his chest with one arm while directing the boat with the other.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Okay, I think. Still panicking a little, but I've got it under control now."

"Just don't feel defeated if you panic again before the day is over. You may even find yourself reluctant to participate tomorrow. And that's all okay, Bella. This is a lot to process."

"I know. I knew I wasn't overreacting when I heard Lee. She's freaked out too."

"And she'd be just as freaked if she had been the one on the skiff."

"And she'd also be back on the boat tomorrow. She _will_ be back tomorrow."

"Yeah, she will. Just like I'll be back and I'll also be ordering more room between the skiff and potential active sights. But that's us, Bella. You have to do what feels right for you."

"Do you think I'm okay to be back tomorrow?"

"I think we need to talk about it a hell of a lot more first, but yeah, I think you're okay to go again tomorrow. You're not shutting down or being numb. You're just reacting to an extreme change in our plan. And I am damn proud of you."

She closed her eyes and leaned further into him, soaking up his praise and his confidence in her while working to fully calm her heartbeat. Of all the thoughts and images in her head, there was one that gave her almost as much comfort as being in Edward's arms … _I protected my team_.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Lee jumped aboard the skiff before Masen even had a chance to shut the engine off. She flew at Gopher, wrapping her arms around his neck in a grip tight enough to make the big man grunt. There was no talking, no yelling—just her holding tight to Gopher and him holding on just as fiercely.

"Well didn't you just have yourself a fun little afternoon wrapped up in crazy," Whit said as he took the line from Masen and tied the skiff to Galeos.

"That's about as good of a description as any," Masen replied. He helped Bella onto Galeos' platform first and then hopped on over, receiving an immediate hug from Whit. "No harm, no foul, bro," Masen promised his worried best friend.

Whit scoffed and pretended not to be concerned. "As if you'd let there be any other outcome." He turned his worried gaze to Bella and yanked her into a hug.

She smiled, though it was still more nervous than normal in Masen's opinion.

"You okay?" Whit asked.

"I'm getting there," she answered. She lifted her head and smiled up at him. "Hugs help."

He gave another tight hug and then all three climbed the ladder one after the other, letting Bella up onto the deck first. Masen was the last and he made it all of three steps forward before he felt his shirt being yanked.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Lee asked, still pulling on his shirt.

He snorted and turned toward her, but the worry on her face wiped his grin away. He held her tightly, wanting to erase all of her worry and bring her smile and her smart ass comments back. "We're all okay. I made sure of it."

"I know."

"So then stop worrying."

"I'm working on it. Now just shut up and hug me."

He laughed while doing exactly what she'd asked of him. He also noticed Whit giving Gopher a hug. They hadn't had a close call this serious in two seasons so he wasn't surprised that they were all a little jumpy.

"Alright," Lee said with a sigh. "Get away from me." She poked her tongue at him and then went after Bella, hugging her tight enough to make her squeak.

"Where's my sister?" Bella asked.

Lee lifted her chin toward the cabin. "She's inside somewhere."

"She doesn't know," Whit added. "She was grabbing drinks for us when it happened. We figured it would be better if she heard it from you."

Bella bit her lower lip.

"What's wrong?" Masen asked, putting an arm around her waist to comfort her.

"Well …" She looked at him with worried brown eyes. "She's either going to think you or I told them not to tell her, or she'll be too busy being angry I was on the skiff to care how she found out."

"There wasn't time to plot to keep her in the dark," he pointed out.

She shrugged. "I hope she'll realize that but I'm not counting on it."

"No time to find out like the present," Whit suggested.

Masen looked to Bella, feeling this was her call since it was her sister. If she wanted to wait until later, then they'd wait.

Bella nodded firmly. "I think Whit's right."

"Then let's have a team meeting," Masen replied.

Once they'd brought in all the gear from the skiff, Whit went downstairs to get Alice. Lee decided there should be drinks and snacks for everyone and Gopher followed her into the kitchen to help.

Masen stood back to see what Bella wanted to do. First, she double-checked that the gear they'd brought in was still stacked neatly in the corner. Then she sat on the sofa for all of two seconds before shooting up and starting to pace between it and the booth, chewing on her thumbnail the entire time. He wondered which was bothering her more—her sister, her first positive adrenaline rush, or her mild freak out on the skiff.

Rather than ask, he decided it was best to let her work out some of the energy on her own so he slid into the booth and got comfortable, knowing from his own experiences that the pacing could last awhile.

After a dozen or more passes back and forth, Bella came to a sudden stop and locked eyes with him. "I don't know yet how I feel about today."

"That's okay," he told her. "There's no hurry for you to figure it out."

"But I should know. I mean, other than being glad I didn't have a full on panic attack, I don't really have any thoughts yet."

"My guess is that you're still shocked that it happened at all, which is a pretty normal reaction, Guppy. It might even take a couple days before you've processed everything."

"What about you?"

"I'm here for you when you do figure it out."

"I know _that_," she said, sliding in beside him. "I'm asking how you feel about today."

"I believe we made the best of a bad situation. I don't think there's any way I could have predicted this or planned for it before, but now I know to watch out for it. And I am absolutely and extremely proud of you for how you handled yourself today."

Bella smiled and then snuggled in to Masen's side, laying her head back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and seemed perfectly content and relaxed now, though he knew she really wasn't. He could feel it in the stiff way she was sitting propped up against him. He slipped an arm around her and pressed a kiss into her hair, trusting she would talk to him when she was ready.

Lee set a couple of bowls down in the middle of the table and sat across from them. "Don't eat all the olives, Mase. Sharing is caring."

He immediately plucked an olive from the bowl and popped in into his mouth. "I care enough to test them all and make sure they're fit for consumption."

"What kind of cheese is this?" Bella asked after selecting a cube.

Lee looked toward the kitchen. "Em, what kind of cheese?" It didn't escape Masen's attention that she was still using the man's real name over his nickname. It was probably going to take her a couple days to fully calm down and stop worrying for them all.

"Smokey Blue. My mom sent it in the care package I got last Saturday," Gopher said as he came over with the drinks. "Supposed to be able to pick out the taste of caramel and hazelnut in it. Figured it would be a good sweet for the salty olives."

He then turned his attention to Lee, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. "I know it's hard for you but you need to relax and stop thinking of all the things that could have happened. Focus instead on what did happen. We're all safe. No harm, no foul."

She smiled and rubbed his chest. "I'm working on it. Promise."

Masen reached his arm across the table and wiggled his fingers at her. After so many years of friendship, he knew there was no better way to calm her worries than with tangible, touchable proof that her loved ones were fine.

She grinned wide as she slapped her palm against his and grabbed his wrist. "So can we finally agree that you guys aren't allowed to go anywhere without me? 'Cause trouble always seems to find you boys when I'm not around."

Gopher nuzzled Lee's neck in response, causing her to squeal. Bella laughed at their teasing behavior while Masen wrestled his hand free of Lee's. She was pretty damn strong—and currently obliviously squeezing the hell out of his fingers.

"What's so funny?" Alice asked as she approached the table with Whit right behind her.

"Proving Lee wrong," Gopher replied with a laugh. "She's ticklish whether she admits it or not."

"Not," Lee said, smiling wide as she hugged his neck.

"Sit next to Bella," Whit suggested to Alice. "I'll force these two clowns to share on this side," he said, waving his thumb at Lee and Gopher.

Once everyone was situated, Masen leaned forward just enough for Alice to see him without Bella having to move. "Alright, team. I'm going to start this meeting by saying those four little words we love to hear … No harm, no foul. That means everyone is safe and sound and there were no injuries."

Alice was on him immediately. "Why would there be injuries? And why is there a meeting right now? You've only ever had them in the morning."

He chose his words carefully, wanting to keep her calm for as long as possible. "When circumstances beyond our control cause us to deviate from our plan, we have a meeting to discuss it and come up with ways to ensure it doesn't happen again. Like I've told you before, safety is our number one priority."

Alice ignored him and zeroed in on Bella. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Bella smiled softly and put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Relax, little sister. You just heard Edward say no one was hurt."

Alice responded with two sharp, clipped words. "What. Happened."

"Quit being overdramatic and calm it down," Masen ordered, locking eyes with Alice.

"You butt out! I'm talking to my sister."

"Right now, you're talking to your teammate and you owe her some respect."

"Well she owes me an explanation."

Bella responded before Masen could. "And I'll happily give you one as soon as you hush and listen."

Alice huffed but was otherwise silent.

"Our plan was to photograph any breaches that occurred from the skiff," Bella began. "Early afternoon isn't a very active time so we weren't expecting more than one or two. When we finally did have a breach, it didn't go as we'd planned.

"You know that Lee and Whit weren't seeing any activity from their vantage up top. What you don't know is that when you came inside to get drinks for you guys, there was finally a sighting. But the breach happened too close to the skiff for comfort so we got out of there."

Alice huffed again and also rolled her eyes. "You made it sound like something dangerous had happened. You _should_ have left the area. In fact, _you_ shouldn't have been out there at all. Being on that little boat is not necessary for your quest to be alright with seeing sharks. You can see them just fine from this boat."

"You're wrong," Bella replied matter-of-factly. "It is necessary. And something dangerous did happen. The shark managed to catch a seal but he couldn't keep hold of it. Being injured, it wanted some place to hide and it picked the skiff. Edward and I had to pick it up out of the water to make sure the shark didn't wind up either ramming the boat or landing on it in another breach attack. We barely got it into the boat in time. I saw the shark poke its head out of the water and swim past us seconds after we picked up the seal."

Masen hadn't seen the shark and he wondered if Bella really had. He didn't suspect her of lying, only of seeing what her panicked mind believed to be happening.

Gopher confirmed her sighting without any prompting. "She did not look happy to have her dinner taken. Soon as I was sure she wasn't near the engine, I drove us the hell out of there."

"We brought the injured seal to Seal Island and let it go there," Bella added. "It was the only thing that was injured. We're all fine," she assured her sister.

"Fine? You're _fine_," Alice said, making the words sound like an accusation. "Sure, you're fine. Why wouldn't you be? You're just putting yourself next to sharks that could hurt you! You know, if that's your big master plan, if you think getting hurt somehow makes up for Daddy, then you're just as crazy as Mom."

Bella's hand loudly made contact with Alice's cheek and left behind a bright red stain on her pale skin.

"Don't you ever bring them up like that again," Bella warned. "I love you. I would do almost anything in the world for you, Alice. But I won't let you talk to me that way. I won't allow you to use our parents against me like that."

Masen kept his face neutral though he wanted nothing more than to cheer Bella on for standing up for herself. While he by no means enjoyed seeing Alice get slapped, he was tired of seeing Bella struggle to balance her goals with Alice's feelings while her sister made no efforts to do the same for her.

He slipped his arms around Bella and pulled her close, putting a little extra space between the sisters. He felt the best way to handle the situation was to keep the meeting going. "Now that we all know what happened, let's talk about how to avoid it in the future."

"In _our_ futures," Whit corrected as he took hold of Alice's hand. It was so damn hard for him, to be in love with Alice and friends with Bella. He'd talked to Masen about it some the other night; Masen made a mental note to pull Whit aside later and check in with him again.

"Alice, you're the team member who wants to avoid sharks the most. What's your best idea?" Lee asked. She quickly added, "Outside of not getting on the skiff."

Masen suddenly had the feeling that they were all locked in an adult version of Red Rover, waiting to see if Alice would come on over and join them or stand alone. Would she be a part of the team and contribute? Or would she deem them crazy shark people and leave?

After a very awkward and tense silence that went on far too long in his opinion, Alice finally spoke up. "You guys can pretty much expect a breach if there's a seal or the predation birds, right?"

"That's right," Lee agreed.

Alice purposefully avoided Bella's eyes and looked at Masen. "So when either of those is spotted, move the boat if it's too close. Don't film that one breach. Wait for one that's a safe distance away."

"But what if that's the only breach anywhere in our area?" Gopher countered. "How do we weigh the loss of data against safety concerns?"

His questions got the entire team talking, debating the pros and cons of both sides. The conversation eventually shifted to comparing true seal captures to decoy captures. Alice actually participated and even offered a couple more rational thoughts, leaving Masen hopeful that the girl had realized how wrong she was to use her parents against her sister.

Then again, maybe not. Alice bolted from the table as soon as Masen called the meeting to a close. Whit stayed long enough to make sure Bella was alright and then he went down to check on Alice. Masen hoped she wouldn't turn out to be more nightmare than dream for his best friend. It was weird to feel such conflicting things about Alice—annoyed with her treatment of Bella and hopeful for her relationship with Whit. Of course, she'd probably never believe he felt that way.

"So that was fun," Bella said dryly.

He chuckled at her unexpected sarcasm. "Sounds like you're ready for this day to be done, kapu."

She groaned and dropped her head onto her folded arms on the tabletop.

He wasn't really sure how to help her since the line between family and teammate was so thin when it came to her and her sister. He figured he'd just make it clear that he was here for her. He started massaging her shoulders and asked, "What's bugging you most right now?"

"Losing my temper. I shouldn't have slapped her. She just made me so damn mad."

He could understand regretting the action, but he wanted to make sure she didn't regret demanding respect from her sister. "Lee slapped the shit out of me once," he told her. "I was trying to give her some advice and ended up being an insensitive jerk in the way I delivered it. I don't remember the actual slap but I've never forgotten what she told me right after. She said the easiest way to avoid being slapped was to think before speaking. Alice didn't think, Bella. She was pissed off and she lashed out at you in the one way she knew would push your buttons."

"We've rarely ever fought so for us to be at odds so much this summer …"

He moved her hair aside and laid his head next to hers. "I know you want to protect her, but you've got to take care of yourself too. You can't be the only one giving while Alice takes."

"I know."

"If you want, we can go down and you can apologize for the delivery. Just make it clear the message stands."

"I don't know … Are we done with work for the day?"

"Pretty much. We need to write up the daily. I definitely have to call Esme before we send it. She'll have my ass if I don't tell her what happened before letting her see the report."

"So would it be alright if I took a shower first and then we worked on the daily?"

"Yeah, sure. Go take a long one and relax."

"I don't know about relaxing but maybe I can sort some stuff out in my head."

"Just don't get frustrated if you don't have all the answers right away. With the shark or your sister."

Bella nodded and gave a small smile. "Don't write without me, okay?"

It made him smile to know she still wanted to be involved with the report after everything that had happened today. "Come here," he said, his hands already on her hips and sliding her closer.

She lifted an eyebrow at him while fighting to control her smile. "Something I can do for you?"

He looked her up and down and then leaned in to say, "A couple things, but I've got one in particular in mind right now."

He enjoyed their banter, and he was curious about what she might have said in response, but he didn't want to wait another second to kiss her. He dove right in, his tongue twisting with hers from the start. Rather than slate his need to taste her, it multiplied it and he found himself struggling to back off and calm things down.

"You know if you have sex right here at the table, I'm burning it," Lee promised.

A giggling, red-face Bella pecked him on the lips and then dashed away, leaving him with Lee and her big ass smirk.

"Thanks," he said sarcastically.

"I'm always here for ya, Mase," she replied, lifting her glass at him. "That's what best friends are for."

"And cock-blocking," Gopher added, laughing loudly as he sat down beside her. "Which I'm sure Masen will thank you for later, once the blood makes the return trip from his feeling head to his thinking head."

Lee snorted and giggled at her boyfriend's comment.

"Har-dee-fucking-har," Masen said, glaring at the both of them.

Lee grabbed an olive and tossed it at him. "You want to wait until the internship is over. I'm just doing my part as your friend to help you out."

"Why is that exactly?" Gopher asked, dumping the last few cheese cubes into his hand.

Masen thought about giving his standard answer of protecting their careers but decided at the last second to trust Gopher with the full truth. "If the internship is over, there's nothing to tie it to MMR. She'll know it's all about her. She'll know without a doubt she's kapu."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Alice paced around the small bedroom she shared with Whit as she waited for her uncle to answer his phone. She had done her best to understand Bella but now it was time to put an end to this insanity and their uncle had the power to do that.

"Hello, Sweetheart," her uncle greeted. "How's your afternoon going?"

"Horrible! Bella _slapped_ me. Can you believe that? She goes out and does something stupid and dangerous and when I call her on it, she slaps me." She had stopped pacing but only so her left foot could tap away at the floor. "She's lost her mind, Uncle Carlisle. You need to step in and do something before she gets herself hurt. Or …" She swallowed and forced the words out. "Or killed."

"Slow down and start over. Tell me exactly what happened," her uncle instructed.

Alice plopped down onto the end of Whit's bed, crossed her right leg over her left, and began bouncing that leg in time to her angry explanation. "Bella decided that instead of staying here on the big boat where it's relatively safe, she would get on that little boat with Masen and go get close to sharks for some stupid pictures. Like the cameras don't all have expensive zoom lenses on them. There was some issue with a seal and then the monster shark was right there at the boat and she put her hands in the water to pick up the seal. I told her how insane it was to put herself in danger like that and she slapped me. I'm telling you, Uncle Carlisle, she has lost her mind. She's out here with these shark people and she's not making any sense anymore."

"Alice …" Her uncle paused for a few seconds. "I know Bella as well as I know you and she wouldn't lose her temper that easily. What did you really say to her?"

Her leg stopped moving and her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "I might have accused her of seeing all this as a way to make up for Daddy."

After a short pause, he told her, "Disappointed doesn't really encompass how I'm feeling right now. You know how much that hurt her, just as you know you are the one that needs to make an apology here."

"But, Uncle Carlisle, I wouldn't have said that if she wasn't being so senseless."

"Sweetheart, have you considered at all that it's you who isn't making sense?"

She gasped and pulled the phone away to make sure it was really her uncle on the other end and she hadn't somehow accidentally called that Masen jerk. Never mind that she didn't have his number in her phone or would ever put it in there.

"How could you say that?" Alice demanded to know. "Do you even know what's really going on out here? Because it's not her petting dolphins. These are deadly, giant, ready to eat her monsters!" Her anger had boiled over into a fury, causing her to start pacing again.

"I know exactly what's going on. Bella calls me and sends me copies of the reports the team writes. I realize there are sharks in the water, and I'm all too familiar with how dangerous they can be. But I also respect Bella and her choices. I understand that as worried as I am for her, I cannot let my own fears impact her life. And I trust in Masen and the rest of the MMR team. They have shown they care deeply for Bella and want only for her to succeed."

"Masen? You _trust_ Masen? He's putting Bella next to sharks on purpose. He's furthering his own agenda and using her to do it. Not to mention the idiot is always calling me overdramatic."

"Alice, I love you dearly, but you are overdramatic at times. In fact, you are being so right now."

"No, no I am _not_ overdramatic," she argued, pointing at herself and yelling into the phone. "A stressed out octopus eats itself! That's overdramatic! I am perfectly reasonable for not trusting him." 

"Have you considered your distrust of Masen is directly related to how much he cares for your sister? I have heard you refer to Lee and Gopher as crazy shark people, but you've only personally attacked him. You even confided in me about Whit's past and yet you don't seem to get as worked up about his work as you do Bella's or Masen's. To me, it looks like Masen is an easy target for all of your fear and frustration."

"You don't understand," she cried, crumpling to the floor between the beds. "She's in danger. Real danger. And she won't see it. How can I protect her if she won't see it?"

"Alice, it is no more your job to protect Bella than it is hers to protect you. You are sisters, not keepers. If you can't be supportive of your sister's current goals, then you shouldn't be on that boat. My suggestion is when you get here day after tomorrow, you stay here with Esme and me. Take some time to search your soul and find out what you really believe, both about your sister and Masen. You can't continue the way you have been without being a danger to the team, including your sister."

She sputtered for a few seconds before releasing a pitchy question. "How can I be a danger?"

"Bella's mind needs to be on her work and her surroundings. How will she accomplish that if she's worried about what you'll accuse her and Masen of next?"

"So that's it? I'm totally wrong and I need to get off the boat?"

"Yes and no. You have been wrong up to this point but if you're ready and willing to admit it, you can make the necessary changes to stay on the boat and be a part of MMR with Bella. But be very clear about why you are there. Bella doesn't need you on the boat to be successful. She was doing just fine before we showed up to check on her. If you are on the boat, it needs to be because you want to gain something from service to MMR. And, Alice, that will mean you provide a service to the sharks you clearly hate so much."

Alice wasn't sure what to say so she said nothing.

"Sweetheart, I love you so very much and I'm sorry if I've hurt your feelings in any way, but it's my job to be honest with you and guide you as best I can."

"I know," she replied, her voice small, shaky, and unsure. This was the complete opposite of how she'd imagined this phone call would happen. "I love you too."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you and your sister day after tomorrow. I've missed you both."

"I've missed you too. Are you at least having fun with Esme in the meantime?"

He chuckled. "She's keeping me quite entertained."

"That's good," she said as the bedroom door opened and Whit stepped into the room. "I better let you go, Uncle Carlisle. I love you and I'll see you soon."

"I love you too, Sweetheart."

Alice closed her phone and met Whit's eyes, noticing right away that his expression was guarded rather than welcoming. "Hi."

"Why were you yelling about an octopus eating itself?"

She shrugged. "I read about it Masen's book yesterday and the image popped into my head while I was talking with my uncle."

"To me, talking is a give and take thing. Sounded more like you were demanding for him to see your point of view."

Alice made a face that scrunched her nose and showed a little shame for her behavior. "I just want someone to understand me for once and not immediately consider Bella to be in the right."

"That's your problem right there, Alice. You keep trying to plaster a right and wrong label on this and you can't. What's healing for your sister isn't required to work for you."

She hated to admit it, but his comment made sense. Rather than fess up to that, she told him about her uncle's idea. "Uncle Carlisle thinks I should stay in Gordon's Bay when we get back. He says I need time for soul searching and figuring out where I should be. He says I should only be on the boat if I want to gain something from working with all of you."

"I agree." Whit didn't even take a second to think about it and that hurt a lot more than she would have ever guessed. Even in her anger she'd thought briefly of how much she'd miss him if she stayed behind.

He knelt in front of her and took hold of her hands. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, Alice," he assured her. "I'm not saying this out of anger for what happened earlier. I'm simply showing you respect by being honest. You can't keep going the way you have been. You can't force Bella to give up on her dreams just to relieve your worry. You also can't hate Masen for Bella's choices. She made her decision when she filled out the application, long before she ever met him.

"If you continue like this, then you may as well blame me for getting bit and inspiring Masen to study sharks. Blame Lee for helping us, Gopher for joining us, and Esme for encouraging us. Blame your sister and uncle for surviving. Because blame is the easy way out when you don't want to face your own hurt, guilt, and fears."

Alice's tears were a steady stream sliding down her face and wetting her shirt. "Why does everyone think I'm hiding my feelings?"

"Maybe that needs to be the first question you answer during your time off."

"You're not going to miss me at all."

"Don't be silly, Ally," he said soothingly while pulling her into a hug. "I'll miss you so much I won't be able to stand it. But you need this time off, just like I need to be here. You need to figure out why you're so determined to get Bella away. From what I've seen so far, it sure seems it's Masen you're afraid to lose your sister to, not the sharks. They just make a convenient cover."

She pulled back to study his face. "It feels like you've been waiting to say these things rather than that you're just now coming up with them."

He shrugged. "It wasn't my place to get involved before. It was a personal issue between two sisters. But the last two times you've lost your temper, you've affected all of us and the team's safety. No matter how much we care about a person, we can't allow them to cause issues with our team. That's an unacceptable risk that we _will_ remedy. If it means someone has to be removed from our boat, then that's exactly what will happen. Safety is our number one priority, not sharks.

"And before you go off blaming Masen, he doesn't yet know that I was going to suggest you take a break. I wanted to tell you first and make sure you understood this isn't a personal attack, that my honest intention is to keep everyone I love safe. Your uncle beat me to it, though."

"You really feel that I'm putting your team in danger."

"Worse, Ally. You're putting my _family_ in danger. Masen and Lee and Gopher—they're so much more than my friends and my co-workers. They're my brothers and my sister. My cheerleaders. My friendly ears and strong shoulders. And Bella is feeling more like family every day. Not because she loves my best friend. But because she's a strong person with a beautiful heart and a lot of empathy. I love them and I will do everything and anything I have to in order to protect them."

"That's all I'm trying to do for Bella. I just want to protect her."

"I'm talking bodily harm due to distraction. You're demanding compliance to ease your own fears. Until you can see that and admit it, there's no room for you on this boat."

"Are you sure it's just the boat?"

"We've shared far too much for you to ask that."

"I just … I need to hear it. Please?"

He smiled and tenderly held her face in his hands. "You will always have a place in my life and my heart. But a place on my team is completely up to you and what effort you're willing to put forth."

"So do I tell Masen I'm taking some time off or do you do that?"

"If you want to show this is a serious attempt to figure things out and not just a way to annoy your sister, then you address the entire team during tomorrow morning's meeting."

She hadn't missed the hard edge to his tone, and she felt certain she was right about it being out of authority and not anger. He honestly considered her a safety risk to his family and she felt awful for making him feel that way. Even worse, she was starting to worry he was right.

Whit brushed her hair from her face and smiled sweetly at her. "I hope you know that even though I won't be with you, I'll be here for you. You're welcome to call or email and I promise to respond the first free second I have."

His smile, his willingness to help, his love for her so obvious in his gentle stare … It all made her feel completely undeserving of his friendship, much less his love and devotion. Even if she was right about Masen and about her sister needing to leave, her being right shouldn't come at the cost of Whit's feelings. "I'm sorry I'm turning out to be more of a nightmare than a dream."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Ally," he said with a chuckle. "We're pretty early on in our story and you've got a lot of chapters ahead to turn it all around."

Alice replayed her phone call and her conversation with Whit, looking for something her uncle and boyfriend had missed, some sign that proved her right. If Whit had been the first to suggest she take some time away, she knew she would have blamed it on his friendship with Masen. But the fact that her uncle had been the first negated that reasoning.

Hearing Whit had been thinking of asking her to leave was another blow, and another item keeping her from blaming Masen. While he was Whit's best friend and they absolutely had a bond, Whit wasn't the kind of man to ask the woman he loved to leave just to placate his friend. Whit supported the person in the right, no matter who that person might be.

She had never been very good at self-realization or soul searching or whatever people liked to call it. She typically took each day as an individual event and did her best to make it an a-okay day. Now she was not only going to have to look at her past, she was going to have to imagine her possible futures. This would be a great time to be a little more like her sister and share in her analytical abilities, but Alice wasn't counting on luck being on her side with this one.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Look at the eager beaver," Gopher joked as he settled into the empty seat beside Bella.

She rolled her eyes at him even as she smiled wide. "I'm not working on the daily. I'm just scrolling through the photos for personal reasons."

"I don't think anyone got a photo of the shark at the skiff. We were too far out for Lee to capture it and you and Masen had put down your cameras."

She twisted in her seat to look at him with wide, surprised eyes. "How did you know I was looking for that?"

His smile was full of tenderness and compassion. "You came face to face with the star of your nightmares. I'd want to make sure it was real too."

"You really saw it?"

"I saw it. And you. Guppy. I can't tell you how proud I am of you for not flipping out. I'm being perfectly honest with you here—I don't know that I could have done it, not with all you've been through. The strength and control that took …" He paused and shook his head. "Seriously amazed, Guppy. And damn curious too. How the hell did you stay so calm right then and later during our team meeting?"

The hurt look in Alice's eyes and her red cheek flashed in front of Bella's mind. She pushed the image and the guilt away, not yet ready to deal with it. She said, "On the skiff, I kept focusing on how much I trust Edward. And after that, I mostly just thought of my sister and how I needed to be strong for her."

Gopher nodded and then he shifted to face Bella, suddenly seeming hesitant and unsure. "As your friend, can I be honest with you?"

She immediately reached out to comfort him, laying her hand on his big shoulder. "Of course you can. You weren't expecting what happened any more than I was."

"This isn't about me or the shark. It's about your sister."

"Oh," Bella replied, sinking back into her chair. She hadn't planned on talking about her sister but if Gopher was bothered enough to bring her up, then Bella would talk about her. "It's not my pick of topics but go ahead."

"I've got sisters of my own. I know it's a natural instinct to want to step in and protect your sibling. But I also know I have to take care of me and I'm really worried you don't. Since she's gotten here, I've seen you put yourself in the backseat for her again and again. Sometimes maybe it was the right thing to do, but not all of the time. And not today."

"Is it really that noticeable?"

"It couldn't be any clearer if you two were wearing bells and waving flags." His answer meant that everyone was seeing it now, not just Edward.

"Guppy, what you experienced today is a big deal and you shouldn't have had to pretend otherwise. You should have felt free to be yourself and feel whatever it was you were feeling. You should have had the comfort and support of your sister. But you didn't even have mutual respect from her today. I know you think you owe her something for what happened to your parents, but you don't."

"How can you say that? If it wasn't for me—"

"If it wasn't for you, she'd be without a doting big sister on top of not having her parents around. Sad part is she doesn't see that at all and that's why she doesn't appreciate you. If you want to change that, if you want her to appreciate and respect you, you're going to have to stand firm and stand your ground. Don't put her first anymore. Don't apologize for standing up for yourself today, especially not the slap. The second you apologize for hitting her, she'll take it as an apology for everything and convince herself again that she's in the right."

"Em, I don't know if I can do that," Bella replied honestly. She had never been able to stand the thought of anyone in her family hurting, especially if she felt she was the cause.

"Then if not for yourself, Bella, do it for Masen. That man is doing everything he can to help both you and your sister but he's no longer sure where the line is between keeping peace between teammates and interfering in his kapu's relationship with her sister. He's stuck taking his cues from you so you have to draw the line with Alice and hold it."

Bella sighed and sunk her hands into her still damp hair; she'd come straight to the office after her shower.

"Talk to me, Guppy," Gopher urged. "What are you thinking?"

"I hate that I'm having such a negative effect on Edward. He's already admitted I throw him off all on my own so I can't imagine how awful Alice is making things."

"All of that is true, but it's also not your fault. It's not your duty to fix Alice either. She sure as hell isn't trying to help you. Look at all the times she's interrupted your conversations with Mase and the rest of us."

"She's not doing it on purpose. She's just so focused on her questions that she doesn't realize."

"Bella, that's the textbook example of selfish. Even if she's oblivious at first, Alice never apologizes or offers to come back later. She runs right over you. And to be perfectly honest, I don't think she's as innocent as you believe, especially when it comes to interrupting Masen."

She thought back on all of the interruptions in the past week, searching for that one time that her sister had said she was sorry or asked if she should come back. There were none and that discovery made Bella feel incredibly sad. The relationship she thought she'd had with her sister was completely one-sided. And there in the middle was Edward, confused and trapped between two polar opposite sisters.

"I like your sister. As a person, she's pretty cool," Gopher continued. "As a teammate, though, she sucks worse than Harvey Dent blaming Batman for Rachel's death. I want to see you and your sister both happy, and I really think the only way is for you to focus on you and leave her to figure out her shit."

She took a moment to think over everything he'd said and all that had happened since Alice's arrival. She thought of today and how it should have been a team-building experience rather than a divisive moment. She remembered her conversation with Alice in Edward's office, showing her the proof of his hard work. She had given her sister a set of rules to abide by, hoping to get through to her as much as protect the team from her. But Alice had chosen again to put her own wants and needs in front of everyone else and because of it the team had been focused on her rather than their work. Losing focus was one of the quickest ways for accidents to happen and one of Edward's biggest fears for the team.

Bella lifted her eyes to Gopher's, finding nothing but understanding and the love of a good friend in his warm gaze. "I told her she had to accept my choice to be here and that I wouldn't put up with any more attempts to play on my feelings and fears. If I want her to follow through, I have to show her I'm serious about it. So I'm not going to apologize, and I'm going to ask her to go home."

"Bella, I didn't mean for you to kick her off the boat," Gopher said quickly. "I just want to see you stand up to her and to keep her from affecting the entire team."

"I know that," she assured him. "And I know my sister. The way to prove to her that I'm serious is to follow through with the consequence I promised her. She proved today she's not part of our team so I'm going to prove I mean what I say."

"Only if you're sure that's really the best way to handle it. I'll back you up with anyone who disagrees."

She smiled and set her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you. I know it's just two words but I mean them so completely."

He grinned and puffed out his chest. "Look at me. Escaping a shark, saving a seal, and helping a friend all in the same day."

Bella laughed with him, shaking her head at the same time.

Edward appeared in the doorway. "Why does the sound of you two laughing worry me so much?"

"'Cause you're too damn untrusting, Mase," Gopher replied, giving Bella a secret wink. "You find two teammates laughing and immediately assume we're being nefarious. For shame."

"For shame!" Bella echoed, trying for a stern look and ending up giggling instead.

Edward ignored them both, sitting down behind the desk and starting to arrange his piles of paperwork.

Gopher leaned over to whisper to Bella, "Make sure you tell him tonight. He's not so great with surprises, especially when it involves the whole team."

She couldn't help her snort or her smart ass response. "Ya think?"

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella felt her body being tugged. She forced herself to wake and popped her eyes open, finding Edward trying to scoot her over and cover her up at the same time. "Hi."

"Don't wake up. I'm just making a little room to join you."

"But I want to wake up. I want to talk to you."

He smiled at her as he tucked her legs under the covers. "We'll talk in the morning."

"I'd rather talk now if you don't mind."

"You okay?" he asked, stopping to study her face.

"Yeah, I just really want to talk to you tonight." Once he was in the bed with her, she said, "I guess piling all your pillows up wasn't the best idea since it made me fall asleep."

"True, but putting them and yourself in the direct middle of the bed ensured I'd have to move you and most likely wake you."

She picked his hand up from her stomach and slid her fingers through his. "I'm still not sure how I feel about today. It didn't get any clearer in the shower or going over it again for the daily. And I wasn't able to write in my journal tonight while I was waiting for you to finish up your work. But I did make some decisions about Alice."

Bella shifted to face Edward, finding his eyes to still be the ramped-up blue from an exciting day. "I want to apologize to you. What happened during the team meeting wasn't professional and I'm sorry for my part in it."

"You don't need to apologize, Bella. We're all family. We've all blurred that line ourselves a time or two."

"But I do owe you an apology. All of you." She felt a deep mix of guilt and remorse for what she'd put her team through, feelings that she knew he would immediately say she didn't deserve to feel. But her choices had gotten them here and had put her team at risk today.

"It was my idea to bring Alice aboard," she continued. "I thought if she was here, it would be easier to fix the rift between us. And I thought you could work your magic on her like you've done with me and help her fix her fears. But I was wrong. I brought her aboard for the wrong reasons and I put unnecessary stress on you. I can't fix my sister. I can only support her in her efforts to fix herself. The problem is, she doesn't believe there's anything wrong."

Edward wrapped both of his arms around her and pulled her against him. At first, he just held her and warmed her inside and out. But then he slowly began to respond to all she'd said.

"Bella, the changes you've seen in yourself, that's not my magic. That's your hard work. All I'm doing is offering you the tools to overcome. You're the one taking the steps and making the strides.

"As for your sister, you are not responsible for her. You told Whit that we make the choice every day to be responsible for our own actions and not blame our behaviors on our tragedies. You also told him Alice was choosing wrong and that none of us are responsible for that. You've said it. Now you need to believe it.

"The reason you brought her aboard, wanting to fix your relationship with her … It's honorable and it's a loving gesture. Not a single one of us would even try to fault you for that. I can't even say I wouldn't do the same if it was me with Whit or Lee. Hell, even Gopher.

"And you didn't put any extra stress on me. Not really. I could have refused to help at any point but I wanted to try to reach Alice. I wanted to help her if I could. The only thing I regret about her coming along with us is that she never gave me a real chance. Maybe if she had, things would be a lot different right now."

"Things are going to be different," Bella promised, looking into his eyes so he'd see the truth in hers. "I'm going to tell Alice she has to leave during the meeting tomorrow morning. I brought her here, so I'm sending her away. She doesn't really want to be here and I don't want her negativity around any of us anymore. She refuses to respect me, my choices, my team—it's time for her to go home."

"Do you really believe you'll be okay with that decision? That you won't end up regretting it and replaying it every single day?"

"This is what I want," she promised. "This is me standing up for myself and putting my needs first. I need to be here, I need to be focused, and I need to continue making progress. I can't have what I need with Alice around."

Edward tucked her head under his chin and hugged her tightly. "I know this wasn't an easy decision for you, and I agree it's necessary. The reason you had time to fall asleep while waiting for me—I was trying to find another solution, any other solution. But Alice's behavior today, the way she had the team more worried about her than themselves … If it will help your relationship at all, I'll tell her it's my choice."

"You are so sweet to offer, but it has to be me. She has to see this is my decision, that it was made because of her behavior. Otherwise she'll never take me seriously or stop blaming you for my choices."

He pressed his lips against her hair and squeezed her gently. "I'm proud of you. I'm also pretty damn awed by how strong you've been today."

"Well I _do_ have an awesome support system, what with my always patient and encouraging mentor and my great friends."

"I sense a little sarcasm with that patient part, kapu."

"No, no sarcasm," she promised. "Just selective defining, as in you are absolutely persistent but hardly a blip on easy-going."

He called her a smart ass at the same time that he pinched her ass, getting a squeal and then a laugh out of her which he quickly cut off with a kiss. So sweet and soft and almost innocent to start with, and then building into a fiery pyre of passion and possession, all of which she was perfectly fine with and happy to accept and reciprocate. She was pinned to the mattress by the weight of his body just as much as he was trapped by her arms locked around his neck and her legs tangled up with his.

His rough stubble scratching her neck was quickly cooled by the softness of his lips. "I love you. I love who you are as a person, how strong you are, and how you make me feel when I'm with you. I love that you make me say girly shit like that just as much as you make me feel alive and needy."

She figured the best response was a physical one so she lifted his face, took half a second to admire the deep green of his eyes, and then kissed the hell out of him, pouring every bit of herself into the kiss and giving it all to him freely and with complete trust that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

They shifted together, aligning areas they'd been careful to keep separate, both of them fully aware of the layers between and deciding to leave them there. Agreeing without words that waiting to be together was the right thing to do, but so was sharing this moment and their need, and easing the frustration between and in them. Working together, her body lifting to meet each of his slow, powerful thrusts … Their kiss-swollen lips swallowing soft cries and deep moans. Fully immersed in this moment with only the needs and pleasure of the other on their minds.

Minutes or hours later, neither knew or cared, their sweaty, spent bodies remained locked in a lovers embrace. The only movement was her hand gliding through his silky hair, the gentle action calming them both and bringing them closer to sleep with each pass. Their minds were blank for the first time in a very long time for each of them and neither could come up with the word for the unknown but welcome feeling coursing through them. It had been so long since they'd known contentment, a true peace with themselves and their world—which was currently narrowed to include only the two of them.

They fell asleep that way, with him still covering her with his body and her hand in his hair half-way through another calming pass. Tomorrow there would be plenty of time for reflection and discussion. Tonight was only for the dreamless sleep they both deserved and needed.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: ** We hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this new year! We've also got a blog post from Lee and a picture to share with you over on the blog at masenmarineresearch


	35. 35 Little Sister, Big Annoyance

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 35 – Little Sister, Big Annoyance**

**Saturday, July 12th**

Bella woke to the feel of Edward's lips on the side of her neck. "Morning," he whispered between kisses.

She hummed in agreement.

He chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "You sound like you'd stay sleeping if it was an option."

"Probably."

After a short silence, he said, "So last night."

"Last night." She said the words slowly while turning over to face him, trying to figure out his mood from his face and eyes. She was happy to see that he seemed relaxed and that his eyes were still green.

But when he didn't say anything it made her nervous and her practical side came out. "I think you should do our laundry."

His confusion looked and sounded authentic. "Uh … why?"

"These particular unclean clothes shouldn't be left for Gopher."

"Okay but wouldn't it be less conspicuous for you to do it since you normally help him?"

"That's exactly why it would be more conspicuous for me to be doing laundry without him. Plus, you're expected to be weird about your clothing ever since the lucky shirt incident."

He rolled his eyes. "There was no _incident_. But fine, I'll wash our clothes."

"Okay then."

"Okay," he said, his face mirroring the insecurity she felt. "Anything else you'd like to say about last night?"

"Like what?"

"Well … It's not something we should do often, but I don't mind it being an option either."

She laughed at how hard he'd tried to sound causal about it. "Glad to know you're not regretting it."

"Are you?" He sounded like he was seriously asking.

"Not at all," she promised. "Why would you think I would?"

"Yesterday was a pretty intense day."

"It was but it had nothing to do with us at that moment." She pressed her hand to his cheek, drawing his eyes to hers. "There was nothing on my mind then. Nothing but you."

He grinned and gently kissed her wrist.

"What you said about it being an option, that means you don't feel it crossed our line right?"

"If we'd felt it did, we would have stopped last night. I could feel it was a choice for you and I know damn sure it was for me. We're not letting our libidos lead us blindly around, even if we wouldn't mind doing just that."

She nodded in agreement with his assessment. "I just wanted to make sure you were as okay with it as I am."

"I think we should at least try to keep our expressions on a small scale so they're more manageable, but if it gets to where we need something a little more thorough, then it's an option."

Bella was trying to be serious about all of this but the way he was so carefully phrasing things, making it sound like they were being completely professional when last night had been entirely personal and deeply intimate … It was tickling the hell out of her funny bone for some reason and she started giggling.

"A guy could really get worried about you laughing right now."

"I'm sorry," she said while still laughing. "Hearing you refer to sexual acts as expressions is just cracking me up for some reason."

He rolled over onto his back and put his arms over his face. "This conversation is over."

She propped herself up on her arm, trying to work out if he was really embarrassed or just messing with her. She went through everything she'd learned about him through conversations and observations and came to the decision that this was real embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for embarrassing you," she said sincerely, laying her chin on his chest. "I should have thought about how new this is for you, wanting there to be a repeat with the same woman and actually having feelings for her."

"I'm not embarrassed," he grumbled. "I'm just trying to make sure things are okay but all I'm accomplishing is making you laugh."

She tugged at his arms until he finally let her pull them away and looked at her. "Edward, we're completely okay. And I appreciate you wanting to make sure of it. You don't have to phrase it any special way. Just ask and I'll always answer you honestly."

He moved so quickly that she had no chance to keep him from rolling her over and playfully squishing her into the mattress. "So did I prove I'm fully capable of relieving your frustration?"

She laughed and pushed his face away with both hands. "You're an ass."

"No, no," he said as he grabbed her hands. "You promised to answer honestly."

"I meant a real question."

"This is a real question. So how about it, kapu?"

"You were completely … absolutely … unequivocally … adequate."

He stared at her for a second, like he wasn't sure he'd really heard her say that. And then he grinned evilly and attacked. His fingers found every single ticklish spot she had, many she swore had only just become ticklish during his assault. He ignored all of her laughing requests to stop and only quit when she was breathless.

When she could manage to move again, she hugged him tightly. "I love you."

"Love you too." He sighed and relaxed his hold on her. "I hate to say it, but we have to get up and get moving. If I don't get in the bathroom in the next ten minutes, Lee will declare my spot forfeited and take it for herself."

"She so would," Bella agreed. They pulled themselves out of bed and Edward went for his dresser while Bella grabbed her journal from his nightstand. "Guess I'll see you upstairs at breakfast then."

He ran over to catch her at the door and grab one last kiss before they started their day. "See you upstairs. Oh and stick your clothes in my hamper after your bathroom slot and I'll take care of them at lunch."

"Make sure you use fabric softener. I hate stiff clothes."

He snorted. "You didn't seem to mind mine."

"Really?" she asked, her hand unconsciously going to her hip. "That's really the last thing you want to say to me before I leave this room."

His shitty grin came right out but quickly turned into a softer and sweeter smile. "I love you."

"You know that's not a get-out-of-jail-free card, right?"

"I do. And I still mean it." He kissed her softly and then headed off toward the bathroom.

She stood in his doorway watching him and smiling for a moment and then went to her own room to put her journal away and pick out clothes for today. It was going to be another big one, starting with facing her sister and sending her home.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Here. There's just enough for one bowl," Lee said as she offered the box of Lucky Charms to Masen.

"Nah, you take it. I'll just eat some of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch."

Lee whirled around and stared hard at him. "What's up?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, reaching over her head for the box of cereal.

"You only give up the last of the Lucky Charms when you're in a great mood. What happened to put you into a great mood, Mase?"

He didn't realize he was smiling until she grabbed his face.

She searched his eyes for a moment and then let out a quiet "wow". "You are seriously happy right now. How'd Guppy accomplish that?"

Before he could say anything, her eyes quickly widened and her voice went up a register. "You did, didn't you?"

"Did what?"

"Did _who_!" Her squeaky voice made him laugh.

It also brought out his cocky smirk.

"Nope. I was wrong," she said with a disappointed expression. "You didn't make love to her. You did something with her, but not that."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Your face," she replied as she pushed the heel of her hand against his cheek. "If you had made love to her last night, the last thing you'd be feeling is cocky."

"What makes you such an expert?"

"Been there, done that, still doing that."

He curled his upper lip in disgust. "Really didn't need to hear that before breakfast."

"You can fake disgust all you want but you're not changing the topic."

"There is no topic. You made some random statements and I played along."

"No, you're not playing and you damn sure aren't fooling me. You were intimate with your kapu hours after telling me you were worried she wouldn't understand how much it meant to you to be with her."

He slammed the cereal box on the counter and huffed out of annoyance. "That's not even close to what I said!"

"But it's exactly what you meant." Whit's voice had Masen hanging his head low.

He had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Bella and breakfast that he hadn't noticed Whit sitting in the booth. He might have had a chance to avoid Lee but no way would he get away from both of them.

His friends at least let him fix his breakfast and take a seat before beginning their inquisition.

"So what changed?"

Masen replied to Lee with a question of his own. "Why do you think something changed?"

Whit was the one to answer. "Because yesterday was a cluster. We were all stressed out and you had the added frustration of deciding what to do with Alice. No way would you take a new step with Bella while feeling that way."

"Considering I've never been in this position before, you can't know what I would do," Masen argued.

"We know _you_," Lee insisted. "No way would you risk turning intimacy into a mistake with your kapu."

"Come on, Mase. You know we're only asking to make sure you're okay."

"Both of you," Lee added. "We love you and we care about Bella."

Masen scrubbed his face with his hands and then eyed his friends. "You two better not use anything I say to give me shit," he warned them.

Whit and Lee used their fingers to draw imaginary halos over their heads.

"Yeah, right," Masen grumbled, only barely containing his smile. No matter if they were being annoying or loving, he had a damn fine family.

He took a breath and then gave them the highlights of the conversation he'd had with Bella last night regarding her sister. He was careful of his phrasing, mindful of Whit's feelings for Alice. He knew his friend's position hadn't been any easier than his own and would probably be worse after this morning's meeting.

"I know I don't have to say it, but I'll do it anyway. I'm not agreeing with Bella just because Alice is a pain in my ass. I'm agreeing because she made yesterday all about her and that's not safe for any of us."

"I agree completely," Whit assured him.

Masen was taken aback by his friend's quick agreement. Not that he felt Whit would disagree, but just that he would avoid giving an opinion one way or the other to keep the peace in his personal relationship. If Whit felt just as strongly about Alice's behavior, then it was definitely time for her to get off the boat.

"Me three," Lee piped up. "Even when we were writing the daily last night, it felt like we were all still thinking about her and what happened in some way. I don't have anything against her as a person, but I don't trust her to have my back as my teammate either."

Masen and Whit nodded in understanding and agreement.

"I don't know …" Masen admitted. "Deciding to take her out of the equation … It just felt different once we didn't have that weight on us anymore. I know we'll still have to deal with Alice on a personal level, but maybe this will make it easier to do that."

"Does Alice know yet?" Lee asked.

"No," Masen replied with a shake of his head. "Bella felt it would be best to tell her during the morning meeting."

Lee shifted to face Whit. "What do you think? Good idea or iceberg ahead?"

"Good idea," Whit said confidently. "Alice feels bad about the way she acted yesterday so she'll want to show she can act differently this morning."

"I sure as hell hope so," Masen and Lee said together, cracking themselves and Whit up. It wasn't often they shared the exact same thought.

_But we always have each other's backs_, Masen thought.

"Back to you and Bella," Lee directed. "Everything good? No regrets on either side?"

"None," he assured them.

"You're sure for both you and her, right?"

Masen grinned, knowing Lee would never see this coming. "I'm sure because I asked."

She pretended to wipe away a tear while leaning her arm on Whit's shoulder. "Our little Mase is growing up."

Both men snorted at her. And then Masen did something else they weren't used to; he thanked his friends for caring enough to be nosey. Of course, he followed that up by threatening to throw them overboard if they ever teased him over their conversation.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella had hoped coming up to the viewing deck would calm her but the urge to pace was just as strong as it had been in her room. She absently rubbed her sweaty palms against the sides of her jean shorts as she circled the small table once again. In her head, she knew it was ridiculous to be nervous. The decision was already made and it was the right one—the only one that would ensure the safety of her team. But in her heart, the place where she had a difficult time not being a protective big sister, she worried how Alice would perceive things. Would she understand this was the only choice she'd left Bella with? Or would this be another insult she blamed Edward for?

"I came up here to offer you some coffee but I think you've had plenty already."

Bella turned and found Lee standing near the door holding two coffee cups. "I wish this was caffeine induced. It would be so much easier if it was a thing and not a who."

"I know you turned Masen down already, but if you'd like me to be the one to tell Alice it's time to disembark, I'll take that hit. Or maybe hate would be a better word."

"Thank you, but no," Bella said as she took one of the cups from Lee. "And Alice really doesn't hate any of you, despite the impression her actions have created. I don't know exactly what it is that's making her act like a fool, but it's not hate driving her."

"Here's a question I bet you haven't been asked yet," Lee said as she settled into the loveseat. "What's driving you?"

Bella sat on the edge of the chair beside her. "What do you mean?"

"Kicking Alice off the boat needs to happen. You know this just like I do, and all the guys. So why is it that you're stressing out about it?"

Bella considered the question carefully. "So much of what Alice has said and done, it's all come from a place of immaturity. If that's still where her head is at, she's not going to see my decision is coming from a professional stance. She's going to take it completely personally and I'm worried for what that will do to our personal relationship."

"That's just it, though, Bella. As much as you have seen her inclusion as a professional endeavor, she's only ever seen it as a series of personal choices. She chose to follow her big sister onto this boat and see what she's doing here. You are choosing to be here where there's danger instead of at home where she feels you're safe."

Bella sighed into her coffee cup. "I've drawn a clear line between professional and personal, but Alice has never been capable of that. She came to South Africa because her sister was hurt. She stayed because she was terrified for me." She shrugged and added, "I guess maybe I should have just let her go home and spend her summer with her sorority friends. It was selfish for me to want her to see how great I'm doing."

"Maybe it was selfish, but at least it was a genuine intent. You thought if she saw your progress that it would ease her fears. Alice's selfishness is a completely different monster. From what I've seen and heard, she doesn't want you to progress. She doesn't want you to lose your fear of the water. If either of those happens, then you change and that makes your relationship with her change. That scares her. Even if she doesn't want to admit it. But that still doesn't make what she's doing right. And I think somewhere deep down she recognizes how wrong that is and that's why she blames Masen for you being here. It's always easier to place blame on someone else, especially when the truth is painful."

"Is this a girls' only party or can this cool guy join the fun?" Gopher asked from behind them.

"Where's the cool guy?" Lee asked, pretending to look all around for someone else.

Gopher sighed while shaking his head and smiling. "Always equal parts love and torture with you, babe."

"It's my daily gift to you," she retorted.

"Seriously, though, Masen sent me to fetch you gals," Gopher told them. "He's itching to start the meeting so we can start the work."

"Is he in full-on 'ants in the pants' mode?" Lee asked as she stood.

He snorted. "Nearly there. Whit's told him to sit his ass down three times already."

"Is Alice with them?" Bella questioned as they started down the stairs.

"Not yet." Gopher looked at her over his shoulder. "Want me to let you get her?"

"No, it's best if you do it."

"Try not to be worried, Guppy," Gopher cautioned. "There are only two outcomes really. One is that she'll understand she pushed you to make this decision, which will open her mind to just how horrible she's really been. The other is that she'll blame Masen and prove she hasn't found her rock bottom yet. Either way, you can't control how she feels. You can only control how you allow it to affect you."

Once they reached the booth, Edward gave Bella a reassuring hug while reminding her that he'd give her the floor after he opened the meeting.

"Leave her alone before you make her nervous," Whit ordered.

Lee snorted. "That ship sailed long ago, bro."

"Alice will understand," Whit assured them all. "Trust me. I have inside knowledge on this one."

"Eww," Lee cried while pushing on his shoulder. "We don't want to hear about your kinky pillow talk."

"Ex-squeeze me," Whit replied just as loudly. "I'd like to remind you that you're the reason I always pick my room last. You've made it impossible to share a wall with you."

Lee giggled and then sang, "_At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I can't live my life without you by my side._"

Whit put her in a headlock and ordered her to shut up while Edward told them both to calm down and behave. Bella just stood to the side smiling and taking in their silliness. She knew this meeting was just as big of a deal to them and that this was how they let out their own nerves over it.

Much sooner than Bella felt ready for, Gopher returned with Alice. Once everyone was seated, Edward called the meeting to order.

"Today's schedule has changed greatly based on yesterday's impromptu adventure," he announced. "Before I get into specifics, I want to acknowledge Guppy's visible progress yesterday. Guppy, without your calmness and your full cooperation, we might very well have broken our no harm, no foul streak."

Bella blushed at the praise, especially with the others clapping and hooting for her.

"And Gopher," Masen said loud enough to calm them all down. "Although you made a mistake that flooded the engine, you more than made up for it by remaining calm and following new directions quickly and completely."

Gopher seemed adorably shocked and completely pleased by the praise, smiling so wide that everyone else smiled right along with him.

"Down to the specifics," Edward declared as he looked over his notes. "We're going to hold off on decoys until we have a revised plan of action that accounts for yesterday and makes everyone feel safe. We'll spend today grabbing what footage we can from natural breaches. Since we know the time periods when those should be occurring, we'll have more downtime than usual throughout the day. Whatever you choose to do, try to keep it work related. We've got a couple grant applications that could use some editing, there's the blog we're attempting this summer, and there are videos and books for brushing up on your shark and seal knowledge."

He looked to Bella and once she nodded, he addressed the group. "Before I give assignments out, Bella would like to address everyone."

She slid out of the booth and he immediately took her hand, caressing it softly and then giving it a comforting squeeze while smiling reassuringly. She tried to smile back but it felt more like a grimace to her and probably was with as nervous as she still felt.

Once he was seated in her spot, she turned her focus to her sister and found her nervousness quickly dissipating into annoyance. Alice appeared to be giving her attention to her nails rather than the meeting. Bella hoped maybe she just hadn't wanted to face Edward and was actually listening. She'd know soon enough …

"First, I'd like to apologize to the entire team for my part in the disturbance of yesterday's discussion on our shark encounter. It was highly unprofessional and I will do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Alice didn't look up or acknowledge Bella's words in any other way.

Speaking calmly, but certainly not feeling that way, Bella called her sister's name until she had her attention. "Alice, you were given a set of criteria to meet in order to continue your work with this team. It is my belief that you have not met them—"

"Bella—"

"Please don't interrupt. You can have your say when I'm done," Bella told her. She took a steadying breath and then continued. "Because you haven't met the criteria, it is my decision to revoke your invitation. When we disembark tonight, it will be permanent for you. You are welcome to remain in Gordon's Bay at the house with Esme if you'd like to continue spending time with us throughout the remainder of the summer. You're also free to go home if you would prefer to be with your sorority sisters."

Alice looked to Whit and after he nodded, she turned her brown eyes on Bella. "I agree that my place is not on the boat at this time. I apologize to everyone for my behavior yesterday. It was never my intent to put any of you in danger. I realize now that I've been taking things personally instead of acting professionally. I'm looking forward to having the time to figure things out and decide on how to spend the rest of my summer."

Bella wanted to trust her sister but she had a hard time feeling comfortable when her sister's response had sounded so practiced. Then again, maybe it was a sign that Alice had actually thought about her behavior and was taking responsibility for her actions. That nod Whit had given her could mean that she'd discussed things with him and he'd been able to get her to understand she'd been acting extremely selfish.

Edward took back control of the meeting at that point, sharing some pretty exciting news with them. Since he needed time to revamp the decoy action plans, their next mission would take them to Buffel's Bay for six full days to investigate the area's cycles of being shark-free. There would be plenty of opportunities for her to take photographs while the others took water samples and gathered weather and climate data. Edward also mentioned scuba diving but she wasn't sure six days would be enough time to get comfortable with the area and trust the water to be safe. Still, the chance was there and that alone was pretty damn exciting. Worrying for her sister was finally exactly where it should be—the last thing on Bella's mind.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Sunday, July 13th**

"My sunglasses!" Bella squealed, reaching for them but then immediately giving up in favor of not falling off Edward's back. His skin was warm from the sun, wet from splashing through the water, and scratchy from the few times they'd ended up in the sand with Lizzy jumping all over them.

The plan had originally been for Edward, Lee, and Whit to spend their morning off surfing while Gopher and Bella watched. But the waves had refused to cooperate so it had turned into Lizzy chasing Edward and Bella along the water's edge while Lee, Gopher, and Whit enjoyed a morning swim.

Bella had really wanted to be out there with her friends but she couldn't get her nerves to cooperate. It seemed they were still pretty shaky from the seal-shark incident the other day and for once Bella truly felt the reaction she was having was normal. It helped a lot to know that Edward—the entire team really—felt exactly the same.

Edward scooped Bella's sunglasses out of the water and handed them to her. He barely gave her enough time to put them back on before spinning around with her, twisting out of Lizzy's path once again.

"Oh, Lizzy! Almost got us that time," he said while laughing.

Bella was laughing too but she was mainly trying to free her face from the wet hairs plastered to it. She had put her long hair in a ponytail but all the running around had shaken enough pieces loose to be annoying whenever they stuck to her face.

Lizzy trotted out of the surf and shook her little body, spraying water into the air. She then plopped down in the sand and set her head on her paws.

"Alright. She's done." Edward squatted down to let Bella off his back. Once she was clear, he scooped up his puppy and cradled her in his arms. "My poor girl. All tuckered out. Time for a bath and a treat, and then you can crash in your bed."

Bella grinned at how adorable Edward was being with Lizzy. "Speaking of her bed … Did you move it into my room?"

He snorted. "Nope. She did that herself and Esme got tired of moving it back to the living room so it's been in your room the past few days."

"Awe! She missed me!" Bella cooed as she scratched Lizzy behind the ear.

"Can't say I blame her."

His response, as much as the blasé way he'd said it, caused Bella to come to an immediate halt but it took Edward a couple steps to notice.

"What?" he asked as he came back to her. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"Nothing. It's just … You always joke I'm trying to steal her is all."

"But that's all it is, Bella. It's a joke."

"I know but …" She blew out a breath and went all in, hoping her honesty wouldn't backfire and ruin the great morning they'd been having together. "But you mean it a little too. I know you've felt like I twisted everything in your world."

He smiled wide as he leaned in slowly and then softly kissed her. "I'm not minding the twisting so much after the other night."

Lizzy chose that moment to nip him on the chin.

"See," Bella said while laughing. "That's what you get for being a smart ass during a serious moment."

He shifted Lizzy into his right arm and wrapped his left around Bella. "Long as I also get you." He kissed her again, slow and sweet and probably mindful of the fact that Esme and Carlisle were sitting out on the patio.

"So is this more relaxed you going to be a permanent thing?" she asked as they started walking again. "Or is it just a short term effect of the other night?"

"As much as we both enjoyed the other night, I'm pretty sure it's relief from how well yesterday's meeting went. I fully expected Alice to throw a fit and say something stupid, and most likely hurtful. I never expected her to agree with you and apologize to the team."

"I didn't expect her to mean it and keep talking to me," Bella admitted. "I thought she was confused and somehow thinking I would be staying behind with her."

"I'm glad that wasn't the case."

"Me too."

They stepped into the house at what happened to be the same time that Alice stepped out of the kitchen. "Morning," she said with a smile Bella could tell was forced.

"I'm glad you're up." Bella meant it completely, despite the odd way Alice had acted last night. She had been just as excited as the team to get back to the house but as soon as they'd arrived, Alice had gone to her room and stayed there the rest of the night.

Bella pushed those thoughts aside and focused on sharing the day's plan with her sister. "It's a beautiful day outside and we're all going to Cape Town for lunch and then we're going to do some exploring."

"Thanks, but I'm not really up for walking all over."

"It won't be that much walking. And there will be shopping involved," Bella said, sure the shops would entice her sister.

It didn't work. "You guys have fun. I've got a book I really want to read."

"Don't be this way, Alice," Bella pleaded. "We're all going, even Carlisle and Esme."

"It's a family outing, Alice. That means the whole family comes along," Edward encouraged.

"I'll think about it." She turned and walked away, heading for her bedroom.

Bella turned to Edward, feeling frustrated by Alice's behavior, and a little pissed that her sister was affecting her mood. "She's never been this way before. She's had the occasional moments where she was pissy she didn't get her way, but not like this. And she agreed she doesn't need to be on the boat so why I am being treated like I've done something wrong?"

"This might sound like a weird idea, but it's what I'd do if this was me with Lee or Whit. Go talk to Carlisle. Even though you and Alice are adults, he's the parental figure. He's got a voice that carries more weight than either of yours. And he's the least emotionally involved in this thing."

"It can't possibly hurt. I mean, this _has_ to be rock bottom, right? She's off the boat."

"Only Alice will know when she's hit her bottom and is ready to be honest with herself."

Bella sighed and turned her head, looking at the patio doors. "Alright. I'll give it a try." She looked back at Edward. "Do you want me to help you bathe Lizzy first?"

"Nah, she's easy. Go talk to your uncle. At the very least, it'll make you feel better."

"Thank you."

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers for a whisper of a kiss. "You're welcome, kapu."

She pushed her lower lip out and gave her best sad face. "That wasn't a real kiss."

He chuckled at her behavior. "I know but I've got a puppy that needs a bath and a kapu in need of a conversation. I promise I'll make it up to you later." He kissed her cheek and then headed off toward the bathroom with Lizzy.

Bella took a deep breath and went out on the patio. "Morning," she greeted as she sat down at the table.

"Morning, sweetheart." Carlisle looked pretty happy and relaxed with his chair pushed up beside Esme's and his arm around her shoulders.

Esme looked at the doors and then to Bella. "Where's my kid?"

"Giving Lizzy a bath. That's if he doesn't cave and give her treats now instead of after the bath."

Esme chuckled. "To think I actually expected him to get bored of taking care of her. Well, I better go lend a hand before he does cave." She shared a quick kiss with Carlisle that had them both smiling ridiculously big and then she disappeared into the house.

"Is Alice awake yet?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah, I just saw her. In fact, she's the reason I came out here. I've been nothing but fair to her and she's still acting like I'm the one being unreasonable. Now she's saying she probably won't come with us later."

"Bella, if Alice choses to miss out, then that's her choice. Just as the consequences of it are hers alone to deal with."

Bella sighed as she set her elbows on the table and her chin into her hands. "I feel like this is a punishment for asking her to leave the boat. Like if I won't let her be my teammate, she doesn't want to be my sister. Which is completely screwed up because she doesn't really want to be my teammate."

Carlisle stood up. "Come with me."

Bella immediately complied and followed him into the house and over to Alice's room.

He knocked on the door. "Sweetheart, are you dressed?"

"Yes. You can come in, Uncle Carl," Alice called through the door.

He opened it wide, ushered Bella into the room, and then came in and closed the door behind him. "It's time we three had a little chat."

"About what?" Alice asked.

"About a great many things." He grabbed the chair from the small desk by the window and set it at the end of the bed so he could face his nieces. "Bella, sit beside your sister," he instructed.

"Both of you are smart, independent, and willful young women," he began. "I've had the pleasure of watching you grow up and grow into your personalities. Bella, your greatest strength is your honesty. You admit when you're wrong, when you need help, and when you need to move on. Those are very hard things to realize and often just as hard to act on. This internship for you is both the result of seeing a need for help and your best hope of fulfilling that need. From what I've observed myself, what I've read in reports, and what I've heard from Esme, it certainly seems to be working for you. Your confidence has risen and you're finally controlling your anxiety rather than having it control you.

"And, Alice, your strength is your confidence. You make a decision and you stick with it, seeing it to the very end. Sometimes it's a wonderful choice and you reap a great many benefits from it, such as choosing to join a sorority. You've already made many lasting friendships through that decision.

"Other times, it's the wrong choice and the consequences can be worse than the original issue. Your initial worry was for Bella's safety so you chose to join her in her work with MMR. However, your concern for her safety quickly became a desire to force her to go home and it's landed you right here, feeling miserable and misunderstood. I'll also add confused as I'm quite certain your true motivations are a puzzle to you as much as they are to the rest of us."

"What's that mean?" Alice questioned.

He looked directly at her, giving her that stare that meant he knew she wasn't as oblivious as she was pretending to be. "It means your behavior stopped being about Bella's safety long ago."

Alice said nothing, but Bella caught the slump of her sister's shoulders. Uncle Carl had definitely guessed right—Alice just didn't want to admit it.

"You are not required to always understand each other, or to like the choices you each make," he told them. "But you are required to treat each other with respect. You are sisters. That is a gift not everyone is granted. It's also not a guarantee. You both know time and life are fleeting, and wasting it being frustrated and angry is a true loss.

"I want you both to know that I am not taking sides in this. I love you both with all my heart, and I want what's best for you. But what is best for Bella will rarely be best for you, Alice. The two of you have very different personalities, goals, and dreams. And that is perfectly okay. No matter how different you are as young women, you will always be sisters who love each other very much."

Alice nervously glanced up at Bella. "So I was thinking Cape Town sounded kind of cool. If I'm still invited."

Bella snorted and pulled her little sister into a tight hug. "Of course you're invited. Just be yourself and have fun with us instead of being a brat."

"You can't call me a brat because I don't agree with what you're doing."

"I'm calling you a brat for all the hurtful things you've said, and all the times you've been selfish and interrupted my time with Edward and my conversations with my friends."

Alice pushed Bella's arms away and sat up. "I haven't done that," she argued.

Bella crossed her arms and smiled, waiting to see how long Alice would sit there under a lie before cracking and apologizing.

It only took three seconds. "So maybe I did a little but it wasn't on purpose. At least I don't think so yet."

This time it was Uncle Carl who snorted. "I'm glad you've managed at least a little honesty today, Alice. Hopefully you will find a lot more in the coming days. Esme and I will both be here for you, ready to listen and to help you talk things through if you should need it."

"What _is_ going on with Esme and you?" Alice questioned. "You two are acting awfully familiar with each other."

"The technical term is dating," he replied with a smile so wide that Bella just wanted to hug him and congratulate him all over again. "But I think a better way to put it is to say that we're seeing if we can find a way to sync up our lives."

"Sync up? Like marry her?" Alice's hadn't been this bug-eyed since Bella had told her what MMR really studied.

"Marriage is a possibility, yes. But for now, we're focusing on finding a middle-ground that works for both of us. I have a business in Florida and she has a life in Hawaii."

"You'll find it." Bella honestly believed that too. "You just … You fit. Like you've both just been waiting to meet."

His smile was equal parts happy and thankful. "It's a little more complicated than you make it sound, but I do share your belief, Bella. Esme is a one-of-a-kind woman and I plan to do everything I can to make things work for us."

"So …" Alice began. "Our uncle is dating your boyfriend's mom. How weird is that? And doesn't that kind of make you and Masen like brother and sister in a way?"

"Wow!" Bella cried, staring at her sister in disbelief. "You have it in for Edward so bad that you'll say anything!"

"I don't!" Alice swore. "I really don't. I'm just trying to wrap my head around all the relationships here."

Bella wasn't about to share the truth of Esme's relationship with Edward with her sister, not so long as Alice was still being a first rate brat. Instead, she twisted things for a change, making it about her sister. "Alice, spend a little more time wrapping your head around your bad behaviors and a little less plotting against Edward. We'd all be much happier if you managed that."

"Bella, why don't you go shower and change for our outing?" Uncle Carlisle suggested. "It seems your sister and I have a few more things we need to discuss."

Bella was happy to leave the room, to take herself away from the temptation to be snarky to her sister. She had managed to control it up to this point and she really didn't want to end up stooping to her sister's level—even if Alice deserved it.

Bella found Lizzy sparkling clean and sound asleep in her little bed with no sign of Edward or Esme. She figured they were having their own parent-child conversation, and hoped theirs was going way better than her own had. And to think she'd actually believed Alice was coming around and had hugged her and told her she was welcome to come to Cape Town.

Digging through all of her outfits to find just the right one to wear had proved fruitless. She wanted to wear something different, something comfortable but also something she'd feel pretty in—something Edward would find pretty too.

She took a step back from the closet, surveying all the items hanging there again. Just because she couldn't put her hands on the right outfit didn't mean it wasn't there. She decided she'd get her shower out of the way first and then consult with Lee and Esme on her outfit.

Bella headed off to shower with a smile on her face. She was determined to have a great day exploring with Edward and her friends and family—Alice was _not_ going to get in the way of that.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"So then what happened?" Esme questioned. She had convinced Masen to take a walk on the beach with her after Lizzy's bath and now he was filling her in on yesterday's team meeting.

"Alice said she agreed with Bella. Seemed genuine too. Said she realized she was taking things personally instead of acting professionally and that she needed some time to figure things out and decide on how to spend the rest of her summer."

"I sense a really big 'but', Kid."

"But then Alice skipped dinner last night and this morning she had an attitude with Bella." He smiled at his mom. "Sorry again for interrupting your time with Carlisle, but I'm hoping maybe he can make Bella feel better the way you always do for me."

Esme grinned and took hold of his arm. "What you and I have, it's pretty darn special. And I love that you want Bella to have this. But you need to be prepared for the possibility that Carlisle can't make things better. He can't force Alice to act differently any more than he can ask Bella to continue forgiving her sister. There comes a point where all he can do is watch and wait and hope they find a way to work things out."

"No parent card this time?" Masen asked, already knowing the answer and not liking it one bit.

"None," she confirmed. "So! Now that we've gotten that conversation out of the way, it's time we talk about the change in you and what's new with Bella that's causing it?"

"I'm not agreeing there is a change, but if there was, how do you know it's not work causing it?"

She snorted at him. "Seriously? Of all the questions you could ask me, that's the one you go with? How do I know it's not work?"

"That's the one," he confirmed, matching her grin.

"Because," she said, tapping him on the end of his nose. "Work ramps you up while Bella calms you down."

He chuckled at her response. "Bella makes me feel a lot of things but calm isn't one of them."

"You know I don't mean calm physically." She reached out and placed her hand over his heart. "I mean in here, where it counts most."

"Mom," he groaned, turning the word into two syllables.

She laughed at his reaction. "If you're expecting me to apologize for being right about my kid, you're out of your little genius mind."

"How is it so obvious to you, though? I get that you've known me forever, but I haven't been _here_ before. I haven't been in this situation with Bella before."

"And that's exactly why I noticed right away when you weren't disappointed by the lack of waves this morning. I also noticed how you didn't get frustrated while sharing all of that information about Alice. Now that we've established there is a change, I want my original question answered. What's new with Bella?"

He took a moment to put his thoughts in order, wanting to share but not overshare at the same time. "I guess it's mostly that we're on the same page with everything. We're okay with where we are personally. And professionally, we agree that she's been making progress while Alice has been a hindrance."

"Where exactly are you personally?"

"Um … enjoying getting to know more about each other. I guess it's mostly that I'm including her more. She's been hanging out in my room and looking through my books. It's hard. Some things I know right away that it's no big deal to share with her, and others I kind of feel like … I don't know. Like I'm not ready for her to know yet."

"That's not as unusual as you're thinking, Edward. We all have little ways we protect ourselves, not wanting to rush in and risk being hurt."

"You don't seem like you have any worries about Carlisle."

She smiled and put her arm around his, pulling him close. "I'm older. I hide it better. Right up until my big mouth blurts it out."

"What are you worried about? He seems crazy about you."

"I don't want a guy who's just crazy about me. I want a guy ready to settle down with me and embrace my family. Carlisle isn't opposed to the idea, but he's also not sure how it will work with me living in Hawaii and his business based in Florida. He doesn't want to move his corporate office and leave all those people unemployed. He also doesn't want to live apart for most of the year either."

"Can't he find someone he trusts to run the office for him?"

"That's one solution he's looking into. But he can't rush into a decision like that and potentially put his company at risk. He built it with his brother and it means a great deal to him."

"What choices does that leave you guys with?"

"Alternating homes. I spend a few months in Florida at his home and he spends a few in Hawaii at ours."

"You won't be able to travel with us and do that." He was surprised by how disappointed that realization made him feel. He'd always known she wouldn't travel with them forever but it seemed liked the end was coming too quickly.

"I promise you that I will be home with you when you leave and then again when you come home. And I can still help with grant research and applications, and keep up the books for you. Honestly, Kid, you'll miss my cooking more than you'll miss me."

He narrowed his blue eyes at her. "Mom, you know that's not true."

"Of course, it's not. I'll miss you and you'll miss me and we'll lean more on Carlisle and Bella to fill that void until we're together again. It's going to be a huge adjustment for us both but it's necessary. We've shared the same road for a long time and now it's time to each take a different fork. Our paths are going to run right alongside each other but be different at the same time. And I really believe both paths will lead us to loving relationships that make us incredibly happy."

"I don't know how to say this to you," he said, dropping his eyes and slumping his shoulders, really trying to sell the idea that he had a huge secret to dump on her.

"You can tell me anything, Edward," she assured him with a squeeze of his hand. "I'm here for you no matter what."

He fought the urge to grin while he peeked at her through his lashes. "I'm … I'm a …"

She grabbed his face and turned it fully toward her, truly concerned for him. "What is it?"

He let his grin lose and threw in a wink too. "I'm a momma's boy."

"Oh, Edward!" she cried, slapping him on the shoulder. "That was a horrible thing to do to me!"

He laughed at her struggles to get out of his hug. "I love you."

"Yeah, yeah." She huffed and then she relaxed and hugged him back. "What in the hell am I gonna do with you, Kid?"

"Have a shit load of patience with me until I get used to missing you."

"I'll do that if you promise not to pretend you're too busy to miss me. That's only going to put you in a foul mood."

"Mom, I don't think I could pretend even if I was stupid enough to try it."

"But you won't be that stupid, right?"

"I'm going to do all I can not to be," he promised.

She smiled and leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I'll take that."

"And I'll take you back to the house. We need to get everyone together and get going so we can get some lunch."

"And I have to give Bella the gift I picked up for her."

"Mom, what did you do?"

"Nothing much. Just got her a little something to show her how proud I am of her. That incident with the seal and shark was no small feat for her. She deserves to have her progress celebrated."

Masen grinned, remembering the look of shock on Bella's face this morning when they'd all accepted her reluctance to get in the water without question. "She has more work to do on not confusing her remaining anxiety with a lack of progress, but overall she's doing remarkably well."

"And so are you, Kid. This family outing is a great idea, and I'm really proud of you for suggesting it when you so easily could have made plans to spend the day far away from Alice."

He shrugged, not wanting to make too big of a deal out it—mostly because he was worried about it backfiring after Alice's behavior this morning.

"A little lunch. A little shopping. I think it's going to be an amazing day with my son, my misfits, and my man."

Masen snorted. "Your man, huh? Does he know that?"

"Oh, he knows. Don't you worry." Her smile made it clear whatever thoughts were in her head were not G-rated.

"I won't. In fact, let's forget I said anything."

"Yes, Edward. Your mom has sex. Glorious, amazing, scream-worthy sex."

"I am not hearing this," he groaned.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop."

He looked down at her and smiled. "Mom, I really am happy for you."

"Have I told you lately how lucky I am to have you as my son?"

"It's been a few days," he teased. "You can tell me over lunch so everyone hears how awesome I am."

She snorted, knowing he was joking. "I'll say it loud and proud, Kid."

"Can't wait." He rested his arm along her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, feeling the way he always did when spending time with her—he was the lucky one.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** Hello, Readers! We are happy to be back with another chapter for you all! We've got a little more forward motion with this chapter. Bella is taking charge with her sister and putting her own needs first. We know it's a little hard to see what Whit sees in Alice and why Bella loves her so much but we promise that's by design and we'll make it all make sense in the end :)

Also, how cute is Masen admitting he's a momma's boy? LOL We were also very happy to see him giving Gopher a shout out. Their relationship has grown a lot since Bella boarded their boat, which makes Lee pretty darn giddy.

Have a great weekend and we'll back in a few weeks with a new chapter!


	36. 36 Mermaids & Moonlight Kisses

**A/N: After a month of computer issues, including having no laptop for almost three weeks, I am both incredibly pleased to bring you guys a new chapter and sad that I couldn't get to your reviews for the last chapter. I did get a chance to go through them tonight and EA and I want you all to know how much we appreciate your reviews, your support, and the personal stories and ideas you share with us. Thank you so very much! Now on to the chapter …**

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 36 – Mermaids & Moonlight Kisses**

**Sunday, July 13****th**

**Whit's POV**

"I really don't know what has gotten into her," Alice said, pointing her ice cream spoon at Bella's back. Her sister was walking a few feet ahead with Masen, holding hands and looking happier than Whit had ever seen her.

He said as much to Alice. "She's happy. That's a great thing."

"I was talking about how she's dressed. She's always in shorts and t-shirts with her hair in a ponytail. Now she's suddenly wearing that slinky purple dress with her hair down—she even curled the ends. And she's wearing sandals. She's never worn sandals and doesn't even own a pair. I don't even know where she got those or that dress from. She's never dressed up for a guy before either. If things are so great with him, why is she suddenly trying to impress him?"

"I don't think she's trying to impress him at all. I think she's feeling pretty so she dressed pretty—and he's the one who made her feel that way so he gets the reward."

Alice only shrugged.

"We could both be wrong, you know. Your sister dressed up when we went out to dinner awhile back." He pulled his phone out and scrolled through his pictures until he found the one of Masen and Bella standing together at the restaurant on Elizabeth's birthday.

He held the phone out for Alice to see. "The picture doesn't really do her justice. That red dress fit her so perfectly that Mase wasn't the only guy in the place having a hard time keeping his eyes off her."

She barely glanced at the photo. "Weird. She never dresses like that at home."

Whit took his phone back, wondering what the hell had gotten into Alice to make her act like this. She'd seemed fine yesterday and earlier today; if asked he'd have even said she was happier and more relaxed now that she wouldn't be on the boat anymore.

"Maybe she never made the time," he suggested. "From what I've gathered through talking to her, she kept herself busy with work."

He only got another shrug from Alice.

He could tell she was holding back so he tried to put her at ease, to let her know he was there for her. "You can be honest with me, you know. If you're mad with her because she asked you to leave before you could announce—"

Her cry of "no" interrupted him. "I'm not. It would be petty to be upset about that and I am not petty. Especially not with my sister."

"Unless you are," he pressed. He knew her moods already and he knew she was angry—he just didn't know why she was pretending otherwise.

"I'm a little annoyed with her for this morning, but I'm not angry with her," she insisted.

"What happened this morning?"

"She took something I said completely out of context and then Uncle Carlisle talked to me about it." She waved her hand in dismissal. "It's fine. I just want to enjoy this pretty day with you."

"You should want to spend it with everyone the same way I do. This is our only day off."

"And then you'll be back in three days."

"Six, Alice. Were you not listening during yesterday's meeting? Our next stint will be six days because we're heading to Buffels Bay to see if we can figure out why the sharks avoid that area for long periods of time."

She came to a sudden stop and turned to face him, her eyes sparkling with anger. "That's where Bella got stung by the ray. Why would she go back there?"

"Because that's where the team is going and she's part of the team."

"Right," Alice said tersely. "The team."

"Why do I get the feeling what you really want to say is my best friend's name?" Being worried for Bella was one thing. Constantly making Masen the bad guy was another—and it was getting on Whit's nerves.

"Whit! Bro, come look at this," Masen called, waving for him to catch up.

Whit offered his hand to Alice, hoping to make her feel included and put her in a better mood.

"You go ahead," she said, giving him a smile that he wasn't convinced was real. "I'll catch up when I finish looking through this set of windows." She pointed to indicate the four shops between them and Masen.

If she didn't want to be honest, Whit couldn't force her. He just wished he understood what was going on with her today. They'd all shared a great lunch at a little sandwich shop and now they were walking off the meal in the town's shopping area. Everyone was having a great time—everyone except for Alice. It made no sense. Bella hadn't said anything negative to her. Neither had Masen or anyone else. They'd all tried to include Alice in their conversations—in their _family_.

_Maybe that's it_, he thought as he approached Masen and Bella. _Maybe she's upset Bella feels a part of our family and she doesn't yet._

It wasn't enough of a reason for her behavior though. And it damn sure didn't make sense since she _could_ be included if she stopped picking at Masen.

"What do you see?" Whit asked, setting his arm on Masen's shoulder.

Masen pointed to the hula girl lamp in the window. "Bella noticed it. Ever thought you'd see one of these in a South African thrift shop?"

"Bro, we have to buy this!" Whit exclaimed excitedly. He'd had one just like it for years until he'd tossed it at a wall in a fit of rage over Maria's rejection.

Masen snorted. "Bella's in there right now with my wallet getting it for you."

Bella appeared in the window and picked the lamp up. She noticed Whit and waved at him while holding the lamp closer to the window for him to see it better.

"This is awesome, bro," Whit said, hugging Masen around the neck and grinning like an idiot over a used lamp. The hula girl had the same red skirt and ukulele as his original one, only this one was right-handed where his had been left-handed.

"Just don't break this one like you did the last one I gave you," Masen warned. "You're not getting another if you do."

"I will care for it as if it were my very own Lizzy," Whit promised.

"I'm glad you like it. I was a little worried you might not like it as much now as you did at thirteen," Masen admitted.

"Even if I didn't, I still would," Whit assured him. "It's a gift from my brother."

Masen stared down at his sneakers for a long moment before finally facing Whit again. "I just wanted to do something nice, show you I know how hard this thing with Alice and Bella has been for you. Staying out of it has been almost impossible but you've made it seem easy and that's helped me to stay neutral."

"I already knew that, Mase. I knew it when you thanked me yesterday morning."

"Yeah, I know. This is tangible proof of it, though. Plus! Hula girl lamp."

Whit's grin matched Masen's. "Hula girl lamp!"

"Wow, you guys are excited," Bella said, laughing as she joined them on the sidewalk. She held the bag out to Whit. "I believe this is yours."

Whit took the bag from her and then kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Guppy."

"You're very welcome." She smiled at him but it wasn't half as bright as the smile she gave Masen when he held his hand out for hers. "Want your wallet back?" she asked.

"Unless you see something you want."

She pressed herself against his side and smiled up at him. "I've got you. I'm good for now," she teased.

He rolled his eyes at her while shoving his wallet into his cargo shorts.

"Where's Alice?" Bella asked, looking around in search of her sister.

Whit had seen Alice's reflection in the store's window and knew exactly where she'd gone. "She went on ahead to catch up with Carlisle and Esme."

"She must be talking your ear off with all these shops," Bella told him.

Whit avoided the question by focusing on his lamp. "I can't wait to show this to Lee," he said, hugging the bag to his chest. "She's never going to believe you found me another, Mase."

"Let's go catch up with them and see what she says," Masen suggested.

As they walked to join up with the rest of their family, Whit couldn't help but overhear what Masen and Bella were saying.

"Still having fun?" he asked her.

"Yes. Still think I'm lovely?"

"In this dress?" he asked, sliding his fingers along her bare back. "Hell yeah."

His comment had her laughing while Whit did his best to hide his snort.

Masen hooked his arm around her waist and pressed his lips to the side of her head. "The dress only highlights your curves, though. You'd be just as lovely in your t-shirt and shorts. Especially that Dr. Seuss one you have."

"Is that right? The red and blue fish do it for you?"

He laughed, a genuine deep laugh from his gut. "You are such a smart ass."

"Just lucky I got my dad's sense of humor."

His arm tightened around her waist, drawing her closer. "You're incredibly lovely, kapu."

Bella didn't get a chance to respond because they'd caught up with Lee by that point. "Mase, what'd you do to Guppy to get her face that red?" she demanded to know. "Want me to put him in a headlock for you, Guppy?"

Bella laughed. "Not yet, but I'll keep in mind that it's an option."

"This," Lee said, holding her hands open toward Bella. "This is why I love her. The honesty and the willingness to let me torture Masen for her." Her teasing had them all laughing.

"What's in the bag, bro?" Gopher asked Whit.

Whit looked at Masen and together they announced the contents. "Hula girl lamp!"

"How the hell?" Lee asked. "All the lamps I've ever found on Ebay for you and you end up buying one in South Africa?"

"All the lamps you found were the wrong lamps," Whit informed her for what felt like the three hundredth time. "They all had gold or green skirts, and less than half had the ukulele. This one has both the red skirt and the magical musical instrument."

"And let me guess," Lee said, her eyes moving from Whit to Masen and her smile growing wider. "Your little best friend here found it and bought it for you."

Masen gave her his shitty grin. "Hell yeah I did."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, Thelma and Louise. Let's get going. Esme and Carlisle went into the little food market up ahead to find restrooms."

When they reached the market, Esme and Carlisle were waiting with plums. Masen couldn't decide what he wanted more—the fruit or the bathroom. Esme had to promise she'd save a plum for him to get him to go.

Bella was still laughing at him when Alice appeared and immediately dragged her off to look at some jewelry she'd found.

Gopher was busy trying to convince Lee that they needed to buy meat from this one particular stand because it was meat on a stick and that made it "amazeballs".

Directly across from them was a shaded area created by a large swatch of orange cloth stretched across four poles. Lee saw what was there at the same time Whit did, but he reached it first since she had to work on dragging Gopher away from the meat sticks.

"Fancy meeting you here," Whit said to the dark-haired woman and the guy with glasses.

"Oh my gosh!" the woman cried as she popped up out of her chair and threw her arms around Whit.

"Good to see you, Angela," Whit said as she released him. He put his hand out to Ben and shook with him. "Never would have thought I'd run into you two here."

"Look, there's Brett," Lee called out from behind him.

"Yeah, most of the crew is here with us," Ben said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Look at these guys!" Brett's smile was both welcoming and teasing. "Tanned and dressed all pretty. Did you all give up already?"

"Hey, it's our day off. We're allowed to not be grimy and sweaty," Whit replied.

"And we are definitely not giving up," Lee added. "We just started working with decoys."

"What about Bella?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, is she still working with you guys?" Brett questioned. "Or has she flown on home?"

Whit happily answered, "Still here and still progressing. She had her first seal-shark encounter and she handled it really, really well."

"Oh, that's so great," Angela said excitedly. "She must be so thrilled. Is she here with you?"

"Yeah, we've got the whole family here." Whit turned and pointed in the general direction he'd seen Masen go off. "Masen's over there somewhere and I think Bella's to the far left of that."

"What are they wearing? I'll go look for them," Angela offered.

"Black polo for Mase and Bella's in a dress." Whit couldn't remember if her dress had a pattern or not but he definitely remembered what Alice was wearing. "She's with her sister. Look for a bright pink top, black shorts, and pink sneakers."

"Got it," Angela replied with a nod. And then she was off, disappearing into the crowd.

"So I gotta know! How was Gan's Bay?" Gopher's question had Whit turning around so he wouldn't miss the answer.

"Man, it was weird as shit that first day," Brett told them. "We didn't see a single shark when we got there. Nothing. We'd been there maybe thirty minutes and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this squall of a storm pops up. We had to race back to base in that mess and it rocked the hell out of us for a good half hour, forty-five minutes. Sky dark as night and winds howling. Then it just quit. Twenty minutes later, we spotted the first shark."

"We had about an hour and a half of daylight left so we launched the skiff again and actually caught a shark," Ben added.

"Then it was normal the rest of our time there," Brett shared. "We tagged every day and we left with no injuries to humans or sharks."

"That's great. Masen's going to be excited to hear about it," Lee said.

"Yeah, I'm glad he's here. We've got some news about Athena," Brett replied.

"Doesn't sound like good news," Whit ventured.

"No, but at least I can give him the peace of mind to know it wasn't anything we did."

"That's plenty. Thank you. You don't know how much that will mean to him."

"Whit, sweetheart, please tell me you aren't trying to eat again," Esme called out as she approached.

Whit laughed and turned to see her. "No, we're chatting with some friends." When she was finally beside him, he made introductions. "Guys, this is Esme. Masen's mom. The tall gentleman beside her is Carlisle."

Brett was the first to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Masen is a bright young man with a lot of passion. We were fortunate to be able to work with him, with the whole team really. They each bring something different to the table and we really enjoyed working with them."

"Oh! Oh!" Esme cried, finally realizing who these guys were. "The Colossus crew! I've heard so much about you all. Are you Brett?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Do not ever call me 'ma'am'," she warned him. And then she pulled him into a tight hug. She went after Ben next. "You must be Ben."

"Was it the glasses?" he asked, looking a bit shy.

"Actually, it was your smile. Bella said you had the friendliest smile she'd ever seen."

"My wife, Angela, she's actually looking for Bella now."

"And I didn't find her," Angela announced from behind them. "But I did find Masen!"

Another round of 'hellos' and handshakes began to pass through the group while Whit slipped away to find Bella. He knew she'd want to see the other crew again, especially Angela and Ben since she'd spent most of her time with them.

He found a stall of jewelry but no sign of Bella or Alice so he started to make his way toward the restrooms just in case they'd double-backed to use them.

He heard them before he saw them.

"I'm telling you I saw him, Bella. She was all over him and then she grabbed his hand and he went off with her with a huge smile on his face."

"And I'm telling _you_ that you're misinterpreting things."

"You're older than me! How can you be so naïve? He's not getting any from you so he's clearly gone off to get some from this girl. Why else would he sneak off with a strange woman?"

"Alice, you can say whatever you want, make up all the stories you want, but you aren't going to drive a wedge between Edward and me. It's going to be between _you_ and me."

"Why can't you just believe me? Why do you have to defend him instead?"

"Because he's earned it, Alice! He's not perfect. You're right about that. But guess what! He doesn't do any of it on purpose the way you do. Plus, he apologizes and means it and doesn't repeat his mistakes."

Whit had heard enough. He rounded the corner and found himself standing behind Bella. He was so enraged he couldn't even look at Alice. He put his hand on Bella's shoulder and forced a smile for her sake. "Hey, Guppy. We've got some friends who are looking for you. A certain group from a certain huge ship with a funny name."

Bella's face immediately brightened. "The Submarine? The Colossus crew is here? Angela and Ben are here?"

"Yep. They sent me to get you." He looked past her, right at Alice and her angry, pinched face. "Angela's already found Masen."

Alice's eyes immediately widened.

And Whit's turned away. He hooked his arm around Bella's and led her toward the group, honestly not caring if Alice followed or stayed behind. He couldn't look at her much less speak to her right now. Anything he said—it just wasn't a good idea for him to open his mouth right now.

But he couldn't stop the thoughts in his head. _How can I love someone like that? I thought she was just threatened by Masen, but what I just saw … She's perfectly willing to make Bella believe she's been cheated on, discarded. Who the fuck does that? I thought I knew Alice from all those months of dreaming about her and the past couple of weeks of being with her … I don't know her at all. Hell, I'm starting to wonder if I know myself if I can be fooled so easily and completely._

Masen was in the middle of saying something when Whit arrived with Bella. "… that's it. It really wasn't us?"

"No, I ran the tests multiple times," Angela assured him. "Athena's blood-work showed signs of cancer and other toxins. She was a very, very sick shark."

Masen sighed in relief while running a hand through his hair. "That's not good news, but it's great news at the same time."

"We understand just what you mean," Ben assured him.

"Look who I found," Whit said, alerting them all to their new arrivals.

"Bella!" Angela greeted as she threw her arms around her. "So good to see you again."

Masen came right over to Whit. "Did you hear what they said about Athena?"

Whit grinned, happy that his friend finally had an answer about the shark. "Yeah, bro. I know that's a big relief to you."

Masen saw something behind Whit and he had a pretty strong feeling he knew _who_ it was. It was confirmed when his friend said, "Hey, Alice! We're over here. Come meet our friends."

Whit walked away, moving to stand beside Gopher and Lee who were listening intently to whatever Chad was telling them.

"It's a money-making racket and governments need to put a stop to it," he was saying. "Bottles of shark cartilage pills do nothing except get sharks killed and human pockets lined with cash."

"Just another damn myth that gets sharks hunted," Gopher said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"I just don't get it. It's not like we don't have proof sharks get cancer," Chad said. "John Harshbarger and Gary Ostrander did a presentation in 2000 that showed over forty types of tumors found in the many sharks they'd studied. All different sizes, sexes, and species. We've got biopsies from all over the world showing tumors in different organs. Hell, I read recently that they removed a cancerous gingival tumor from a captive sand tiger shark at an aquarium in the States. And still these pills are being manufactured and sold."

"In all honesty, cancer scares people more than sharks," Lee told them. "We'll probably get finning banned long before we get these pills off the shelves."

"Sadly, you're probably right," Chad replied.

"She's super smart," Gopher said proudly, putting his big arm around Lee.

Whit felt a tug on his shirt and twisted to see who was behind him. As soon as he saw it was Alice, he turned and walked away. He was not about to make a scene here and embarrass his family—especially not Masen. He didn't even want his friend knowing about what he'd heard at all, much less finding out about it through him yelling at Alice, which was exactly what would happen if he tried to talk to her right now.

He joined Bella and Masen's conversation with Angela and Ben, not saying anything himself but just listening and enjoying the easy flow of their talk. From there he went over to Esme and Carlisle who were still being dazzled by Brett and his stories of his team's work in Gan's Bay.

And then he felt a hand on his shoulder—a hand too big to be Alice's. "Take a walk with me," Masen invited.

His friend let him walk in silence until they were far enough from the group that there was no chance of being overheard no matter how loud he got.

"What's up, Whit? Why are you so stressed out all of a sudden? You're like a harassed seal with a Great White chomping at his tail."

He didn't want his friend's mood to be ruined the way that his was so he chose his words carefully. "I've been thinking a lot about what's been going on since Alice got here and I'm starting to think I was wrong about her. I don't think she's my dream girl after all."

"It's too late for you to call dibs on Bella," Masen joked.

Whit was happy to see it was a real joke too, without any signs of doubt or worry. "Bella wouldn't want me anyway. I'm too easy. Too even-keeled. She likes being challenged by you and your spontaneous moods."

Masen laughed with him for a moment and then got serious again. "Look, all joking aside, whatever is bothering you with Alice, I really want to help. If you don't want to talk about it right now, that's fine. I get that. Just please come talk to me when you're ready, okay? I've got your back just like you've always got mine."

Whit sighed heavily and lifted his fedora to run a hand through his shaggy hair. "She just … She's starting to remind me of Maria."

Masen winced. "That's the last thing I thought you'd ever say about her."

"Fuck, bro, how the hell do you think _I_ feel?"

"Stress. Pissed. Hurt. Maybe even guilty for thinking the ultimate insult. But, Whit, if you're saying that, then Alice did something to earn it. You don't lose your temper the way I do. You don't react without thinking the way I do. And you always give people the benefit of the doubt when shit goes down. Whatever it is that Alice did, it was honestly a fucked up thing to do."

Whit sighed as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets and looked down at his feet.

"I'm gonna also guess this has something to do with me since your dancing around what happened instead of just telling me. I really don't care if she doesn't like me, Whit, so don't waste time trying to defend me. The last thing I want is for her dislike of me to cause trouble between the two of you."

"Hey, you two, the drink stand is over—" Bella looked from Masen to Whit, taking in their serious expressions. "What's going on?"

Masen smiled for her. "Whit's just a little frustrated so I'm cheering him up with my sparkling personality."

Bella's shoulders slumped as her eyes continued to hold Whit's gaze. "You heard her, didn't you?"

"We're not talking about Alice," Whit assured her. "Mase is making sure I know I can go to him with anything, like I haven't known his ass for years and years. Typical overprotective behavior from him."

"Now I know it definitely has something to do with me. What the hell happened?" Masen demanded.

"It was Angela she saw?" Bella asked Whit.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. As much as he didn't want to do this now, there was no way out of it. Masen wouldn't be able to focus or even sit still as long as he was wondering what had happened.

"Angela? What's she got to do with Alice pissing Whit off?" Masen looked thoroughly confused now.

Bella took hold of his hand, probably to keep him from running off once he heard of her sister's latest plot against him. "Alice saw Angela hug you and then take you by the hand and lead you away. My sister mistook it for something else."

"What else?"

Bella looked to Whit for help.

He knew his friend and he knew the full truth was the only way to go with this. "Bro, she knows you and Bella are waiting until the internship ends. She saw you with Angela and assumed you'd snuck off with a stranger to have sex. Bella told her right away she was wrong, that she was interpreting things wrong. Then Alice got pissed that Bella defended you, and that's when I walked up and she shut up."

Masen had never looked this green, not even back in High School when he'd accepted and lost Whit's challenge of a wasabi-eating contest. "Bella, I would never—"

Bella lifted up on her toes, grabbed his hair with both hands to pull his face to hers and kissed him hard; Whit heard the click of their teeth mashing together. Masen's eyes widened and then closed, his hands going to her hips and lifting her onto his feet to make it easier for them to keep kissing.

Whit felt like he should look away but he was too busy grinning over his friend losing himself with his kapu. "Forbidden my ass," Whit mumbled.

When they finally pulled their lips apart, they kept their foreheads together with their eyes locked on each other. "Don't you dare worry that I believed her," Bella demanded. "I never doubted you. Not even for a second."

Masen had a little color back but he was still shaking all over. Whit wished his friend was angry about it. He knew what to do for him when he was pissed off. But right now, seeing how hurt he was by it and the way he was clutching Bella, all Whit could think was how fucked up this whole situation was and how angry he was with the person who had caused it.

"Mase, I'm sorry, bro. I didn't want you to find out right here like this," he said.

Bella pulled back from Masen slightly and then grabbed Whit's shoulder, tugging him closer. "I'm the one who's sorry and I apologize to the both of you. I never thought my sister could be capable of this, of hurting people like this. It's my fault she came here and I'm so sorry for that."

"Just like you told him not to worry, you stop feeling responsible," Whit demanded. "Alice is young but she's still an adult. She's still completely responsible for her choices, her words, and her actions. And right now, she's a first class bitch of her own making."

Masen shook his head. "It's not just her, though. Whatever I did to make her hate me enough to hurt you guys, I'm sorry for that."

"Okay, this shit is getting ridiculous," Whit declared. "Why the hell are the three of us apologizing to each other when she's the one causing problems? We were all getting along great before she got here. We were all really starting to come together as a team. She shows up and all of a sudden we're feeling like we're the ones doing something wrong."

"I think … I think maybe because you and I love her and want to believe the best about her," Bella offered. "But I also think maybe we don't know her at all because the sister I've grown up wouldn't twist things to hurt me and the people that I love."

"Do you think it's jealousy?" Masen asked. "She's used to getting her way so she's never had anything to be jealous about before. Maybe she doesn't want me to love you, or for all of us to treat you as a part of our family."

"Whatever her reason is, it's not good enough," Whit told them. "Hurting people to get what you want is the worst kind of selfishness there is."

Masen ran a hand through his hair—the other was still clutching Bella's side and most likely wrinkling her dress. "What do we do here?"

"I can't talk to her," Whit stated flatly. "Not right now. I'm too damn pissed for rational conversation."

"There's nothing else I can say," Bella said with a sigh. "I've done all I can to include her, I've begged her to be nice … There's nothing left but to give her what she wants and I am _not_ doing that."

"Then that just leaves avoiding her," Masen declared. "We only have to make it through the rest of today and then we'll have six days to figure it out."

"Fucking mermaid," Whit grumbled. "Pull you in with the sweet voice and sweeter smile and then claw your fucking heart out."

"You're not ready to give up just yet," Masen said as he laid a hand on Whit's shoulder. "You wouldn't be this pissed if you were done."

Whit nodded in agreement though he wondered if giving up might actually be the best option this time. "I don't know. Maybe we're wrong somehow. Maybe she had honest intentions for a change and we're missing that because of her past behavior. Whatever happens, the most important thing is that we have each other's backs and we all know it. Right?"

"Right," Masen replied, managing to grin and mean it.

"Right," Bella agreed. Poor woman didn't even attempt a smile. She did hold her head up high, though. She knew what she wanted and she was not about to let her sister get in the way of it. That was the one thing that finally made Whit feel a little better—it let him know Masen and Bella would be okay no matter what Alice threw at them.

_And just maybe they'll be okay when the internship is over too_, he thought as he walked with them to rejoin the group.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Lee's POV**

Lee could smell something was rotten as easily as a shark smelled blood in the water. She hadn't said anything right away, choosing instead to hang back and conduct surveillance to find the source of the discord.

She'd worried at first that Masen had found a new way to shove his head up his ass. He'd spent the first half of the day holding hands with Bella but he'd also let go a lot to let her do her own thing and for him to check out what caught his eye. But after their meet-up with the Colossus crew, he'd turned clingy with Bella, practically becoming her damn shadow, and constantly leaning in to whisper things to her.

The problem with that theory was that it didn't explain Whit. He had become as much of a shadow, walking with Masen and Bella without saying much. The fact that Masen would allow such behavior without questioning it meant that something more was going on. Something bigger. And something that Masen knew all about.

She didn't find it strange that Alice wasn't around since she'd spent most of the day with Carlisle and Esme. Alice seemed more interested in her uncle's new relationship than in her own with Whit but as long as he didn't seem to mind then Lee didn't mind.

Lee continued to watch, to interpret, and to wait for her chance to find out what the hell was affecting the guys so much. If there was any way to fix whatever was wrong, she was going to make sure it happened.

She finally got her chance to question them when Gopher gave up on corralling her into his latest adventure and convinced Bella instead. Masen and Whit hung back but their eyes followed Bella's every step.

Lee slid in between them and put an arm around each of them. "What's up, guys?"

"We're waiting for the entertainment to begin," Masen replied.

Whit chuckled darkly. "When that meat on a stick hits Bella's tongue … No way she's ready for the seasoning on it."

"As great as her face is gonna be, you know he's gonna be all loud and embarrassing," Masen pointed out.

Lee smiled, always amused by their attempts to fool her. "I was actually referring to why you two are sticking together so closely."

"Don't know what you're talking about," Masen responded. "Whit? Any idea?"

"None, bro." He chuckled and sang, "_I'm just a poor boy from a poor family_."

"Queen will not deter me from my mission to uncover the rotten going on here," she warned him.

Whit leaned his head back and smiled up at her, choosing again to answer her in song. "_It's just yo 'magination._"

"Wrong. It's _my_ imagination," Lee corrected. The Temptations' _Just My Imagination_ was one of her favorites and one of a handful of songs where she remembered all the lyrics.

"Exactly," Whit and Masen said simultaneously.

"Fine. I'll just ask Bella," she informed them as she pushed past them.

The guys pulled her back and then stood in front of her to block her way. "Akamai."

She gasped from honest shock. They'd seen early on in their friendship that they had the tendency to go overboard trying to help each other so they'd decided on a specific word they would use when it was absolutely necessary to block interference. They'd chosen "Akamai" because its meaning was to be very smart, very sharp. It was the equivalent of a neon sign declaring no entry by unauthorized persons.

She looked from one to the other, searching for some sign of why they would call for it. "You are not seriously calling that on me."

"Akamai," they repeated.

"Stop answering together! You know I hate that."

Masen gripped her shoulders and looked at her intently, imploringly. "Lee, you can't get involved. You can be a friendly ear to us, but you can't go any further than that. You have to keep your temper _and_ your mouth locked up."

"I will. Of course I will. You know how seriously I take Akamai," she promised. "Just please tell me what's going on. I promise I'm not being nosey. I'm really worried about you guys."

Masen and Whit looked at each other, having a conversation of shrugging shoulders and lifting eyebrows. It was so out of the ordinary for them that Lee started to rethink this whole thing; maybe she was better off not knowing. If she didn't know and couldn't get angry, then she couldn't be the first to ever break Akamai. Masen had even held to it when he'd found out about Maria breaking up with Whit over his leg.

Then again, Lee would be just like Masen, a dog without a bone that can't stop chasing its tail. She'd be fidgety and suspicious, and probably inadvertently break their vow.

The guys came to a decision and Whit was elected to take her aside and explain it all. He told her what Alice had seen and interpreted, as well as how Bella had responded. He also pointed out all the logical reasons why it was important for Lee to stay back and stay out of it.

Logical if she ignored the fact that someone had hurt not one but _three_ of her friends.

Logical if she ignored how sick it was for one sister to turn on the other.

_Logical … The kind of word we create to keep our anger in check, to keep us from causing as much damage as the person at the center of all the hurt and confusion_, she thought as she did her best not to stare directly at Alice. The little shit was all smiles standing with Esme and Carlisle at a small flower stand.

A flash of purple fabric caught her eye and she turned just in time to catch Bella scooting over to Masen with one hand covering her mouth and the other pointing at the bottle of water he was holding.

"How do you know I want to share my water?" he asked, grinning like an asshat even as he twisted the cap off the bottle.

A shadow fell over Lee and she smiled as she turned her face up to see Gopher. "I finished my water earlier so you are shit out of luck, babe."

He slipped his strong arms around her, making her feel small and feminine, protected—things she only ever felt with him. He kissed her tenderly and then said, "Don't need any water. I just need to know what's bugging you. And don't even try to say it's me because you'll be a damn lie." He smiled and made his dimples pop out. "You know how much I hate a lying liar pants."

Despite her mood, she found herself smiling at his teasing. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

He pulled her closer and nibbled on her neck. "Several times. And that was just while I was waking you up this morning."

"Em?"

He hummed against her skin.

"Have you ever seen one of your sisters try to control who another sister dates?"

He stood up straight and thought about it for a moment. "Not that I can recall. Not to mention I'm pretty sure if a plot was ever discovered, the plotter would get the snot beat out of her by the plotee."

"That's not a real word."

He shrugged, his dimples appearing with his smile again. "Doesn't have to be. It's my word."

She returned his smile and said, "That's good enough for me."

"Misfits Assemble!" Esme called out, waving them over. "Time to head over to our highly recommended dinner location."

"Is it the kitchen back home?" Gopher asked, leading Lee with his hand on the small of her back. Comforting without being pushy—his natural style, and a trait for which she was always grateful.

"It is not," Esme assured him. "All the cooks in our family are getting the night off."

"This way, everyone," Carlisle directed, pointing to a narrow street to their right. "It's just a few blocks over."

Once they made it to the restaurant, they found a table for eight waiting for them. Esme and Carlisle chose their chairs but they were the only ones to sit. Alice stood a foot away from the rest of the group, trying to catch either Whit or Bella's eye.

"Don't all sit at once," Carlisle told them.

"Maybe they've collectively forgotten the purpose of a restaurant is to sit and eat," Esme suggested.

Alice finally moved to the table, choosing to sit across from her uncle.

"I'll take one for the team," Gopher said, leading Lee to the table and then taking the seat beside Alice for himself. Lee sat on his other side and Whit filled in their side of the table, leaving Masen and Bella the seats beside Esme and Carlisle.

The air was thick with tension instead of the fun conversation that usually filled their family dinners. Even the waiter noticed; he took their drink orders as quickly as he could and then rushed off.

Esme stood, immediately garnering everyone's attention. "As you all know, Carlisle and I are building a partnership together. Most of you also know that relationships are tricky by nature, attempting to sync two distinct personalities in a harmonious way that's beneficial to both parties. Considering the amount of work we have ahead of us, we aren't looking to add more.

"It's pretty clear to us that the tenuous bond you all had created has come tumbling down. We don't know the reason and frankly, it doesn't matter. It's not our mess to clean up.

"Misfits, I love you all dearly," Esme declared, looking each of them in the eye—especially Bella. She then turned her gaze to the troublemaker in their midst. "And, Alice, from what time I've spent with you, you seem to be a bright and caring young woman."

It took everything Lee had not to call "bullshit". Esme might want to see a caring person in Alice, but so far that side was a no-show in Lee's opinion.

"Still, as much as I love you ..." Esme continued, "... and as much as Carlisle loves his girls, we refuse to be drawn into whatever this is between all of you. We are Switzerland. We are not Team Bella. We are not Team Alice. We are neutral. Switzerland.

"We will be here to listen to how you're feeling about the situation, and we'll be happy to help you find ways to deal with your reaction to it. We'll even help you decide on which changes you can make to avoid this type of situation in the future. We are here to provide love, support, and advice only. We are not here to listen to any one of you talk negatively about another. You are all adults and we fully expect you to remember that and act like it."

Carlisle rose to his feet and put an arm around Esme. "I would like to add the following … We are in each other's lives for the foreseeable future. My suggestion to you all is to get used to being respectful and cordial to each other because none of you are going anywhere."

They sat down together and grabbed their menus, going on with their night by jumping in to pointing out possibilities to share. They had stated their peace and now they were continuing on as if the tension no longer existed. Lee could see where they deserved to do that, to protect their new relationship by not taking sides. The only part that sucked about it was that it killed her hopes of them pulling the parent card and sending Alice's selfish little ass back to Florida.

Gopher leaned over and whispered into Lee's ear. "I have no idea what's going on here, but I know I was just called down to the principal's office with the rest of you. It better be worth it and not just an overreaction from Masen."

"Trust me, Em, Mase is an innocent bystander in this train wreck."

She couldn't explain what was going on at dinner, but as soon as they were alone in their room a couple hours later, Lee told Gopher everything that Whit had shared with her. She also made sure to demand Akamai from him, especially with how tightly his fists had rolled up as soon as he'd heard of Alice's comments to Bella. He and Masen hadn't reached B-F-F status just yet, but he damn sure had it with Bella.

It was because he cared so much about his friends that he was currently pacing and ranting, his slight country accent coming out more the higher his anger rose. "It's a damn good thing she's already kicked off the boat or I'd be in there right now throwing her off myself.

"If one of my sisters did that to another one ... Well, they just wouldn't is all! You don't act like that with folks you care about, that you say you love.

"And she didn't just hurt Bella is the real kicker. She hurt Whit too! So much for being in love with him. She's just like that one that left him 'cause of his leg. What was her name? Misery? Some women just can't tell when they've got a good man, a man who will be loyal and honest and never do 'em wrong. 'Cause that's the kind of guy Whit is, ya know!

"And Masen. We don't always get along, but I know that man has a huge, big heart. And it doesn't take long to see that. A few days at the most to get past his demands and see them for what they really are—protection for us all. That idiot woman's been with us for weeks and she wouldn't see it if I put it on a damn billboard right in front of her. What the hell is wrong with her?"

Since he'd stopped pacing and was now staring at her, Lee figured he wanted an answer. "I wish I knew, Em. I've never seen anyone act the way Alice has been behaving."

He sat on the end of the bed, his anger turning to calculation. "You know what, though, I think I've figured it out. I think maybe she doesn't want to see Bella get better. I think in her mind, if she gets Masen out of her sister's life, then nothing changes. I think she's afraid of who Bella can become without that fear holding her back."

"Then just like I said earlier. Alice is _the_ most selfish person I've ever met. But it won't do her any good. She can say whatever she wants about all of us. We're not going to stop helping Bella."

"Damn straight we're not." He scratched at his chin for a few seconds. "So … Akamai's been invoked and Esme is Switzerland. What do we do? Where do we go from here?"

"I think we do our best to push Alice out of our minds for now so we can focus on the work ahead of us. When we get back in a week, we see what she's decided to do with herself and then we make a plan based on that info."

He held his arms open to her and she happily accepted his invitation to cuddle. He squeezed her tight just the way she loved and then pressed his lips to her temple. "You know what?"

"What?" she asked, playing along.

"No matter how frustrating our days are, my nights are always great with you. I think that's why I love you so damn much."

"I love you too, Em."

"Your bros are going to be okay, you know."

"I really hope so. And I'm not as worried for Whit. He tends to see things like this as stepping stones, as part of the fee for experiencing everything life has to offer. But Mase … I'm just so glad Bella made it clear she didn't buy her sister's crap."

"Mase is gonna be just fine, Lee. Bella's gonna make sure of it." He stood with Lee in his arms and then tossed her down on the bed, getting a laugh out of her. "Now it's time for me to make sure we get some sleep." He turned out the lights and then joined her in the bed. "You promise not to worry and I'll promise to let you be the big spoon tonight."

She grabbed his arm and put it around her, hugging it tight against her chest. "I'd rather have you hold me."

He kissed the back of her neck and then pulled her tighter against his body, instantly making her feel that nothing mattered outside of his arms. It wouldn't last forever—probably wouldn't even last the entire night. But for right now, it was what she needed. Having a partner who so freely gave safety and security, who so easily shared his love physically and verbally … She wanted everyone she loved to know this feeling, to have this level of support, and to know the joy of giving it back.

Drifting off to sleep, Lee had a final thought about Alice. She was certainly not a fan of the girl but she even wanted her to have the same kind of meaningful relationship. Maybe if she did then she wouldn't attempt to ruin her sister's chance at having it.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen and Bella had been the last out of his Bronco and subsequently the last in line waiting to enter the house. He'd tilted his head back a bit and found it was a clear night with a bright half-moon. There had been the slightest of breezes, not quite enough to ruffle his hair. In his opinion, it had been perfect for a late night walk if a certain lovely lady was up for it.

He'd tugged gently on Bella's hand to get her attention and then lifted his chin toward the side of the house. She'd smiled and nodded, already kicking her sandals off. Once he'd pulled his socks and shoes off, he'd taken her hand again and they had made their way down the path and onto the beach. The sand had still held a little of the day's warmth and had felt good under his feet and between his toes.

Even though the night had started to cool, he was still enjoying their aimless walking. He liked feeling her palm against his and hearing her humming to herself under the crashing of the waves on the shore. He liked how they walked in step and in silence—he liked that it was natural and there was no thinking involved.

The only thing he didn't like was the flip in his gut every time he put his hand in his pocket and felt what was there. It wasn't logical to feel nervous over it. And because it wasn't logical and he didn't understand it, he took his hand out of his pocket and pushed those feelings aside once again.

They eventually ended up at the small sand dune Bella liked to sit on while watching the sun set. He sat first and then helped her down to sit between his legs and recline against him. He wondered if he should have let her change out of her dress first so she'd be more comfortable, but not for long. It was hard to imagine she wasn't relaxed with her still softly humming to herself. He listened closely to see if he could guess the song but came up blank so he focused instead on listening to the waves.

The ebb and flow of the tide had its usual effect on him, calming and centering him. It made it easier to focus his mind on one thing—the woman seated between his legs, leaning against him.

The gentle breeze blew her hair toward him and he smelled the sun on it even though the moon had been up for hours. Underneath that was a soft floral scent coming from her skin; skin that looked silver and flawless in the moonlight. Skin that he couldn't resist touching; he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently dug his fingers in, figuring she'd enjoy a massage while he enjoyed touching her. Her appreciative hum sounded enjoyable enough to him.

He had the thought again that he'd have to thank his mom for her taste in clothing. She'd gotten Bella this dress to congratulate her on her progress with the team—Masen was pretty sure he was enjoying it way more than her. He leaned in to kiss the back of her neck, hoping she wouldn't feel his grin that had popped out at the thought of pulling on the bow there and freeing more of her skin for his admiration.

His very next thought wiped the smile off his face—the image of her gift complimenting the dress. He looked at her hand resting on his knee and the delicate wrist attached to it. Unable to resist, he slipped a hand back into his pocket to touch her gift and make sure it was still there. It was cool to the touch and as smooth as her skin. It caused the memory of his hand on her breast to immediately pop into his head. As if that wasn't hard enough to deal with, he had the knowledge that the bow was the only thing keeping her covered right now. It took a hell of a lot of focus but he managed to force those thoughts away; he was determined to behave and keep the night about her.

He wished it was as easy to push away his need to understand, his need for things to make sense or at least have a hint of a logical reason behind them. Gopher and Whit didn't have this issue. For them, "because" was perfectly reasonable rather than a roadblock.

The one thing he did know was that he'd wanted the gift the second he'd spotted it in the window of the little shop. He'd even been able to picture her wearing it, see the sun glinting off of it. He just couldn't seem to actually give it to her. His nerves kept getting in the way with stupid questions of how to present it and what to do if he was wrong and she didn't like it.

_It's not a big deal so don't make it a big deal_, he cautioned himself. He was great at advising himself to calm down—he just sucked with the execution so far today.

Determined not to let his head get in the way yet again when it came to Bella, he took a deep breath and curled his fingers around the gift, drawing it out of his pocket. He moved quickly, lifting her hand from his knee and then slipping the bracelet onto her wrist.

He hastily licked his dry lips and with a voice not completely steady he said, "Kapu, Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."

She twisted her torso to look at him but then had trouble deciding if she should look at him or her bracelet.

He decided for her, gently gripping her arm and lifting her wrist to catch the moonlight on the smooth beads. "Do you like it?"

"Edward, I love it. I just … I'm really surprised is all."

"You did say you wanted rewards for being with me."

She grinned and relaxed some, her eyes softening. "I was joking about that and you know it."

"I do," he agreed, running his finger over the beads. "This is just because."

She gently pushed against his jaw, bringing his eyes up to hers. "You don't do just because."

"I'm giving it a try for you," he admitted. "I saw it and thought of you and thought you should have it."

"I'm so glad you did. I really do love it," she assured him. "What are the beads called?"

"Tiger eye gems. They uh … they remind me of your eyes. The dark brown that they are most of the time and then the caramel center is the color your eyes get when you're happy. Happy with me." He rushed to add, "And it's something you can wear as much as you want. Even if you twist it, the beads are so smooth you can't hurt yourself like with your watch."

Her face crumpled and tears slipped from her eyes. "Edward—" Whatever else she was going to say was lost behind her trying to choke back her tears.

"No, no, no," he sputtered, pulling her into his arms. "That was supposed to make you feel good. What did I do wrong? How the hell did I mess this up?" He felt frustrated and angry with himself for upsetting her when the whole point was to make her feel what he called her—kapu, sacred.

"You didn't mess up anything," she promised, turning and kneeling between his legs. "And I feel more than good." She held his face gently as if he was the one in need of consoling; the beads on her wrist were cool against his warm cheeks.

"I feel …" She paused and though her cheeks were still wet, they were now also pulled up with a smile. "I feel _lovely_. And you did that. Not just with the bracelet but all day today."

He blew out a breath and finally relaxed. "Lovely. That's good."

"That's great," she assured him, first with a soft giggle and then with a sweet kiss.

"So why the tears?" he asked as he helped her dry her cheeks.

She tangled her fingers in his hair at the base of his neck. "I know you worry that your actions don't always match your words, but I promise you I can feel how much you care, how much you want to be with me. That's why there were tears."

He smiled and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her wrist right under her bracelet. "It looks great on you. Just like I thought it would."

"I'm going to ask you this because I need to make sure so please don't take offense. Buying this for me, it's not an attempt to prove you love me, right?"

"It doesn't hurt if it does that."

"Edward, all I need to believe you is for you to let me feel what's in here," she promised, pressing her hand against his chest. The soft look in her eyes turned calculating. "Tell me again. What you said when you put it on my wrist."

"Kapu, Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."

"Okay so don't laugh if I mess it up." The fact that she was saying it with a big grin let him know she fully expected him to laugh. She took a big breath and then did her best to pronounce each word exactly as he had done. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."

"That's good. That's not bad at all," he encouraged. "Just um … Just try to let it out as one smooth, soft breath," he said, giving her a demonstration after.

She tried it again and did it perfectly this time. He decided to reward her in the most logical way he could conceive of—he kissed her slow and soft in the moonlight, letting her feel exactly how lovely and loved she was.


	37. 37 Tsunami of Emotion

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: As a special treat for your patience, we're posting again! Thank you all so much for sticking with us on this story and for all the support! A special thanks to hope4more for this chapter's title ;) And one more special thanks to frostedglaze for giving us a great theory for Guppy to share with Masen!**

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**Chapter 37 – Tsunami of Emotion**

**Monday, July 14****th**

**Alice's POV**

The sound of her alarm going off had Alice groaning and reaching a hand out from under her covers to silence the annoying contraption. She would have loved nothing more than sleeping in late but that would mean not getting to see Bella and Whit one last time to wish them good luck. She didn't bother changing out of her pajamas since she had every intention of crawling right back into bed once they were gone.

She checked Bella's room first and found it as empty as it had been last night. She'd tried to say her goodbyes last night to avoid getting up early but Bella had stayed out on the beach with Masen. As for Whit, his door had been locked and he hadn't answered when she'd knocked. Honestly, Whit and Bella were really taking all of this too far. Alice considered what had happened to be an honest mistake and she was more than willing to apologize as soon as she saw them.

She didn't see anyone on the patio so she headed downstairs to where Whit was staying. The door was wide open and the room was empty. She scratched her head as she headed back upstairs, wondering if she'd accidentally snoozed her alarm. It would certainly explain why the bedrooms were already empty.

The front door opened and Alice hurried over expecting to see her sister only to find Esme following Lizzy into the house instead. "Are they loading the truck?" Alice asked, stepping back to avoid the rambunctious dog.

Esme shook her head. "No, I'm afraid it's just Lizzy and me. The team left over an hour ago."

Alice's eyes widened from shock. "What? Why would they do that? Why would they change the time like that?"

Esme looked up from the leash she'd been trying to take off. "Whit and Masen had a lot on their minds and were unable to sleep. They asked the others if it would be alright to get an earlier start and the team agreed."

Her frustration came out as a loud huff. "Just great. I get up early just to wish them luck and they aren't here."

"Alice, sweetheart, I'm not trying to be cruel here but did you honestly expect that they'd want to talk to you this morning?"

Her eyes narrowed from the outrage she felt. "I thought you were Switzerland."

"Neutrality doesn't mean I'm blind to right and wrong. And just so we're clear, if I wasn't being Switzerland, this wouldn't be the polite conversation that we are having right now."

There was no point in talking to this woman. She was Masen's mother so of course she was going to be in his corner. They were all in his corner—well except for her uncle. "Where's my uncle?"

"Sleeping. Which he will continue to do until he's ready to wake."

There also seemed to be no point in arguing with Esme so Alice huffed in annoyance and headed back to her room.

It was as she was leaning against the closed door that she spotted the envelope on her dresser, her name written in block capital letters. There was no reason for it, and she felt stupid even admitting it to herself, but the sight of that white envelope chilled her.

Determined not to be riled by a stupid piece of paper, she snatched the envelope from the dresser and climbed into bed with it. It wasn't sealed so it was easy to pull out the folded pages tucked inside. She recognized the handwriting as Whit's.

_Alice,_

_I wanted to write this as a voice of reason, as a way to help you help yourself. But I'm not feeling reasonable or helpful right now. I'm feeling like a guy who's angry and hurt, and who's no longer sure of what he is to you._

_When I first started dreaming of you, I thought maybe it was my subconscious telling me to date more, to meet new people and explore the world more. But then you kept coming and you felt more real every time until I just knew. I knew you were real. I knew you were everything I wanted in a woman. I didn't mind knowing that you'd wake me up early to do volunteer work. Or that you'd bribe me with kisses to go shoe shopping with you. Even your need to talk during sporting events was bearable. Not because I'm a pushover, but because you seemed worth it. You seemed just as willing to put up with all of my flaws as I was to accept yours._

_And then you were here. Standing right in front of me. Proof that I wasn't just losing my mind and dreaming of the impossible. It was a rocky start but how could it not be with your sister hurt and surrounded by strangers. Then you find out we're helping her to be near sharks and that added an extra layer of difficulty to it all._

_In the past week, I'd really thought things were turning around. You seemed to be taking your role with MMR seriously and I felt you were trying hard to support Bella. I also felt you and I were falling in love in the here and now with who we really are rather than the best versions of us from our dreams. My leg didn't seem to be an issue at all and you talked as though you had no problem with my role with MMR. I absolutely believed you loved me and wanted a future with me. And I felt the same—one hundred percent._

_But now I just don't know. I don't know that I can trust anything with you. Twice now you've made it seem like you were ready to give Masen a fair chance, and to support your sister despite not liking her choices. And now here we are tonight with my best friend hurt, your sister feeling both hurt and pissed, and me unsure about my feelings for you while feeling so hurt by you._

_I don't know how to phrase this any other way so I'm just going to say it. Hurting people to get what you want is the worst kind of selfishness there is. You had to know that purposefully hurting Masen would hurt me. If you say you didn't, then you're saying you haven't paid any attention to me. I've told you how important Masen is to me, talked about the thousands of small and big ways in which he's helped shape the man I am and the one I'm on my way to becoming. He saved more than my physical life, Alice. I know I've made that clear to you._

_But let's just say for a moment that I didn't make it clear, that you were going strictly off of what you've seen of Masen. Alice, there's still no way you could honestly think so low of him. You've seen how he is with his family and you've seen how deeply he cares for your sister. You told me yourself that you were starting to see the kind side of him. But maybe that was just another lie meant to get you what you wanted. Do you even know why you did this to him? Do you know why you hurt him and tried to use him to hurt your sister? My guess is you're so focused on having your sister where _you_ want her that you've never stopped for even a fraction of a second to ask yourself why. Honestly, I'm not even sure I can believe you care about your sister at this point._

_I hate admitting this, but I almost wish Masen had been an ass just so there'd be some excuse for what you did. But he had done nothing to you. Absolutely nothing. It was even his idea for a family day when he could have so easily spent his day off alone with Bella. Your attack on him was completely unprovoked. You hurt him as a way to put doubt in your sister's head and to ultimately get your way and get her home. All you've accomplished is alienating yourself from everyone—especially me._

_I don't want you to feel blackmailed because that's not what I'm doing. I'm making my feelings clear and you are free to do with that whatever you want. Masen is important to me, Alice. He's my brother and he will always be a huge part of my life. And since I've already done the self-centered girlfriend who refused to give Masen a fair chance, I refuse to repeat that experience. I'm not saying you have to be his best friend. Friendship is optional and a fifty-fifty commitment by you and him. But you damn sure can't continue trying to demonize him. He hasn't done anything to earn that treatment. In fact, he's done all he can to keep things peaceful and calm. Like I said, I'm not telling you that you have to like him. I'm just saying you have to accept him as part of loving me. You can't love me and hate him._

_I feel such a mix of hurt and anger over your accusation. Any person making even a half-assed attempt would have asked who Angela was rather than immediately jump to the conclusion that Masen would cheat on Bella. I wonder if you would have asked if I had been with you, if I could have set you straight and saved both Masen and Bella from being hurt. You still would have hurt me by accusing him of something so wrong, but at least I'd know they are absolutely okay and safe from whatever reason you have for wanting to divide them. But I wasn't there and you made a choice that hurt me. I hate feeling this way and I am pissed at you for causing it. Yet I'm also hoping you'll fix things. For real. Permanently._

_Alice, trust me when I say that Masen's love for Bella is the real deal. He's never been this way with any woman before, this involved and determined to have a relationship outside of work. Your sister is one hell of a woman and Masen saw that in her from their very first meeting. I know Masen is rough around the edges. I know he's logical to his own detriment, sometimes coming off like a complete ass rather than the big hearted guy he really is. Your first day here, you saw him as a jerk for making you get off of Bella's bed. You completely missed the worry he was feeling for how close you came to accidentally sitting on her injured leg. He didn't sleep for days while watching over her, doing any little thing he could to protect her from the discomfort and pain of her injury. You saw a controlling man while we all saw a man trying to control the hurt—hers and his. He felt incredibly guilty over her injury even though he'd done everything right and was not culpable for what happened. He felt that way because he loves her. He's really in love and that's not something he believed he would have for himself. Ever. As thrilled as I am to see him this way, I equally feel the need to protect his heart and his relationship from anyone who might hurt them._

_What I want more than anything, Alice, is to be in the life of the woman from my dreams. The one who is kind and loyal, who puts others before herself. The one with the silly laugh and the gorgeous smile. That woman is the twin to my soul and a life with her will be the most amazing adventure any man could ever hope to enjoy. I hope you really are her. I hope you can find a way to bring her out and leave behind the angry person you've been. I'm in love with her and I want to build a future with her._

_Saying goodbye isn't something I want to do but it's the only conclusion there can be if your mindset doesn't change. It won't be easy to do but one thing I've learned is that most of the right choices are the toughest. To be honest, I'm a little scared I've already fallen too far to ever truly get over you. But I'll give it my all if I have to. I deserve to be happy as much as you do and I can't be happy with you hurting my best friend and plotting against your sister, another good friend of mine. Alice, please take this letter as the plea for change that it is truly meant to be. You will lose so much more than me if you keep on this way. You'll lose your sister. You can't want that, not if you really love her. You have to make peace with her choices, both personally and professionally, or you have to go home. You have six days to decide once and forever _who_ you want in your life. Whatever you decide, I wish you nothing but the best._

Alice felt sick to her stomach. She had known Whit was upset with her but she'd never imagined he'd feel this level of hurt over yesterday's mistake. She tried to picture Lee accusing Bella to see if she could understand his feelings but her imagination wasn't that strong—Bella was too loyal, making it impossible to imagine her as a cheater.

That day in Masen's office came to mind, after Bella had hurt her wrist and Alice had been so sure he was using her sister as an experiment to enhance his own career. She had been absolutely furious and convinced she would never be a-okay with him being anywhere near her sister. But that too had been a mistake because his decision to remove Bella from her spotter position had been a needed break. After she'd gotten a rest, she'd gone from background work to being on the little boat photographing breaches. Although that had been a disaster of its own and had caused Bella to avoid the water yesterday morning. Which just served to make Alice feel twice as confused because if Bella was too scared to swim with her "team", then why was she going back to the beach where she'd been stung and scarred by a ray?

Alice realized her thoughts had deviated completely away from Whit and his feelings. She was honestly upset that she'd hurt his feelings and she did want to understand the how and why so she could fix things with him. It made her sick to her stomach to know he was questioning if she loved him. She loved everything about him—well almost everything. The chocolate in the pillow thing was really weird and potentially sticky and gross. But other than that, he was completely amazing. He had a fun sense of humor … he was romantic … and his smile was the absolute best—it always made her smile and feel happy when she saw it.

Alice got up from the bed hoping to expel some of her frustrated energy by walking around her room. She found herself asking aloud one of the questions from Whit's letter. "Why was my first thought that Masen was sneaking off for sex?"

She tried to remember exactly what she'd been feeling and thinking about him before she'd seen him get that hug. "I don't think Masen is completely awful. And he does seem sometimes like he's over the moon about Bella. But way more often he's bossing her around and she's never let a guy do that to her before. I don't like how her personality is different around him.

"And I definitely don't think it's a-okay for him to claim he's in love with her and yet I still haven't seen him make even one romantic gesture for her. Sure, he held her hand while we were walking around yesterday but that's something all new couples tend to do. Where are the flowers? Or at least a romantic dinner that's just for the two of them? How can you claim to love someone when you've never even been on a date with them?

"I'll admit Whit and I haven't gone on an official date yet, but we've had plenty in our dreams, and we've had plenty of romantic alone time in our room on the boat. Sure, Masen's been alone with Bella in her room and his room, but we all know they aren't doing anything. He's been all too happy to let people know he's not touching my sister until the internship is over, which makes zero sense to me. In my experiences, love has always been way more of a daily mind distraction than sex. But maybe guys don't work that way? I'll ask Whit."

She stopped mid-step and clutched her stomach, revolted by the worry that had immediately popped into her head. "What if he never talks to me again?"

Her pacing started back up, her feet speeding up to catch up with her whirling thoughts. "How did this all go from Masen being a bossy beast to me being the root of all evil? So I was wrong yesterday. That's a good thing if they think about it. And it was a mistake. Everybody makes them. Even the bossy beast has had to apologize a couple times.

"But when does he do the bossing? Specifically, when does he boss my sister around? I want to say all the time but now that I'm thinking about it, all the times he's done it have been when they're working. She's actually the bossier one when they're just hanging out. That day we worked in pairs she did her baked bacon thing even after he'd won their coin toss."

She shook her head to dismiss that last bit. "But Bella doesn't really know him. She hasn't been part of his little team for that long."

She stopped, having realized her use of "little team" and how that was belittling something her sister considered important.

Alice plopped down onto the edge of her bed, not liking this new feeling of guilt one little bit. She had never before treated anything important to Bella as a trivial thing and she hated to admit she was doing it now.

"Back to the original question," she said, forcing her mind to swing away from her guilt and back to Masen. "From everything I've learned through our dreams and our time together, I know without a doubt that Whit wouldn't be best friends with a guy who treated women disrespectfully. He's not one to let other people tell him how to think or feel either so what he says about Masen is what he believes to be true. He sees him as a loyal friend, a guy committed to his family, someone who is generous with his money and his time, and as someone who is completely in love with my sister. So why don't I see him as any of those things?"

Alice knew that last question she'd posed to herself was _the_ question to answer. Once she knew the exact reason for her dislike of Masen, then she could start taking steps to change her opinion of him. Unfortunately, her mind was a complete blank.

Panic draped itself over her like a heavy cloak, the same feeling she always had before walking into an important test no matter how much she'd studied the material. But this was so much worse than a test, so much more important. Her future with Whit and her relationship with her sister were at stake and she only had six days to unravel the complete mess her life had suddenly become. Six days to figure it out or lose the people who mattered most.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Thursday, July 17th**

Masen grinned at the sound of the footsteps, knowing the flat-footed slapping pattern belonged to Whit. He stepped back from the chart table and took a moment to stretch his arms over his head and then behind his back, all the while listening to the noise coming from the kitchen.

It wasn't long before his friend came around the corner carrying a steaming cup of coffee in each hand.

"I put milk and not sugar," Whit informed him as he handed a cup over. "Your ass is going to be jittery enough today without it."

Masen snorted. "What makes you think I'm going to be jittery?"

"Bella's getting in the water for the first time with us and it's happening where she was hurt by a ray. Of course you're going to be nervous and extra protective. Hell man, I'm a little worried myself. Not because I doubt Bella for a second, but just because I know how much is weighing on today. Bella _needs_ a great experience in the water. She needs the confidence boost it's gonna give her. Plus, there's a really good chance it could rekindle her love of being in the water."

He agreed whole-heartedly with his friend. "I want to help her achieve those things, Whit. I want her to end this day feeling proud and ready for more. I know this isn't going to fix her fear of sharks, but fixing her fear of the water in general, that's a leap forward she needs."

"No argument here, bro." Whit sipped at his coffee for a moment and then asked, "Anything you want to discuss? Any options you want to go over one last time?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I've been over the assignment sheet a hundred times and there's nothing I want to change about it, but I still have this nagging feeling."

"That's not your plan. That's your heart. It's normal to be apprehensive, Mase. Just keep in mind the odds of her getting hurt again are pretty damn thin."

He frowned into his coffee, struggling to correctly explain his non-logical thoughts. "I know and I know all the other facts, but the facts have a way of not meaning a damn thing when it comes to her."

"What worries you most?"

"Her getting hurt. The physical pain is bad enough to watch her go through, but seeing the doubt in herself and the anxiety over what her uncle and sister will feel and think about her getting injured again … If it happens, there's nothing I can do to fix it. All I have is one shot, one chance to make sure she has a great experience and comes out of the water unharmed."

"You're putting a shitload of pressure on yourself thinking that way, Mase."

He nodded in agreement. "What else can I do though?"

"Have you tried talking to Bella? Maybe making a worst case plan with her? If X happens, then we agree to do Y. Maybe knowing the next step will make it easier for both of you to relax and not be so anxious of an accident happening. And again, I really don't think there's anything to be worried about. It's a simple dive, only an hour long. And it's just going to be photos. No sample gathering."

Masen blew out a breath while considering his friend's suggestions. He wasn't sure a plan was the right way to go; he worried Bella would see that as an expectation of trouble and it would make her confidence waiver. Then again, knowing he had his own reservations might give her a boost, prove to her that any anxiety she felt was natural.

With a nod to himself, Masen made his decision. "I'll pull her aside after the morning meeting for one last check-in before we do this."

"Make sure you remind her we'll have radios to warn each other if we should see a ray or eel."

"Yeah, that's a good idea too."

"So what's all this?" Whit asked, walking up to the chart table covered in photographs.

"One of the travel mags we sell photos to saw on our website where we are and asked if we'd be interested in selling a few photos of the town and the seals. I figured the penguins would be a good touch since not a lot of people know about them."

"So what's the trouble?"

"Why do you assume there's trouble?"

"Because your arms are crossed and you're glaring at them like they personally offended you."

Masen had to laugh at that, especially since it wasn't too far off from the truth. "I have to pick six and this is the best I can do."

"Six from ten isn't bad." Whit turned his head and grinned at him. "How many did you start with?"

He tried to resist but he just couldn't control the nervous tick and he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Not a lot."

Whit dug his elbow into Masen's upper arm. "Be honest, bro."

"Twenty-two," Masen admitted before covering his smile by enjoying some of his coffee.

"Perfectionist mode _and_ you're jittery. Gonna be a long day with your ass."

Masen rolled his eyes at that, doubting he was going to be _that_ bad today. "You're not always the easiest person to be around yourself."

"Yeah, well …"

Masen didn't want to press, trying to be a good friend and let Whit have his space. He'd let him know when he was ready to talk. But the waiting was damn hard and getting worse every day. Masen hated not knowing what his friend was thinking, how badly he might be hurting, and if there was anything Masen could do to help make things better.

His coffee cup was nearly empty when Whit turned around with the chosen pictures in his hand. The one on top was the one Bella had taken at Seal Island and it immediately had Masen smiling. It also had him thinking in a way he never had before.

"You gonna give her credit on this one?" Whit asked, tapping the edge of the photo. "I mean, I know MMR gets watermarked on them all but I think it would be cool to credit her as the photographer."

Masen took the photo from the pile and rather than give some professional reason for not using it, he told Whit exactly how he was feeling. "I don't want to sell this one. I want to keep it for myself."

"So why did you have it out in the first place?"

"Because I was on the fence about it until I saw it in the final selection pile. I know it makes good financial and business sense to get it out there, but I don't want to commercialize it."

Whit snorted. "Possessive much?"

"It's not a possession thing," Masen argued. "It just feels wrong. Like I'd be sharing a private piece of her with strangers. I know in my head it's perfectly logical to sell this one. But in my heart … This is my kapu's photo, not my intern."

"Edward Masen not only falling in love, but letting his heart overrule his head. I feel like I should check outside for pigs flying."

Masen rolled his eyes and mumbled "fucking nudger".

"Whatever," Whit said with another snort as he turned back toward the table. "Besides, it'll look better in your office back home than in any magazine anyway."

Masen pictured the photo on the wall and couldn't resist grinning over it. He'd put it right between his favorite picture of Lizzy and the picture of the team standing on Galeos for the first time.

"I'm thinking maybe I'm ready to talk," Whit announced, still facing the table.

"I'm ready to listen," Masen promised.

"I wrote Alice a letter that night and dropped it in her room before we left. I was still pretty angry when I wrote it, but the hurt was definitely starting to outweigh the anger. I started off trying to explain my hurt but I think I ended up giving her an ultimatum instead." He finally turned around to face his friend. "I know exactly how quickly my life can be taken away and I don't want to waste a second of it on a woman who isn't right for me."

Masen chose his words carefully, not wanting to cause Whit any more pain. "Do you know for sure she's not?"

"No," he answered with a shake of his head. "But I don't think she knows either."

"I wish I could fix this for you. I would in a heartbeat, you know."

"I know, Mase. But this isn't for you to fix. I know you feel responsible but you really aren't. You tried all you could to reach out to Alice and she just didn't want to make a real connection with you. It was easier for her to make you the big bad in her life."

"Do you think she really wants to ruin Bella's progress?"

"I think Alice doesn't know what she wants. I think she's got some resentment towards her sister she doesn't want to face and we all know she has big fears when it comes to sharks and any open body of water. I think maybe she's also scared of her life drastically changing from Bella's progress and not having any control over it. She's already experienced her life completely changing while she had zero control. My gut tells me she doesn't want to go through that again."

"Have you thought about what you need from her for things to be okay between the two of you?"

"Some. But this is one of those things where it won't do me any good to think about it or worry over it. Everything hinges on what she says when we get home."

"Look, if she makes things right with Bella and you, don't worry about her attitude with me. I can take it."

Whit lifted an eyebrow at him.

"What the hell are you giving me the eyebrow for?"

"Because while I appreciate the sentiment behind what you said, you shouldn't have to 'take it'. You haven't done anything to Alice to justify the way she treats you."

"I know, but it's not about justifying anything. It's about making things better for you and for Bella."

Whit grinned. "Love the loyalty, bro, but we're a package deal, you and me. If Alice wants to be in my life, then she has to accept you're a big part of it and that you're not going anywhere."

"Wanna pinkie swear on it?" Masen asked, holding his pinkie finger out and hoping to get a laugh out of his best friend.

He accomplished his goal and also earned himself a headlock. "Always the wise ass," Whit told him before finally letting go of his head.

Masen grinned while pushing his hair back from his face with one hand. "Anything else you wanna share with me?"

"I think I'm good for now. You?"

"I'm good."

"Alright. Then leave the helm to me and go spend some time with your kapu. She's got a big day ahead of her and I bet she'd appreciate a little extra attention this morning."

Masen really wanted to take him up on the offer but he also needed to fulfill his responsibilities to MMR. "What about the sixth photo?"

"I'll handle that too. Go on. Get out of here."

"You sure?"

"Say one more thing and I'll change my mind," Whit promised.

Masen left the room immediately, set his coffee cup in the sink, and then headed downstairs to his room and his kapu.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

As if it wasn't frustrating enough to be this jittery, stomach-twisting nervous ball of energy, it was now interfering with Bella's ability to enjoy Edward walking around with his wetsuit only half on. She wanted this next step. She was ready for it. She'd studied every piece of footage and every report over the past few days and she was certain the team was right—there were no sharks in this area. She could make an actual dive here, getting in the water for real and not just for her recertification. She wanted this.

And yet her heart wouldn't calm down, her breathing wouldn't slow, and her fingers wouldn't stop twitching. She wished she had left her bracelet on; she missed the soothing way the smooth beads gently rubbed against her skin.

"Almost time, Guppy. How are you feeling?"

Bella leaned into Lee's one-armed hug. "Like my stomach is performing tumbling exercises in the Olympics."

Lee smiled, half in understanding and half in amusement. "Just aim for the railing if you're gonna puke. Mase hates to have his deck defiled."

Bella gave Lee a dark look.

After initially laughing in response, she gave Bella a full and comforting hug. "Facing fears is tough business," she shared. "Doesn't matter how much you tell yourself you're ready or how convinced you are you're doing the right thing, the nerves stick with you. It's only after it's done that your mind and body catch up to what your heart was so sure of—you _can_ handle it."

"Can I just skip to that part?"

"Nope. You won't learn anything if you fast-forward to the end."

Bella grumbled "figures" under her breath. "I am ready. I really do believe that. And Edward believes it or he wouldn't let me do this."

"That's true. You know what else is true? He's got some worries of his own."

"We actually talked about that a little after the morning meeting. He says it's not a lack of confidence in me, but just general worries from the ray incident and wanting things to be perfect today."

"How much of that did he actually say?"

"Most of it. The rest I guessed from the manic way he kept sticking his hands in his hair."

Lee grinned. "There's a trick to getting him to stop. Threaten to shave him bald in his sleep. Works every single time for us."

"He'd know I was lying," she replied confidently, making Lee laugh. "Anyway, it's not like taking his hair away will take away his worries."

Lee studied her for a moment and then said, "I find it pretty interesting that when you talk about yourself, you label your thoughts and feelings as anxiety. But when you talk about Masen, you call them worries. To me, they're the same thing. It's trying to focus on a positive outcome while prepping for the possibility of a negative one."

"I know I'm harder on myself than anyone else and I know it's not always the best thing for me. But mostly, it's just that little extra I need to push myself past those thoughts and feelings so I can do what I know deep down I'm ready to do."

Lee smiled wide as she pushed her shoulder against Bella's. "Then get to it, Guppy."

Bella smiled back. "Just waiting on the perfectionist over there to be ready." She looked up just in time to witness Edward's hands digging into his hair for the umpteenth time. "Okay, that's enough of this," she said as she got to her feet.

She marched right over to Edward and wrapped her hands around his wrists, giving a tug and freeing his hair from his hands. "Stop harassing your hair."

"Bella, not right now," he replied, sounding as frustrated as he looked. "I've got to make sure everything is perfect."

She gripped his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "Stop."

"Bella—"

"_Stop_," she insisted again. "Just stop and breathe with me."

"If this isn't—"

"Then it isn't. The world isn't yours to control, Edward. All you can do is make sure we're ready to complete our assignments and you've already done that."

His shoulders relaxed and he rested his forehead to hers but his hands were still rolled into fists. She couldn't see them, but she knew that was the only reason for his hands not to be on her body.

She tried a joke since that had seemed to work earlier in the week when they'd discussed her sister. "You know you're gonna make your hair fall out tugging on it so much."

He didn't smile, speak, or even relax a tiny bit.

"Edward, I want you to listen to me … If something should go wrong, it won't be your fault."

"I promised you."

"The promise you made was to help me take the next step, which you are doing by encouraging me to do this dive and by making sure I'm prepared for what we'll most likely come across. Now the promise you're trying to fulfill is a perfect dive and that is completely different and unrealistic. The outcome of this dive is going to depend on the water, the marine life, my reactions … You have _zero_ control over those things."

His hands finally settled over her hips and he pulled her against his bare chest, finally letting her completely into his personal space.

She hummed and wrapped her arms tight around his back. "This is much better than watching you torture your poor hair."

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He was starting to calm down but he wasn't quite there yet.

She had an idea of what might work and hoped she was right—ramping him back up was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. "I'm not going to blame you, you know. Whatever happens today, the decision to get in the water is mine and mine alone. You've encouraged me and prepped me, but you won't be putting me in the water. That'll be my choice."

He set his finger under her chin and lifted her lips to his but stopped just short of kissing her. "Since you're busy listing things I can and can't do, can we please put me getting you out of this wetsuit on the can list?"

"I wasn't sure you'd noticed. You hadn't said anything."

His hands moved to her lower back, resting across the top of her butt. It had the dual effect of relaxing her worries over the pressure he was putting on himself and making her heart race from the pressure of his hands on her body.

A cocky grin curled his lips. "You're in a skin tight wetsuit. Not noticing is an impossibility. Behaving around you is a close second."

"Maybe we should put some distance between us then."

"I've got a much better idea." His idea turned out to be giving her a sensual kiss that was so damn good and had just the right amount of tongue—he nearly knocked her feet right out from under her. She was positive there was no way he could kiss her like that if he was still worried about making the dive perfect.

"I love you, kapu," he breathed into her ear.

The best she could do was half a nod with her swirling head, weak knees, and shaky legs.

He pressed his lips to the apple of her cheek and then moved down to kiss her mouth gently. "Thank you."

"Okay."

He chuckled and hugged her tightly. "Maybe I should give you a minute to recover."

"Okay."

He chuckled again. "Have you come up with any theories on why this area is free of sharks?"

"First thought was gigantic squid eating them all, but then you showed me that book last night and now I'm convinced megalodon is out there."

He glared at her. "Be serious."

She smiled and lifted up to kiss his lips. "Lighten up. If you keep stressing like this, you're going to make me stress and that will ruin this dive before it ever begins."

He pulled in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "You're right. I do need to calm down. I also need you to know that I have complete confidence in you. This stress, it's all me."

"I know. You wouldn't have encouraged me to dive if you didn't find me capable."

He nodded in agreement. "You are capable." She could tell he was back into mentor-mode but this time he was concerned about safety without going overboard with it. "It's almost time to start so let's do a final check before we go in, Guppy. How long will the dive last?"

"An hour."

"What's your assignment?"

"Photograph all visible marine life. You and Whit will take pictures of the topography of the area."

"Good. Now in case of a radio malfunction, we'll use sign language. I need to see you sign four words … ready, start, stop, danger."

Bella brought her hands up into his line of sight and then signed each of the four words for him.

"Excellent," he said with a nod. "We're going to go in and come out in formation. What order will we be in?"

"Going in, it'll be you, then me, and then Whit. Coming out will be the reverse."

"Last question … what's the distance we're going to keep between each other?"

"Arm's length apart at all times."

"You're ready, Guppy," he said with a smile. "We'll get suited up with our tanks, Gopher will start the count, and we'll enter the water. Since Whit and I are used to diving together, we'll stay near the boat until _you_ signal that you're ready. Once you do, we'll move slow and steady toward the reefs in the shallows."

"And as we see things that need to be caught on camera, we'll use the radios to call them out," she added.

"She's got it all under control, Mase," Whit said as walked up. "Now we just need to get her tank on and her mask fitted correctly, and then we can get this dive underway."

"I'll handle her mask," Masen offered, already taking it from him.

Whit chuckled. "Never had a doubt, bro."

"Which is why I'm holding the tank," Gopher added. "Guppy, slip your arms through the straps and Whit's gonna tighten them until you can comfortably take the weight of the tank."

She did as he'd asked and after a few tries, they were able to get the straps to fit comfortably and securely. With that done, Edward helped her to put on the full face mask and make sure it was both watertight and comfortable. She gave him a thumbs-up when it felt good to her and then he nodded at Gopher.

Using a hand-held radio, Gopher told her, "Testing 1, 2, 3. Guppy, if you hear me clearly, give me a thumbs-up."

She followed Gopher's instruction, wondering why he didn't just have her speak.

"Sound works," he confirmed. "Microphone test now, Guppy. Repeat the following at a normal speaking volume … My goldfish Bob likes to swim all day."

It was hard to repeat it without giggling but she managed. After she asked, "Why that sentence?"

"We tried a few out and found that this sentence gives us the most accurate test of highs and lows," he explained.

He then turned his attention to Edward who'd suited up with help from Whit and Lee. They did the sound and voice check together and by the time they were done, Lee had Whit ready for his tests.

One by one, Gopher helped them down the short ladder and onto the platform where he armed them with flippers and waterproof cameras while Lee gave them a few reminders through the radio. "Keep in formation. Stay within arm's reach of each other. Keep aware of your full surroundings, not just what's in front of your face. At the forty-five minute mark, start heading back to the boat."

With a count of three, Edward leaned back and let the weight of his tank take him under the surface. It took Bella four separate three-counts before she got her stubborn legs to cooperate and allow her to join him. As soon as she had her legs under her, he was right there to take hold of her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. There was still some worry in his blue eyes but more than anything there was excitement and she concentrated on that, letting her own bubble up inside and become her main focus.

Once Whit joined them, it was all up to Bella to make the first move away from the boat. She went through all the reasons she was doing this, with number one being that she wanted to enjoy a dive again. With that done, she checked to make sure she was truly more excited than anxious. Edward had done all he could to prepare her. Now it was up to her to do all she could to make this a successful dive.

Certain that she was ready for more, she gave the go-ahead. "Ready."

Edward gave her hand another tight squeeze and then let it go. "Move out in formation. Arm's length distance."

The sky above had been cloudless and the sun dazzlingly bright. Those conditions created azure blue waters underneath with a clear and wide viewable distance. Their current position didn't give them much to look at since they were too close to the surface to see the bottom and too far out to see any of the reefs. Still, floating in the blue water this way was stunning all on its own in Bella's opinion.

From dives long ago, Bella could tell that Edward was taking this one slow. He was taking them deeper at a controlled pace and slightly slanted angle, rather than heading straight for their destination—the bay floor. She appreciated how much thought he'd put into this dive, and how much consideration he'd given to ensuring she was comfortable with every bit of it. How anyone could ever think he was heartless, she would never understand.

When they reached the floor, they found it to be nearly white and with the barest of slopes. There were lines and patterns along the top layer of sand, proof that marine life of all shapes and sizes cruised through this area even if they didn't see any at the moment. In the distance, they could just make out the shadowy outline of the start of the reef system for this area.

As they approached the reefs, Bella caught a glimpse of something from the corner of her eye. Her mind immediately screamed "shark" but she stopped herself from yelling it out. She focused on her hands locked tight to the camera while forcing her breathing to stay even. Calmly and clearly, she let the guys know to check their right side.

She turned with them and was rewarded with the sight of a strange creature that seemed to be having trouble deciding if it was a fish or a ray.

"Bowmouth guitarfish," Edward announced. "It's a mud skate that loves tropical coastal waters and trolling sea floors for bony fishes and mollusks."

Bella continued to watch the fish, still not able to reconcile the head structure of a ray on the body of a finned fished.

"Might wanna take a few pics, Guppy," Whit said, not quite laughing at her for her staring.

With a guilty blush staining her cheeks, she allowed the weight of her tank to take her down and line her up with the guitarfish. Looking at it through the camera's lens, it seemed even more like an imaginary creature rather than a real marine animal. It had a wide, flat front that sloped upward into a bulbous head and then outward into ray-like wings. There were bony protrusions next to each eye and a third that ran from the top of the head to the tail. Its skin was an odd shade of grey and covered in white dots. Black markings in a sideways "u" pattern broke up the polka dots on the left and right side about halfway along the wings. Its mouth was only visible from the underside. The oddest feature of all in her opinion was its three fins. There were two along its spine and a third on the tale, which was longer on the top half than the bottom. Anyone catching just a glimpse could easily mistake it for a ray being chased by a shark.

The guitarfish stuck around long enough for Bella to get a couple dozen shots of it. She made a mental note to look the fish up later, wanting to know more about it so she could add as much detail as possible to her journal entry.

It was only a few minutes later that the team reached the reefs. The floor here was still white sand but now it was covered in thin clumps of sea grass and small pieces of coral. It was in the sea grass that Bella spotted a shark—and began to laugh.

"Bella?" Edward called, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Think her tank mixture is messed up?" Whit questioned, taking hold of her other shoulder.

"No, no," she breathed between giggles. "Fine. Fine. Sha—Shark." She pointed at the sea grass and the thin tan creature that was gliding through it.

Whit spotted it and called out, "Puffadder shyshark."

This marine animal was also covered in white spots but they were broken up by a series of orange-brown stripes, with the first appearing just above the shark's eyes and continuing on to the very tip of its tail. It had two upper fins on top with two lower fins, one of which was the tail. It also had a set of flippers just behind the eyes.

Bella swallowed down another bubble of laughter as she watched the shark begin to curl up on itself. She knew she needed to speak in full sentences and ease any worry she'd caused the guys. "Sorry but all this time I've been so worried about what I would do if I came across a shark in the water and suddenly this little guy shows up … A shark that curls up in a circle and uses its tail to hide its eyes when it feels threatened."

Underwater and behind plastic, Edward's glare was still flinch-inducing. "I'm not sure if I should be pissed at the near heart attack or proud that you've been listening during my shark fact sessions."

"Give her a break, Mase," Whit replied. "She recovered from her relief-laughter way quicker than I did. And I was laughing at a great white when mine happened."

"Don't remind me," Edward grumbled.

"Does it help that I'm taking photos of Tiny?" Bella asked.

"Tiny?" Edward questioned.

"Well he ain't massive," Whit joked.

Bella had been circling the shyshark to get photos from all angles but stopped when she spotted the reticulate whipray soaring around the corner of the reef and between two outcroppings of coral. She felt a little trepidation at the sight of its whip-like tail but not any of the fear or panic she felt whenever she spotted the Great Whites.

"Guppy?" Edward called.

She wanted to prove she was okay and decided the best way to do that was to show it. She pointed at the outcroppings ahead and shared, "If we go this way, we might get some shots of a reticulate whipray."

During their exploration of the reef system, they came across two other types of rays, a few eels, tons of fish of varying sizes and colors, and coral in every shape, color, and type imaginable. They even found a small seaweed forest, but Edward decided it was too much of a risk on her first team dive to investigate. She was fine with his choice, finding the area to be dark and full of shadows. She wasn't sure she would be able to stop herself from panicking if she came across an eel or some other toothy marine animal in there.

On the way back to the boat, they stopped to watch a large school of snoek pass above them, filling in the mid-water and blocking the sun in spots. They were oily fish resembling barracuda but not actually related to that species. Bella knew from reading up on the Cape Town area that snoek were fished heavily here and cooked in a number of local dishes. She was pretty sure the fish they'd seen being barbecued in the market had been snoek.

They made it back to the boat with three minutes to spare—she knew because Lee had announced it as soon as Whit's head had broken the surface. Gopher helped him out and then grabbed Bella's hands and lifted her up and out in one swoop. Edward came out of the water next and after removing their flippers they all climbed to the deck.

Lee and Gopher helped all three get their full face masks off first and then Gopher went to work on Masen's tank while Lee worked on Bella's straps.

"So how was it?" Lee asked. Her attempt to hide her worry caused wrinkles to form at the edges of her mouth.

"It was wonderful," Bella answered honestly. "It was beautiful and fun and I know this will sound strange, but it was really freeing too. I felt like I was with a friend I hadn't seen in a really long time, but one that I still knew inside and out. For all my earlier worry, I'm overwhelmed now with relief and joy."

And she had one person in particular to thank for this experience. Lee got her tank off moments after Gopher had removed Edward's, and Bella went straight for him. She jumped at him and he caught her, locking his arms around her thighs. He laughed at her silliness and she laughed out of pure happiness.

"Good dive?" he asked, having to look up into her eyes for a change.

"Epic dive," she assured him. With her arms resting on his shoulders for balance, she brought her lips to down to his and gave him a hard kiss full of her thanks and excitement.

She had chosen to get in the water and she had chosen to go forward with the dive, but she never would have gained the confidence to go through with it if not for all of his mentoring and encouragement. When she wrote her journal entry tonight she knew one thing that was definitely making it into the side note—Edward's mentoring worked and she was successful because of it.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Alice's POV:**

Alice closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sun, soaking in its warmth and smiling for how good it felt. When she opened her eyes again, her smile grew wider at the sight in front of her. She was standing next to the gorgeous lake in downtown Orlando where she often spent Sundays with her uncle. The lake was part of a park, complete with a farmer's market and children's playground. Sometimes Bella joined them if she could get away from work. Together they'd walk the paths along the waterfront and they'd always stop at one of the local eateries for lunch. On occasion, they would save their walk for dusk so they could be there when night fell and the lake's ornate fountain lit up in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Today, Alice was alone at the lake but that was only because she was waiting for Whit. She knew he'd be there any minute now and she was excited to see him again. It felt like it had been several long months without him instead of just a few days. She couldn't wait to see him and hold him and make absolute sure he knew she loved him and wanted a future with him.

She walked the path around the lake slowly, taking in the people and the birds and loving the safe, family-friendly feel of this place. She stopped to watch a family pedal past her on a large Swan boat, the parents and the children equally enjoying the experience.

No sooner than she started walking again, she spotted Whit. He was wearing black jeans, a bright white t-shirt, a straw fedora hat, and a smile that made her heart skip a beat. She was so happy to see him that she practically skipped the distance between them.

It was only when she was a few feet away that she realized he wasn't looking at her and his hand wasn't extended in her direction. His focal point was a beautiful redhead and she seemed extremely glad to take his hand and to kiss his cheek. The smile he gave the woman in return left Alice unable to breath and feeling sick to her stomach. That was _her_ smile. That was how he looked at _her_ because he loved her and she loved him.

"Oh! Yes! Carlisle! So exciting! Carlisle, come and see!"

Esme's excited yelling knocked Alice out of the horrible dream she'd just been trapped in.

And all the jostling around had caused her to fall out of bed. "Ouch," she groaned while rubbing at her tailbone. In addition to her physical pain, she felt sad and lonely, and her heart was still racing from that nasty end to her dream.

"Carlisle! Hurry up!" Esme urged.

"On my way," Carlisle yelled back.

Alice's curiosity was bigger than the pain in her butt—and a great escape from the nightmare she didn't want to think about. She pulled herself off the floor and wandered out into the living room to find out what was going on. She hoped it wasn't something silly like a dog trick.

"My love, what on Earth has you so excited?" Carlisle asked, reaching Esme just a few steps before Alice did.

"Oh wait until you see," Esme gushed. "By the way, _really_ liking the 'my love' bit," she said as she hopped out of her chair and gestured for him to sit down. She started tapping the laptop screen before he even had a chance to settle in. "Look at Bella! Look at how happy she looks. Oh and look at this one over here."

"Underwater … She really went through with it." His tone was stunned but the smile on his face was absolute pride.

Alice came around the desk to find out what he was seeing. There was a photo on the left of Masen holding Bella up in the air on the deck of the boat. She was looking down at him and had the biggest smile on her face. Like nothing could ever be wrong as long as she was with him. Alice knew that was how she smiled with Whit—well, it had been before she'd made him too angry to speak to her.

Alice focused on the laptop again, taking a peek at the photo on the right. It was a little fuzzy since it had been taken underwater but she could clearly see some coral and even a few fish—and two divers. She knew from the shape of the body that the person on the right was her sister so she assumed the person on the left was Masen.

"She doesn't look the least bit afraid," Esme stated. "I'm so glad Masen allowed Whit to take this picture. I know it's one Bella will treasure."

"Esme …" Carlisle put his hand over hers on his shoulder while shaking his head. "I don't know what to say … how to thank Masen and Whit for this gift they've given her."

"I'm sure they'll tell you," she joked. "Honestly, the smile on her face here right after they completed the dive," she continued, tapping the photo on the left. "That's all the payment my misfits want."

"Have they sent their report yet?" he asked.

"It's this tab right here," she replied, pointing it out for him. "They had a perfect day. Great weather, tons of usable footage, and no harm, no foul."

He twisted the chair so he could look at her. "Were there any shark sightings?"

Esme smiled as she pressed her hand to his cheek. "No Whites or any other large sharks. They did see a shyshark, only about fourteen inches long. Whit said in the email that Bella laughed about it. She also controlled herself each time they came across a ray. She did a spectacular job."

Since they weren't paying any attention to her, Alice left the room without saying anything. She sat on the edge of her bed and asked herself how she felt about this latest development with Bella.

Instead of recalling the pictures from the laptop, her mind brought forth the image from her nightmare. She suddenly felt cold all over, and very, very alone.

Her dream had started off in the usual way—a bright, sunny day in a familiar location. This time it had been the lake back home where she spent most of her weekends. She'd been by herself but she'd known she was waiting for Whit. She'd wandered around to keep herself busy until he arrived.

When he'd finally shown up, she'd been so happy to see him and couldn't wait to get her arms around him. And that had been when her sweet dream had turned into a devastating nightmare. Instead of wanting to hold her, he'd wanted some redheaded stranger. Worst of all, the smile he'd given that woman had been Alice's. She'd known then that she had lost Whit.

The words from his letter came to her … _Saying goodbye isn't something I want to do but it's the only conclusion there can be if your mindset doesn't change._

There were many things Alice was unsure of but one that she had absolutely no doubt about was that she did _not_ want to lose Whit. Staying in Whit's life, and more importantly his heart, meant that she had to make peace with Bella and all of her decisions regarding her summer internship. It also meant making peace with Masen, and apologizing to Whit for the hurt she'd caused him. But first the root of all of this—Bella.

Alice went to her bedroom door and cracked it open, listening to see if Esme and Carlisle were still in the living room area. There were no sounds so she stepped out of her room and headed for the laptop, wanting another look at the photos and to read the daily report. She hoped to find something to help her understand her sister, and just as importantly herself.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"That's it," Masen announced, relaxing and leaning back in his chair. "We are officially done for the day. But before you guys leave, I want to thank you all again. The hard work, the extra attention to details … You guys made today a huge success and I'm proud of all of you."

"Awe, Masey loves us," Lee cooed from her chair opposite of him. Her usual perch on the corner of his desk was occupied by Bella tonight. It was only because Lee had relinquished the spot that she wasn't being flipped off for her smart ass remark.

"Don't fool yourself, Lee. He loves all the info our dives gave him and our continued no harm, no foul status," Whit said with a teasing grin.

"If I didn't know you were full of shit, I'd be hurt right now," Masen replied.

"How is that any way to talk to your best friend?" Whit questioned with one raised eyebrow.

"How do you do that?" Bella asked him. "In addition to the muscle control it takes, you actually make it look cool."

"No he doesn't," Masen refuted in a slightly higher pitch than normal. "Don't encourage that asshat."

"That's 'fucking nudger' to you," Whit corrected, his smile almost too wide for his face.

"Boys, boys!" Lee said, holding a palm out to each of them. She waited until they were looking at her to smile and say, "You're both pretty."

Bella and Gopher laughed while Lee blew the guys kisses that they responded to with raised middle fingers and huge grins.

Bella lowered Masen's finger for him and then hugged his fisted hand to her chest. "So I'm thinking snack and then talking about today while enjoying your pillows."

He matched her grin while pulling her off the desk and into his lap. "Sounds good. I just have one more thing I need to do before I can call it a night. By the time you finish eating and get the pillows piled to your liking, I should be done."

"Mase, go on and take off with Bella. I can handle it alone," Whit offered.

Masen looked between his friend and his kapu, wanting to go with her but also needing to handle all of his responsibilities.

Bella's soft palms pressed against his cheeks. "It's okay. Stay and finish."

"You sure?" Masen asked, not wanting to disappoint her.

"I know you. If you leave now, then you'll just be thinking about it all night, wondering if it's finished."

"I'll make it up to you," he promised.

"I'm counting on it." She pressed her lips to his just enough to let him feel the softness and warmth of hers and then she was gone, leaving him grinning like a fool with her scent seeming to cling to him.

Whit chuckled from the other side of the desk. "You sure you're gonna be able to work?"

"Not entirely but she's right. If I don't see it through, I'll just be thinking about it all night."

"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd think you don't trust me. But I do know you and I knew from early this morning that your ass would be in perfectionist mode. So let's get this done and get you back with your kapu."

Masen grinned for a second and then became serious. "Thank you. For everything today."

"It's nothing," Whit said with a flick of his hand. "You've got my back and I've got yours. Nothing more, nothing less."

They both knew it was much, much more than that and they also knew it didn't need to be said. Instead they used their time together to go over the six selected photos for the travel magazine one last time.

Masen wasn't surprised to find they were in complete agreement on the photos. He watermarked them all and then he let Whit compose the email, attach the photos, and send everything off to their contact at the magazine.

"Look at that! Done in record time," Whit said as he stood and stretched.

"Is there anything else we need to go over?" The look Masen gave him made it clear he wasn't talking about work anymore.

"Not tonight," Whit answered with a shake of his head. "We'll see how things look in the morning."

"If you change your mind—"

"Check your room and if you're not there, check your project room." Whit smiled. "It's kind of nice to say that in the reverse order."

Masen was surprised to find himself smiling and agreeing. His project room had always been his favorite place on the boat and he definitely still loved working in it. But more often than not lately he found himself enjoying whatever room Bella was in just as much, if not more.

Whit's hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his head. "It's a done day, Mase. Go wind down with your kapu."

They parted ways with a fist bump and Masen headed down the hall for his room while Whit went upstairs, probably in search of food. The helm shifts didn't start for a couple hours and Gopher was first up tonight—his second solo watch of the summer.

Masen opened his door and found Bella stretched across his bed with her legs bent and feet flat on the mattress. Almost flat. Her feet were tapping in time with the music coming from the speakers of her laptop beside her. She turned her head toward him and opened her eyes, revealing their sweet caramel color and showing off an equally sweet smile. He'd had a hand in that—in making her happy—and he felt damn proud of himself.

He also felt a little reward was in order for the both of them so he closed the door and closed his mind to everything but her. He took her ankles into his hands and pulled her legs flat, allowing him to stretch out over her body.

The lyrics of the song currently playing caught his ear and gave him a few ideas that brought out his smirk…

_Walked up to her in a bar_

_Not thinking I'd get too far._

_We filled the night with dancin'_

_Summer kissin', an' sweet romancin'._

"Summer kissing. Sounds like a good plan."

The hard press of his mouth on hers robbed her of the chance to reply. He just couldn't wait another second before kissing her, especially not after watching her lick her lips while she looked right at him. She sunk her hands into his hair and parted those sweet lips of hers, urging him to kiss harder and deeper, and moaning softly when he did just that. She had no clue how much that sound tempted and tormented him.

He slid one arm under her shoulders and hooked the other around her waist, lifting her up and into his body. She was right here with him but he had that ridiculous feeling again that she wasn't close enough, that there was too much space between them. Holding her this way eased that sensation but didn't completely eliminate it. He was beginning to suspect only one thing would and only for a short time; the idea of needing her so much and so often was foreign—and honestly more than a little terrifying. He clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to push away that thought and refocus on the beautiful woman in his arms. The only emotion he was interested in exploring right now was the feel of her body against his.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella was the first to pull away, her face red and her breathing quick and hard. "I like this plan." She had expected him to want to talk about today's dive so she was a little surprised by this unexpected behavior but also thoroughly enjoying it.

Edward chuckled and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger there. When he pulled away, he did so laughing and nodding his head at the laptop. She listened with him to the song playing …

_Gimme that look, that sign._

_I'll make ya feel so fine_

_If you give me one night with you. _

_Tell me, Baby, whatcha wanna do?_

"So you recognize this one?" she asked, grinning up at him.

"Surprisingly, yes. But I think it might only be because we're nearly in the same position we were in that night at the bar."

"Yeah, we were standing then."

"And you were closer." He grabbed her leg and wrapped it around his thigh, causing her breathing to come to a complete stop. He had no idea how being this close to him tempted and tormented her and she would never tell just in case he got the crazy idea into his head to stop.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked, nodding at the laptop again.

"It's your birthday CD from Whit. It's been lying on your dresser all this time so I figured someone should get around to listening to it."

"That fucking nudger." Edward sighed as if he was annoyed but in the very next second he was smiling like a kid in a candy store. "You cheated me, you know."

"What? When?" She honestly had no idea what he could be talking about.

"You said I could take your wetsuit off but then you changed while I was putting away gear with Gopher and Whit."

A giggle escaped her and caused her blush to darken. "I never actually agreed to that. You said to put it on the list of what you can do but I never said I would."

"It was implied."

"Well I didn't know you were serious."

"I'm always serious about undressing you."

"So do it," she challenged jokingly.

She had expected him to laugh or maybe ask if she was serious so she was very happily surprised when he grabbed her shirt and bunched the fabric in his hand. He pushed it up but only until he could see a strip of her bare stomach and then he unwrapped himself from the hold he'd created and scooted down, lining his lips up with her stomach.

He left a trail of lazy kisses and goose bumps across her skin, leading from one hip to the other. And when he was satisfied with his work, he lifted the shirt an inch to reveal a new area for his mouth to explore. It was taking everything in her to stay still and not squirm; the last thing she wanted was to give him any reason to stop.

The kisses were light and almost ticklish but the _way_ his lips caressed her … she had no words to describe how he was making her feel. There was an intimacy to his kisses unlike anything she'd ever experienced in past relationships. She wasn't sure if he'd actually whispered it or she'd imagined it, but she heard "kapu" and she knew she had her word—_sacred_.

He stopped to pull her shirt off, careful not to get her long hair caught up in the fabric. His own shirt was flung away and then he held her tight, giving her something brand new to love—the feel of his skin on hers as they traded slow kisses. _This._ The warmth of his skin and the softness of it contrasting with the hard muscle underneath…This was her new favorite sensation.

She felt his arms relax their death-grip hold on her and she just knew he was going to put the brakes on this and put their shirts back on. She worried she wouldn't be able to not look disappointed during the time it took him to remove an arm and then use the back of that hand to caress the side of her breast. It had been too fleeting of a touch for her to know if she liked it, completely unlike the current feel of his mouth on her, sucking hard enough that she felt it everywhere but not so much that it hurt. With him being this damn amazing with a little exploration, it was no wonder he was worried about their line and not being able to uncross it.

_Why did I have to think about that stupid line?_ she chastised herself. _Now I have to bring it up._

She'd honestly meant to interrupt him but then he was kissing her mouth and their chests were pressed together and she could feel him against her belly. It made it hard to remember she had something to say, much less to spit the words out.

But she found a way for him, for ensuring he had no regrets. Holding his flushed cheeks in her hands, she said, "Edward, we need to stop for now."

"Are you tired?" The confusion in his green eyes morphed into worry. "I didn't even think about how long this day must have felt to you. You probably just wanted to dive into the pillows and sleep. I'm sorry. I should have thought about that."

"Can I get a word in here _before_ you convince yourself you've robbed me of rest?" she asked with a smile meant to ease his worry. "The only reason I said we should stop is our line."

His face relaxed and he lowered his lips to hers for a sweet kiss. "Our line is perfectly safe."

"Um, are you not aware of our current position?" She knew there was no way he couldn't be but that seemed the only logical explanation for him to say such a thing.

"I'm _very_ aware." He emphasized his reply by smirking and taking a second to admire her naked chest. "And you, kapu, are the only one getting undressed tonight."

He smirked again and then licked his lips before kissing her throat. With intentional and torturous slowness, he kissed and licked a line from her throat to the top of her shorts. He grabbed the fabric at her hips, panties too, and quickly got them off and tossed aside. The heat inside of her mixed with the coolness of the room caused goose bumps to break out all across her body and the resulting shake made her aware of the haunting melody coming from her laptop, which had miraculously not been knocked off the bed yet.

Edward must have had a similar thought because he was suddenly grabbing the machine and leaning over her body to reach the bed's edge and set it on the floor.

When his fingers began to move up her legs, she quickly realized he was timing his movements with the song's rhythm, keeping it slow and drawing the sensations out. It gave her time to get her brain in order and think about what he was offering and what could happen if she really went through with accepting it.

And then that look passed between them. A request for trust and permission from him. His hungry green eyes wanting her and yet needing her to want him in this way just as much.

She said the first thing that popped into her head. "Please."

His eyes darkened and his nostrils flared as his hand cupped her, his fingers warm with an almost imperceptible tremor. His mouth covered hers and he kissed her deeply while stroking her skin and curls, exploring rather than just diving in.

When he finally did touch her, her entire body jumped and she accidentally bit his tongue. He uttered a breathless curse but it didn't sound like it was done out of pain. He barely even paused in kissing her.

Just as she reached the point where she couldn't take his light strokes for another second without going stark raving mad, she felt his fingers right where she needed them to be. Looking deep into her eyes, he slowly pushed his fingers forward until they couldn't go any deeper. She involuntarily threw her head back in a soundless cry while her toes curled under. She'd been completely unprepared for it to feel so damn good and not enough at the same time—it had very literally stolen her breath away.

All breaths after that—and moans and cries and pleading—were swallowed up by his kisses while his fingers filled her over and over again, finding and then purposefully avoiding that one spot that made her sensitive all over, to the very roots of her hair. It was ridiculous how well he was able to read her body. He'd let her get right up to the edge and start to believe he was finally going to release her and then he'd yank her away just to start the climb all over again.

This time was different though, she could feel it. She began to shake and she could feel herself letting go, feel his fingers picking up speed. His thumb joined the fray, making tight circles that sent her higher and caused her toes to curl under again. The final tensing that broke her string was his whisper of "I love you". A rush of warmth was followed by a wave of euphoria and a smattering of bright spots swimming before her eyes. Her ears rang and her heart felt as though it had gotten the cardio workout of its lifetime.

When the after-effects subsided, Bella found that Edward had pulled the covers up over their heads, leaving a small gap for light to come in so they could see each other. She grabbed his face and kissed him with all the strength she could muster. "I love you so much."

He chuckled and tightened his arms around her. "I bet you do. Be honest, kapu. That was _way_ more than adequate."

Since she still had a hand in his hair, she gave it a light tug. She couldn't deny he had a lot to be proud about; she just had never experienced a proud lover so she wasn't really sure how to react to him.

He chuckled again and then he gave her lips a soft kiss. It was a weird mix for her, seeing that clearly egotistical smile of his and then feeling his tenderness. She suspected it seemed just as weird for him, going from caring about the act to caring about the woman. That was a pretty damn big deal and she wanted him to know she realized it and appreciated it.

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, Edward."

His hand that had been stroking her spine came to a sudden halt and his green eyes studied her with all the focus he gave to his sharks, maybe even more.

Her own hand continued to rub his stubble while she leaned in to him and pressed her lips to his. She had wanted to give him a real kiss but she hadn't wanted to just dive in with him suddenly seeming skittish. She gave him slow, chaste kisses until she felt him kissing back and then she gave him all she had, wanting to get back that intense closeness to him she'd felt while he'd been touching her.

"Kapu," he whispered as he stopped the kiss. He scooted back to create space between them, breathing hard and clenching his eyes shut the entire time.

She reached her hand out and set it on his chest; she was almost certain he'd been the one to shiver for once. "It's my turn to take care of you."

His eyes opened and she was certain she'd never seen a set so beautiful—a gorgeous dark green with a mix of love and heat topped off by a dash of panic. The beauty was in seeing just how deep his feelings for her went.

"Kapu, trust me when I say I would love nothing more, but you can't."

"Why not?"

"Just …" He looked almost hurt as he lifted her hand from his chest and moved it to rest on the sliver of mattress between them. "Just don't, okay."

"If you're worried about our line—"

"I'd be an idiot not to," he answered much louder than needed in their enclosed space beneath the blanket.

It was hard to do, but she managed to keep control of her hurt and not yell in return. "You really need to explain that because what I'm getting right now is that you don't trust me to keep us safe and that is going to piss me off unless you clarify."

With a loaded sigh he reached for her and pulled her back into his space, into the circle of his arms. He stared at her for what felt like a long time before stumbling his way through an explanation. "I don't … What I thought was going to happen and what did happen tonight … Kapu, I honestly had no idea things would go so far tonight. The only plan I had was to kiss you. Next thing I knew—And I damn sure didn't expect to be affected by touching you. It was—Look, things got away from me and I don't know how."

His confusion was real and it was easy to see it bothered him a great deal. It was also clear that it was himself he didn't trust.

"I think I might," she told him, once again rubbing his stubble gently. "You said it without realizing it … Touching me. You were expecting a purely physical thing but loving someone makes it so much more than that. What you did, what we shared, it wasn't just your fingers and my body. It was the _way_ you touched me, like it was the most amazing thing you'd ever done. And then there's the new level of closeness and trust created through it. I can see where the unexpected side effects would unnerve you."

Edward rubbed his hand over his face a few times and then sunk them into his hair. "Why the hell does everything have to be so different with you?"

Bella laughed, amazed that he still wasn't catching on. "You're so damn smart that you're an idiot. Do you honestly think for one second that it's ever felt this way for me? Not even my first love was this quick of a connection and I'd known him for years. And it definitely wasn't anywhere close to being on this level. You are not the only one in new territory here, Edward. But you are the only one thinking it's happening just to you."

"Well fuck," he growled, grabbing another tuft of his hair. "Then we really don't need to be doing anything other than kissing."

"Um … _What_?"

"If what's happening is as unpredictable for you as it is for me, then there's no chance in hell of us keeping our heads."

"I don't think that's true. I think there are things we can do, like not reciprocating the same night. And keeping our clothes on does work in that we have to take them off which gives us time to stop and think."

"Not much time."

"Maybe not." She freed his hair and held his hands in hers. "Do you really think you can go back to only kissing? Because I don't think I can. More importantly, I don't trust that holding in what we feel and denying ourselves small releases will keep us safe. I think it'll be more like gas trapped in a cylinder that's slowly having more and more pressure applied to it. You do know what happens to trapped gas, right?"

He nodded. "It explodes."

"So maybe rather than pretending this isn't entirely different from everything else we've experienced so far in our lives, we can acknowledge it and learn together what works and what feels like too much. I love you and it's that love that will ask if you're sure every time we do anything new, just like I did tonight."

"That's great in theory, but what about when the wrong head answers you?"

She grinned and ran her thumb along his eyebrow. "All if have to do is look to your eyes for the real answer."

"You can't trust that either, Bella. We don't have the luxury of being anything other than completely realistic here. We both know exactly what we're feeling and craving and when those emotions and hormones mix together and take over, what we see when we look at each other, whatever clues we might normally give to confirm or deny our words … Bella, there's no guarantee they'll be there for either of us. I'm not going to put false trust into our ability to control our heads over our desires."

"But our main desire is to not cross our line."

He smiled and cupped her cheek gently. "You are adorably optimistic. You're also a woman whose heart is always involved when you're intimate. I'm the opposite. Knowing the times I've struggled with when to stop on a one-nighter and having just experienced how insanely different tonight was with you … Just kissing might not be possible but it's the best chance we have at protecting each other."

He left her huddled under the covers to think about that while he gathered up her clothes. He came back to the bed with her shorts and panties but also his shirt rather than hers. Despite her protests about it being too big, she found herself swimming in it and smiling over it from the comfort of his embrace.

He started talking about the dive and she took that as a sign he needed a break from their intimacy conversation. She'd let him have it for now but they were nowhere near done talking about it.

Somewhere between sharing her thoughts on the guitarfish and listening to him excitedly share his theories on the absence of sharks in this area, she fell into a deep sleep with dreams of only good memories.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Alice didn't find the answers she was searching for in the team's daily report. They also weren't in the photos that had accompanied it. For the first time in a very long time, Alice was the sister who couldn't find rest in her tortured sleep while miles away Bella slept safely and securely.


	38. 38 Confession & Contrition

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 38 – Confession & Contrition**

**Saturday, July 19th**

Masen hit pause on his laptop and leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to rub his tired eyes. He wasn't really in the mood for video splicing but it needed to be done and he needed to be in his project room.

He had screwed up. Everything had been going great for once but then his libido had taken charge and now things were—He didn't have an adjective or even a comparison for it since he'd never been in a situation like it. All he knew was that he'd taken things too far and there was no way to turn them back. He figured there had to be some kind of answer to this problem so he'd spent the past few nights in his project room trying to figure it out. All that he'd discovered so far was the more time he spent in here, the more he missed Bella.

Glancing at the clock, he saw it was only eleven-thirty at night. Too early to be tired. Then again, he suspected his tiredness had nothing to do with his day and everything to do with all that was weighing on his mind.

Trying to take a break from the endless loop of his problem, he slid his finger over the laptop's touchpad, rewinding the video back a little before pressing play. Bella's laugh filled his headphones and as frustrated as he was, the sound made him smile. She had quickly grown from that first apprehensive dive to free swimming with everyone around the boat and then joining in on a snorkeling expedition of the reefs. But this video footage captured his absolute favorite part of this week—Bella learning to surf with them today. She was unquestionably horrible at it and seemed to have no sense of balance, but he loved her delight in everything about it and her resolve to keep trying.

With a determined nod, he stopped the video and took his headphones off, laying them beside the laptop. No amount of reminding himself why he was down here could change his mind. He wanted to be upstairs with his kapu, holding her close and just having her next to him. Esme had been right—he was calmed by Bella's presence and he was miserable without it.

He was also done with going without it, at least for tonight. He'd be home tomorrow with Esme and he was certain she would know what he should do to fix things. He could control himself tonight, especially since the one thing he wanted most was to share his kapu's pillow and feel that calm from her.

But his room was empty and there was no sign that Bella had been in it since their last night together. He wondered if maybe she felt uncomfortable staying in his room by herself and quickly convinced himself that was exactly the case. He headed for her room but before he could knock on her door he was stopped by Whit.

"You and I need to talk, Mase."

Masen knew that look on his friend's face. He'd done something stupid and Whit was going to call him out for it. He had no idea what he'd done or how he'd had the time since he'd been keeping busy the past couple days but he was often oblivious to his social screw-ups at first. It was only after they were pointed out to him that he could see where he was wrong.

Whit stepped aside for Masen to come into his room and then shut the door. "You know, normally I get why you do whatever asinine thing it is. I see what you're not seeing and I can understand why that logical brain of yours decided on one course of action over another. But this time … Masen, what the hell is wrong with you, bro?"

Honestly stumped he asked, "What did I do this time?"

"I'm talking about you closing yourself off from Bella and hiding in your project room."

Masen winced, both from the truth in Whit's statement and the disappointment in his friend's face.

"Guess I should be thankful your dumb ass isn't trying to deny it. Masen, what the hell, bro?"

"I'm not closing myself off, not really. And I'm in my project room for a really good reason." He saw Whit's disappointment turn to anger and he quickly tried to explain himself. "I already screwed up once with her this week and I was trying to figure out how to fix it without messing things up further."

"What happened?" Whit still looked angry but he was also willing to listen.

Masen sat down on the bed and waited for Whit to sit on his since he knew this was going to take a while. "The other night, I went into my room and she was there on the bed and all I wanted was to kiss her. Just kiss her and hold her and relax with her until she fell asleep. And it was so good, like it always is with her.

"But then all of a sudden it wasn't enough." The frustration he'd been feeling bubbled up to the surface and caused him to rake his hands through his hair.

Gripping the strands and knowing full well his misery was written all over his face, he looked to his best friend for help. "I've always been able to stop, to walk away when I felt I needed to do that, but I couldn't with her. It just snowballed and then I'd seen and felt and touched too damn much and the worst part was how much we both enjoyed it. How do I tell her we can't share that again, at least not right now, without hurting her feelings? Even worse, how do I say it without knowing for sure that I can stick to it? I'm supposed to stick to it.

"Whit, you know me, bro. You know there's only been a handful of times in my life where I was ever scared of anything. Right now, I'm terrified. I can't protect her if I can't control myself around her. That's why I've been down in my project room trying to figure out how to fix this mess I caused. We can't go back, we can't stay here, and we can't go forward. The only reason I came up here is because I couldn't take not being around her any longer and I figured that would protect us, at least for tonight."

Whit scrubbed his face with his hands a few times before meeting Masen's gaze. "I can see where avoiding until you solve the puzzle seemed logical to your brain. But you need to understand it's the _wrong_ choice. You are not the guy in charge. You're the man in a relationship, one half of a whole. You can't decide there's a problem and come up with a solution all on your own. You have to let your partner know something is wrong and you have to let her help solve it."

"I tried that but she blew me off. She thinks we just have to be careful and we'll be alright."

"Did you explain it to her the way you did to me?"

"I think I did. I told her it was too dangerous, too unpredictable. She thinks she can tell if it's me or my libido that wants to go further, but how can she when I don't even know?"

"Mase," Whit said with a sigh. "I highly doubt she blew off your concerns as nothing. If anything, I bet she read that as the newness freaking you out a little and let you off the hook for being so damn controlling, figuring you'd be fine once you calmed down."

"I'm not any calmer about this, Whit. If anything, I'm feeling more lost."

"I get it, Mase. This is different and you don't have any reference points to keep you in line with what your head is demanding of you. In your past, you wanted the act but it was no big deal if it didn't happen. There was nothing emotional about, nothing that made you feel like you were missing something. With Bella, you want the woman and every single thing she's willing to share with you.

"And it's because you want her that way that your head has no place in this, Masen. You're not scared you didn't stop, that you put her career at risk. You're scared she didn't make you stop, that she wants you as much as you want her. The more she shares with you, the more you want her. And there's no way, not even for you, to turn off that kind of want. It's all encompassing, it consumes you and takes over every molecule in your body, leaving you craving _her_. Smiles, laughs, tears, annoying habits—you want it because you _need_ it."

And there it was. Framed more eloquently than Masen could have ever hoped to come up with on his own. His fear was his need, a constantly growing monster with more destructive power than all of Gopher's super-villains put together.

"I understand why you want to wait," Whit continued. "I know you're trying to protect her career and her reputation. Hell, I commend you for it, bro. It's honorable, and that's always been a core part of you. But in this case, it's not the best thing for you or Bella. As scared as you are to put a shadow over her or MMR, that's how scared I am that you're setting yourself up for a fall that'll leave you carrying needless regret for however long it takes us to convince you otherwise."

Masen didn't want to let anyone down but he had no idea how to prevent it this time; it was the first puzzle he couldn't solve. "What do you think I should do?"

"Be honest with Bella. Really explain yourself and make sure she understands why you're worried and why waiting is so important to you. Then you let her speak her mind and you make sure you understand her feelings and worries. Work it out _with_ her, not for her."

After thanking Whit for his guidance, Masen crossed the hall to Bella's room and knocked on the door. When she didn't answer, he poked his head inside just to make sure she was sleeping peacefully. He found her bed still made and decided to check his room one more time. It was still empty.

He headed upstairs, thinking maybe she was spending some time with Lee since she had helm duty tonight. He stopped on the stairs, wondering if Bella had noticed his distance the way Whit had, and if she might be sharing that information with Lee right this very minute. He knew exactly what Lee would do with that info too—smack him in the back of the head and tell him to get his shit together. Where Whit was calm and offered advice, Lee demanded immediate action. He was lucky to have two friends with such different views because it always helped him find his way when he was lost—like right now.

Stopping at the top of the stairs, he listened for voices coming from the helm. But the only sound coming from the front of the boat was Lee's music.

He doubted Bella would have gone down to his project room so that left the outdoors. He headed up to the observation deck, knowing she liked to sit out there and enjoy the view, especially while writing in her journal. Maybe once they were done talking she would let him read her entries for the past couple of days.

He found Bella huddled under a throw on the loveseat with her eyes focused on the sky—on Gemini. He realized that for all of his thoughts on missing her, he'd never given life to the thought of her missing him. It wasn't logical; she knew where he was and what he was doing so what was there to miss. Only what they had wasn't logical. It was emotional and physical and if he felt it, it was highly likely she would feel it too, especially since she wasn't made stupid by logic like him.

Masen squished in beside her on the loveseat, managing to share the throw with her and not uncover her at the same time. She greeted him with a soft smile and sweet kiss and then turned her dark brown eyes back up to the sky.

"I need to apologize to you," he told her as he took hold of her hand. "I'm sorry I didn't think about you missing me. I'm still learning here but that's not an excuse."

"You don't have to apologize, Edward. You're working. That's going to happen from time to time. Besides, there's more than missing you that I'm feeling. I'm worried about what Alice will say tomorrow and annoyed that I have to be worried, that I don't already know. We lost that and I don't know that we can get it back."

"That first bit you said … I have been working the past couple nights but I have to admit it was work that could have waited. My main objective has been to figure out how to fix what I messed up the other night."

She turned on her side to face him, freeing her hand from his. The moonlight illuminated her skin as well as the mix of hurt and curiosity in her eyes. "You were hiding from me."

"No," he stated emphatically. "No, I was _protecting_ you."

She remained quiet for so long that his hands started to shake from resisting the urge to grab his hair.

When she finally spoke, she did so with her hand pressed against his cheek, almost instantly calming his hands. "You were over-thinking and I'm partially to blame for that. You tried to talk to me about it and I just saw it as a repeat of your past behavior. Something new happens and you get anxious about it but then you calm down and you're fine with it. I shouldn't have just assumed."

"No, it was all me," he told her. "I've handled this wrong from the moment you reached for me the other night. I took control of the situation and I know now I didn't have that right. We are both in charge when it comes to our personal relationship and what we do or don't do together. My attempt to protect you turned into me being insensitive and a jerk, and I'm sorry for that. I just … I didn't know what else to do. I was scared. I _am_ scared."

He licked his lips and hoped saying the exact words he'd used with Whit would work with her. "I can't protect you if I can't control myself around you. That's why I've been down in my project room trying to figure out how to fix this mess I caused. We can't go back, we can't stay here, and we can't go forward. When I write your letter of recommendation for Atlanta, I want it to be beyond reproach. I have to make sure no one can question your achievements because they are yours. You're earning them every single day. If we were to be intimate before the internship ends, then the letter won't hold its weight and I can't let that happen. You deserve for that letter to be the key that opens your future."

"Edward, that's so sweet and incredibly honorable at the same time. It's also completely confusing. We are in a romantic relationship. If we sleep together now or when the internship is over, who's to say your letter will be any more believable? The natural reaction for people is to speculate and jump to their own conclusions. You can't guarantee they'll believe we weren't sleeping together this whole time. I'm not saying for a moment that they should, just that it seems to be human nature."

"Maybe some small percentage might be that ridiculous, but not the majority. If we wait, then that's it. We can't be questioned. Our relationship can't be scrutinized. It's black and white. The truth is the truth."

"Logically, yes. But you should also take into account that people sleep their way into jobs, promotions, whatever these days and it's extremely common place. Probably more so than you can imagine. Then there's the fraction that flirts to get what they want or they know the right people to get it. I'm not saying any of that is the right thing to do, just that it does happen. So our being intimate, while it might not be technically appropriate, it's hardly the damning act of disrespect that it once was in the 1900's or similar times."

"But that's not _us_, Bella. We earn everything we have. We can't be proud of being handed something we don't deserve."

"And if everyone in the world knew us, you wouldn't need to write that letter. Edward, I respect your worries and I'm sorry that you're feeling so much anxiety over this. I do understand why you feel so strongly about our line. I also truly believe if we continue to respect what it means to you, then we won't cross it unless we're both sure it's what we want. However, I also believe you need to be more flexible about all this just in case we decide we can't keep waiting."

Hearing her say almost the same thing as Whit had done was unsettling; it also forced Masen accept the chance that he was being unrealistic about their line holding. Still, he had to make an effort for her sake. "Will you at least promise me you'll try to help keep the line? It's just six more weeks. That's all I'm asking for."

"Of course, Edward. _Our_ line is important to me because I can see how very important it is to you."

"Why didn't you stop me?" He hadn't meant to ask it at all and he definitely would have phrased it better if he'd had a chance to think it through. But now that it was out there, he wasn't about to take it back—he needed to hear the answer too damn much.

She smiled and softly kissed his lips before answering. "Because I love you. Because I want more with you."

Her lips brushed against his cheek. "More than kisses."

Her thumb traced his lower lip. "More than words."

With her lips hovering over his, she shared, "More than a summer if I have my way."

She kissed him for real then, putting her heart and her weight into it, crushing herself against him and squeezing out that feeling of loneliness that had built up inside of him. He wanted to ask what that summer comment had meant but he _needed_ her right now. He needed the calm and the love she was so freely offering him and he needed to make sure she felt the same from him. Once he was sure he'd patched things up properly, then he could focus on new issues.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Sunday, July 20th**

**Alice's POV**

Alice sat huddled on the beach, hugging her legs to her chest and crying into the sleeve of the borrowed hoodie she'd taken from Bella's closet. Her sister wasn't going to forgive her, she knew that now. Just like she knew she didn't deserve her forgiveness, not after all she'd done to Masen and the hurt her actions had caused Bella and Whit.

Alice had spent the past week comparing her own behavior to the team's dailies and photos, and it was now clear to her that the real danger here was her. Her sister had been granted the amazing opportunity to join this team for the summer and every day since she'd earned her spot and their loyalty to her. Bella was growing, changing, and becoming the woman she wanted to be.

Alice had done all she could to stand in the way of that. It didn't matter that she'd had the noble intention of keeping her sister safe. What mattered was that her actions had caused her to trample on her sister's dreams and relationships. She had held too tightly and now she had lost her. It was her own fault, this heartbreak she was currently feeling. She had driven away her sister.

And Whit. Her own chance at having a love story and she'd destroyed it by focusing all of her fear and anger on his best friend. How could she have been so blind, so stupid? The thing she'd feared most—being all alone—she'd brought it about instead of keeping it away.

An arm was placed around her shoulders and a head pressed against hers while a little warm body sat on her shoes. Alice lifted her head to find Lizzy stretched out across her feet and Esme sitting beside her with a kind smile on her face.

"These are far too many tears for someone so loved," Esme said, cupping Alice's chin gently.

Alice began to cry harder, feeling devastated that it wasn't true anymore. She wasn't loved, not by her sister or Whit and it was her own fault.

"Sweetheart, talk to me. Tell me what has you so worked up."

"I ruined everything," Alice sobbed. "They all hate me and they're right to feel that way."

"I don't know who this 'they' is but I can guarantee you it's not my misfits."

Alice stared at her, trying to decide if the woman had lost her mind or was setting her up for more heartbreak. "You don't like me."

"Oh, that's not true and somewhere underneath all of your hurt, you know that. I am not a fan of some of your behaviors and conclusions, but I do love you. And I certainly don't want to see you hurting this way."

"But it's my fault. I pushed Bella away by blaming Masen for everything. And I ruined things with Whit too." Saying it out loud had her lower lip trembling again and more tears threatening to pour from her reddened eyes.

Esme pulled Alice into her arms and gently rocked her. "Sweetheart, I promise it's not as bad as you think. Yes, you pushed your sister away some and you certainly did your best to make my son the bad guy. But, Alice, you've also figured out what you were doing wrong and that's often the hardest thing to do, to admit you've been wrong at all."

"What good does that do?"

"It depends on you. Now that you see your errors, do you feel regret? Are you sincerely remorseful for your behavior?"

"More than I know how to say."

"Then, sweetheart, all you have to do is apologize to each of them and explain your actions so they can see you really have taken the time to reflect on your behavior. If you do that, they'll forgive you and you can all begin moving forward."

"They won't, though," she argued as she pulled away to see Esme's face and judge her honesty. "They don't have any reason to forgive me. Not with how badly I hurt them. I can't even say I would forgive me. How can you sound so sure that they will?"

"I happen to know a thing or two about love. Loving someone—truly loving them—means accepting their apologies when they are sincerely sorry for the wrong they have done.

"Alice, your uncle and your sister hold so much love for you. They know your true heart and will forgive your mistakes and flaws for as long as you are truly sorry. Whit adores you and would like nothing more than to share his love with you. _I_ love you, the real you that I've seen this week. Helpful, kind, and respectful. A young girl who loves her big sister. Someone not afraid to take a hard look at herself and admit her wrongs."

"None of that matters," Alice said as she wiped her face with the sleeve of the hoodie. "Masen hates me and they love him. More than me. And I know I did that. I know I have to live with that."

Esme cupped Alice's chin again, bringing her wet eyes up into view. "My son does not hold hate in his heart. He has lost far too much in his life to ever waste room on such a needless feeling. He doesn't love you—_yet_—but he does care about you because of how much you mean to Bella and Whit. As long as you are sincere and honest with him, he will accept your apology. And later, after the two of you have really gotten to know each other, you will have his love, and with that you'll have his loyalty, friendship, and protection."

Alice didn't want to come off as only paying attention to one part but she also couldn't contain her curiosity. "You said he's lost too much. What's that mean? I mean, I just figured you and his dad didn't work out or whatever. I didn't think he'd actually lost a parent."

Esme sighed. "You don't know then." She sighed again and looked out at the water where it met the beach, far enough away for Alice to feel safe sitting here in the sand.

Sensing Esme's reluctance, Alice told her, "If it's something he wouldn't want me to know, then don't tell me. After I fix things with everyone, with him, then I'll ask him to tell me."

Esme looked at her and smiled before leaning in and kissing her on the forehead. "You'll be fine. You'll fix this mess and you'll feel the warmth of their forgiveness. I have no doubt."

Alice nodded, wanting so badly to believe that was true. "Can I ask you something about Uncle Carl?"

"Certainly."

"Do you love him?"

The woman's smile was instant and beautiful. "When you reach my age, love isn't about butterflies in your stomach and kisses that make your toes curl. Those are amazing sensations and I still enjoy them. But love needs to be more than that. It needs to be the security of knowing you are not alone in any part of your life and being ready to give that right back. It's feeling at home no matter where you are in the world. So with that in mind, my answer is a resounding 'yes'. I very much love your uncle."

"Aren't you worried that it won't work with how different your lives are? You follow the team all around the world and then you live in Hawaii. He works and lives in Florida all the time."

"I'd be a fool not to be worried but I'm more optimistic than anything. We both have changes we'll need to make, and compromises too, but it's really up to us whether we work or not. It's all about what we're willing to overcome to share a life together. If you think about it, it's the same for your situation right now. You will overcome only what you work to get past. If Bella and Whit mean to you what your uncle means to me, then in a couple of months this moment in your life will seem like a bad dream."

"Thank you. You had no reason to stop to talk to me but I'm so glad you did."

"Nonsense," Esme said as she hugged Alice against her. "I had the perfect reason … I love you."

Alice smiled, realizing she believed Esme and that she was starting to feel the same. She leaned up and kissed her cheek in thanks. "I don't feel hopeless anymore. I feel like there's really a chance to make everything right."

"More than a chance. I know you will fix this." Esme stood and brushed sand from the back of her pants. "But first, you'll help fix breakfast."

"Oh, I'm not a cook like Bella. In fact, I'm pretty much a disaster in the kitchen."

Esme grinned while scooping up Lizzy. "Then it's a good thing it's going to be a simple breakfast with just a few ingredients. Pan toasted bread with cinnamon and sugar, topped off with maple syrup."

"That does sound good," Alice admitted, accepting Esme's offered hand. "Should we wake Uncle Carl to join us?"

"He's already up but he's on a business call."

"Then he'll definitely need a good breakfast when he's done. He forgets to eat sometimes when he's really swamped with work. Bella usually reminds him unless she's at work. Then our housekeeper Mrs. Cope makes him eat something."

"Then we better make sure you don't burn the bread."

"Alright, but just remember I did warn you."

Esme chuckled. "You can't possibly be any worse than Whit was the first time I taught him to make an omelet."

"That sounds like a good story! Will you tell me?"

"I'll tell you all about it while we enjoy the breakfast you're going to make."

Alice forced a sigh while fighting not to smile. "Parents. There's always a catch."

"Heck yeah," Esme agreed. "It's one of our perks."

Alice laughed while following her into the house, feeling incredibly lucky that Esme had cared enough to come out to talk to her and give her some badly needed confidence for later. She now had hope that Bella and Whit, and even Masen, would hear her sincere apology and allow her the opportunity to mend her mistakes and their hurts. This was going to be the first day of a whole new life for them all—a great day.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Whit's POV**

"Are you ready to head to the house?" Masen asked as he fitted his duffel bag in beside Whit's. "I can take the long route back if you want."

Whit grinned, never surprised by his best friend's kindness but always by the ways in which he showed it. "Thanks, bro, but I think this is one of those times when it's best to get it over quickly."

He reached for Lee's bag while Masen wrestled Gopher's into the back of the Bronco. "So, Mase, did you talk to Guppy like you promised you would?" He already knew the answer but it was good for Masen to say it out loud and improve his sharing skills.

His friend was now the one grinning. "Yeah, we talked. I made damn sure to start by apologizing for deciding for the both of us all on my own. I expected her to be pissed at me, and I still think I deserve it, but I'm damn glad she was understanding instead. She doesn't agree with how I see things, that us being together now would cast doubt on her accomplishments later. But she does respect my feelings so she promised to try to keep the line with me. In exchange, I promised her I'd work on being okay with things if we happen to decide together we don't want to wait any longer. I'm still worried about it, but I'm not fixated on it like before."

"Look at that!" Whit exclaimed while nudging him with his elbow. "Masen compromising and sharing control. Pigs will be fucking flying any day now."

Masen glared at him. "Fucking nudger."

"Damn straight."

"What about you?" Masen questioned. "When are you going to open up and talk about Alice?"

Whit shook his head. "I'm not. Not until there's something new to say. There's no point in circling the same thoughts and feelings I've had all week. She fucked up in a major way. She did something I won't be able to forgive unless I can see she's one hundred percent remorseful. Even then, it's going to be a last chance situation with us."

"What about not being able to just turn it off, huh? What did you call it? All encompassing?"

"You're right. I won't be able to turn off my feelings for her. They will be there for a very long time, maybe even always. But as much as I love her, I have to love myself too and I can't do that if I'm miserable from her behavior toward my friends. Too many people mistake self-worth for believing you're better than another. That's not what it is at all, though. It's realizing that you have the exact same right to happiness as the other person does, and that sometimes you just can't both be happy together. We can only take being unhappy for so long before it eats away at the love and we forget why we ever felt that way in the first place."

Masen blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "It's unreal how quickly this became a huge thing. I'd rather go back to Alice's snotty comments to me rather than having you and Bella worried you might lose your relationships with her."

Whit smiled and hooked an arm around his friend's neck. "Long as I have you around, I know better days are ahead, bro. Besides, we've got the perfect remedy for sadness right in front of us."

"What's that?"

Whit lifted his chin to indicate Bella walking toward them with her bag. "We just take your kapu there and put her on a surfboard and let the entertainment begin."

Masen snorted loudly. "She's so damn _awful_. But she's so fucking cute sopping wet and getting back on to try again."

"Seriously, I need to check her for an ear infection. How the hell else can anyone's balance be that off?"

They were still laughing when Bella reached them. "You two seem hard at work," she commented.

"It's important to _balance_ work and life," Whit replied, causing Masen to snort and begin laughing all over again.

Bella looked between them for a moment and then tossed her bag at Whit's feet. "I know I'm missing something here so I'll just leave my bag for you two to put away when you're done goofing off."

She turned and started to walk away but Masen was after her in a flash, hugging her from behind and saying something that had her giggling. Whit shook his head. As glad as he was to see Masen in love, he was equally amazed at how he could be both so good and so bad at it. Come to think of it, Alice was pretty much doing the same thing just in a different way.

Whit snorted and shook his head at the thought running through his mind. _I'm basically dating the girl version of my best friend, the difference being that she's emotional where he's logical._

After popping a Hershey kiss into his mouth, Whit grabbed hold of Masen and pulled him away to finish packing the Bronco. He really did want to get to the house and get things over and done. Either Alice would be there and be ready to admit she'd been wrong, or she'd be gone. As much as he would have liked to count on the first, it was the second he had prepared himself to handle.

It wasn't too much later when they piled into the Bronco; Guppy and Whit sat up front with Masen while Lee and Gopher shared the backseat.

"So question," Lee said, sticking her head between Bella and Whit. "Is Akamai still in effect?"

"What's that?" Bella asked.

"It's a code word we came up with for when we want to keep each other from interfering with a particular part of our lives," Whit explained. He turned his head to lock eyes with Lee. "It's still very much in effect."

"Does this mean we can't have Lee put Alice in a headlock if she's still being stupid?" Bella questioned.

Whit, Lee, and Gopher stared at Bella in disbelieve.

Masen took his arm off the back of the seat and patted her on the head. "Down, iki mano."

Gopher snorted loudly. "From learner fish to small shark. We are damn sure going to be accused of corrupting her now."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and there won't be a need for a headlock," Bella ventured. "Alice has been alone all week with Esme and Uncle Carl. There's no way she's still convinced she did nothing wrong."

"There's always the chance," Whit cautioned. "There's nothing wrong with being hopeful, just make sure you also have a backup plan."

"Well the headlock obviously," she said with a grin that wasn't able to hide all of her misery. She was just as worried about a bad outcome as he was and that made him feel his own sadness stronger; it wasn't right for sisters to be this divided. Family mattered more than anything to him and he often had trouble understanding how it could be any other way for other folks. Even Masen's logical brain processed the value of family and made it a top priority.

"Who came up with Akamai?" he heard Bella ask.

Masen gave her the answer. "It's a Hawaiian word that basically means to be very smart and sharp. We consider it to mean no entry by unauthorized persons."

"I like that. I like that a lot," Bella said with a much more genuine smile. "And I can see where you guys are so close that you need it."

"And no one has broken it yet," Lee assured her.

"Not even Edward?" Bella asked, casting a glance his way.

"Hey!" Masen's yell had them all laughing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She gave him one of those looks women were so damn good at, the kind that said he knew damn well what she meant. "You're quick to take control of situations."

It took everything Whit had not to crack up laughing. He adored Bella's strength and her ability to be understanding about Masen's logical brain while at the same time call him out on his shit and set him straight.

"That's just 'cause Masey loves us," Lee said while ruffling Masen's hair. "Makes him act like he's everyone's big brother. Even though I'm older."

"Only in age," Masen retorted, earning a smack to the back of his head. He and Lee bantered back and forth in their typical fashion for a bit and then she sat back to answer a question from Gopher.

Without the distraction of Lee, Masen noticed right away that Bella was twisting her bracelet. He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her wrist. "Still liking your bracelet I see."

"Loving it," she assured him as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I wish I could promise you that your sister has figured herself out and is ready to do right by you."

"That's really nice of you to say after everything."

"I want whatever makes you happy."

"_You_ make me happy."

"Lucky me," he murmured, quickly pressing his lips to the top of her head before refocusing his attention on the road.

Whit smiled, pleased with the fruit of his nudging labors. It was about damn time Masen had someone who could be his other half. And if the fates continued to be on their side, then Whit's someone would be at the house and ready to make amends.

He thought back on the phone call he'd shared with his parents last night and of the advice his father had given him. _You can't always pick who you love but you can always decide how you love. Do you want to shower love with an open heart and a partner you trust? Or would you rather bleed it out with a protected one from fear? I'll leave it to you to decide which is the risk and which is the reward._

The sun glinting off the windshield distracted Whit and he realized they were already turning into the driveway. This was it; his life was about to change and the only control he had over it was how he reacted to it. This would not break him. Bend him for sure, but never break. Not so long as he had his family behind him—the squeeze to his shoulder from Masen was proof he had all the support he'd need no matter what came next.

They weren't even out of the truck yet when Lizzy's barking filled the air. Whit looked up just in time to see her leap at Masen. He caught her and hugged her and started that cooing-talking thing he did with her. As formidable as Masen could be at work, he was that much of a pushover when it came to his puppy.

Whit came around the front of the truck to stand next to Bella. "Please tell me the man spoils you as well as he does that dog."

Bella grinned. "I like to think so but I suspect she may have it just a tiny bit better than all of us."

"Alright, Kid, share some of that love with me," Esme said as she put an arm around Masen's shoulders. He laughed and hugged her tight before kissing her cheek.

Whit took a step toward them to get his hug next but stopped at the sight of Alice standing near the front door. He hoped her being here meant good news for them all.

Alice finally moved and it was toward her sister, giving her a small smile and a long, tight hug. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say it if you don't mean it," Bella warned, her arms still at her sides.

"I do, I swear. I'm sorry and I missed you so much. I hated not talking to you all week. And knowing that it could be longer because I've been so stupid … Bella, I'm so sorry. I'm going to prove it to you and show you I can be different. I _am_ different."

Bella lifted her arms and returned her sister's hug. "You better really mean it."

"I do. I swear. Please just give me a chance to show you."

Bella pulled back and looked her sister in the eyes. "Give me one reason why I should after the way you hurt us."

"I sincerely regret my behavior and I love you with all my heart. I want to support you, not stand in your way. I want to make things right, make them a-okay between us like before I got here. Bella, I love you and I want to support whatever makes you happy."

"If I give you this chance and you blow it—"

"Then I deserve whatever happens next. But, Bella, I swear it won't come to that."

The sisters stared at each other for a moment and then Bella smiled and pulled Alice into another hug. "It better not, you brat," Bella warned her.

Alice smiled in return but then her face turned red and her smile faltered as her eyes locked with Masen's.

She stepped back from Bella and moved her hand as if she was going to lift it but then just as quickly let it drop back by her side. "Masen, I'm really sorry for all I've said about you and I hope you'll give me a chance to make things right between us. And if you don't want to now, then maybe later on once you see I'm making things right with my sister."

Masen looked to Bella first; she kept her face neutral, letting him know it was up to him. Whit admired that about her, especially with how hard it must be for her to be pulled between the two of them.

Whit wasn't the least bit surprised that Masen looked to him next. Whit shrugged, another indication for his friend that it was entirely up to him what path he took with Alice. He already knew Mase would give her a chance for Whit's sake so why not let the man feel like it was a choice and not a given?

Finally focused on Alice again, Masen told her, "Couldn't hurt to get to know each other after you're done fixing things with Bella and Whit."

"Bella, why don't you come and help me get your uncle off the phone," Esme suggested. "We can all unload the Bronco later." She quickly ushered them all inside, practically dragging Masen away and finally leaving Whit and Alice alone—by design of course. After all, Esme had been the one to teach him all he knew about nudging.

"Hi," Alice said, not quite meeting Whit's eyes.

"Getting to know Masen, does that mean you're staying?"

"Yes, but here at the house. I don't think the boat's a good idea. At least not until I've proven myself."

"Probably right about that."

"I um …" She finally looked at him and he could swear there was true remorse in her brown eyes. But he wasn't about to be swayed by a look, not after all the hurt she'd caused.

"I read your letter," she shared. "A bunch of times, actually. It seemed like each time I read it, I got something new out of it. The one thing that was there every time was how much I hurt you." She reached for his hand and he let her take it. "Whit, I wish I had the words to let you know how incredibly sorry I am for hurting you. I never meant to upset anyone and I know that's not how it looks at all. I also know my intent doesn't change the fact that you were hurt."

"Why the change of heart now? What's so different?"

"Nothing except for how I perceive things. Whit, when I first got here Bella was so sick and that scared me. Then to see a photo of her with a huge shark and hear she wanted to stay here with them … It made me feel like everything was wrong, like I was suddenly trapped in an upside down world that didn't make any sense. It seemed like the harder I tried to understand, the more it felt like she was pulling away and picking sharks over me. I got so caught up in trying to stop that, to keep her from leaving me all alone, that I couldn't see what I was doing to her or to Masen or to you. I just wanted to make the fear go away, to bring back the happiness we had back home.

"But I know now that Bella can't be happy without finishing what she's been doing here. She needs this and all of you and I am so ashamed of how I behaved, all the ways I could have ruined this for her. I will understand completely if any of you find it impossible to trust me with another chance. Honestly, I can't say I deserve it. But I promise you that if you do, I will never make you regret it. I will spend every single day making it one of your best decisions."

"Not _the_ best?"

"No," she answered with a genuine smile. "Choosing to be a part of all this with Masen and Esme and everyone else, I think that's your best decision. They're your family and they make you happy. Plus, they get your love of being on the water in ways I never will."

"As much as I want to believe everything you're saying right now, Alice, it's going to take time for me to trust it."

"I know. And I know I made you question whether or not I really mean it when I say I love you. I don't want you questioning that and I never ever want to lose you, Jasper Whitlock. I love you. I love you and I'll tell you a thousand times a day if you want."

He finally let go of his guarded expression and allowed himself to smile as he opened his arms in invitation. "Let's start with once more and a hug."

"I love you and I'm so, so sorry," she said into his neck, squeezing her entire body against him as much as she could.

"This is going to be a process, especially with Masen."

"I know and I know I have to go at whatever pace works for you guys, not my own. I know it won't be easy but I so want to fix things. Esme says as long as I keep working at it, it'll eventually happen. I have to believe that because a life without my sister and you in it isn't going to be much of a life at all."

"If only you could have stopped yourself before you took it to this level, before you caused so much damage," he said as he stroked her hair.

"I've been wishing that myself for days now. But wishing isn't going to change things. I have to change them by proving my remorse and my desire for things to be better."

Whit smiled, knowing where her words had come from. "Glad to see you took advantage of Esme's guidance."

"She's so great, Whit. My uncle is really lucky to have her."

"We all are."

"Is it presumptuous to say I'm lucky to have you too?"

Whit thought about it for a moment, thought about what he really wanted and what would be the best way to encourage her without letting her think all was instantly forgiven. "Not if you mean it and keep your promise to not make me regret it."

"I mean it with all my heart."

He let her go and nodded toward the house. "Let's go in. I'm sure you've got a lot you want to say to Bella in private."

"Not in private. With Masen at her side, the way he's supposed to be."

Whit didn't react outwardly, again not wanting to give Alice the impression that things would be better just because she'd said she was sorry. On the inside though, he was beaming over her comment. Not only had she included Masen as a part of Bella's life, but she'd meant every word. He'd clearly heard the conviction in her voice and had seen her acceptance in her expression. A true acceptance and not a forced one. The chances of this being a real change in her seemed pretty high and that made him one very happy guy.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella was so wrapped up in describing the past week that she was completely unaware of her hand waving around the spoon it was holding. "And then our last dive, which was yesterday, which you already know, but the last one was the best because we all went together and it was so beautiful and there were so many fish of all types and colors."

"Breathe, Bug," Carlisle said with a laugh. "We have all night. You don't need to fit an entire week into five minutes."

"Sorry." Her face was flushed with a mix of excitement and embarrassment.

"If your father could see you now."

"What—" Bella swallowed down her nervousness and pushed out her question. "What would he think if he could?"

Carlisle's palm tenderly cupped her cheek. "He would be so proud, Bug. _So_ proud." He grinned and added, "We'd simply have to argue over who was more proud of you. Of course I'd win."

Bella laughed, and for a moment she swore she could hear her father laughing too, a deep belly laugh that had always been clearly heard over her uncle's outlandish reasons for why he was right and her dad was wrong.

"What you're doing, it's nothing short of amazing."

"Don't get too excited just yet," she said more to herself than him. "This was shark-free waters. Day after tomorrow, we're back in False Bay and anything could happen."

"Once again, you are not giving yourself enough credit, Bella. The sharks are only a small part of what it means to be in the water. You trusted yourself and your reactions. You trusted your team. That took no small amount of intestinal fortitude, young lady, so do not lesson your achievement now by doubting whatever may come next. Agreed?"

"Agreed," she answered with a nod and a smile.

"Excellent. Now about your personal relationship with Masen, how is that going?"

Alice's cry distracted Bella from answering. "No way," she cried again. "That can't really happen."

Whit, Gopher, and Lee were cracking up over whatever had Alice's feathers ruffled. After apologizing to everyone as a group and then individually, Alice had spent the day trying to get to know everyone. Lee was stand-offish still, as was Edward, but that was to be expected after all Alice had done.

"Tell me!" Alice demanded, her eyes focused on Whit.

He was oblivious to her stare, clutching his stomach and laughing wildly.

Alice turned to Edward next. "Don't you have to tell the truth? Isn't there some kind of oath you took as leader?"

Gopher was the one to answer her. "Yeah, the shark-topus oath. We have to free the misinformed from the tentacles of untruth!" His response had Whit and Lee laughing even harder while Alice giggled. It gave Bella hope that her sister truly meant her apologies and her attempts to really get to know everyone.

As for Edward, he had remained unaware of the four of them and their racket. He had his legs stretched in front of him with his torso leaned back and supported by his hands. A gorgeous, happy smile filled his face for whatever Esme was sharing with him. To make it an even sweeter sight, Lizzy was lying across his thighs and sound asleep. Every so often, he'd lean to the side so he could free a hand to stroke her back.

"Esme and Masen share something very special."

Bella smiled as she lifted her eyes to her uncle's face. "They do. It's really sweet."

"I hope you feel I'm here for you just as much."

She was shocked that her uncle would ever question his presence in her life this way. "I don't even know where to begin to tell you just how grateful I am for you and all you do for us, Uncle Carl. You could have made so many other choices, other arrangements, but you made your home our home like it was no big deal, like we weren't actually a burden dumped on you."

"You and your sister could never be a burden. Not to me or anyone."

"You say that because you love us, but I know it doesn't turn out this way for every kid who loses their parents. We were lucky. We _are_ lucky. While we may not share the way that Esme and Edward do, Uncle Carl, you and I are no less close. We cook, that's our thing. We cook and we talk. And I'm pretty sure it's your turn to share."

"Oh, I'm a boring adult. Nothing new here." His smile was too big for his words to be believed.

"To borrow a phrase from Whit—and clean it up some—your butt must be jealous of all the crap coming out of your mouth."

Her uncle laughed. "I don't think you've ever looked and sounded more like Charles than you did just now."

Bella scrunched her nose, feeling unsure. "Is that a good thing?"

"Adorably so." He kissed her on the forehead and then handed her a scallion to chop. "I believe I was inquiring about a certain young man before we were distracted by your sister."

She smiled as her eyes landed on Edward, her mind racing with all the good and confusing that had happened this week. "He's a challenge in so many ways. His view of how things work, he's so black and white and that gets him lost in his head so incredibly fast. But he also listens. He lets me give him a different view point to consider and while he doesn't always decide mine is the right one, he still keeps what I've said in mind. It can be really frustrating at times. There's that initial moment where I want to wring his neck but then I think of how all this must look to him and all I want to do is help him through it because I know when we get to the other side of it, everything will be better for both of us.

"And this thing with Alice, he's been supportive and he's listened to me rant and rave and not once has he said a bad word about her, and believe me, Uncle Carl, he had every reason to want to. But even on the ride over this morning he was saying he hoped things would be better with her. He really has such a beautiful heart."

"Holding your tongue when you've been hurt, that's a hard thing to do and an admirable one."

"Now that Alice seems to be seeing clearly, hopefully his hurts and Whit's will heal quickly. I don't know what you did, but thank you so much for helping Alice to see the truth about her behavior."

"I am happy to report that I am unable to take credit for your sister's change of heart. It's all Alice's hard work. She didn't even approach me until last night when she'd had most everything figured out for herself. Honestly, that conversation is the only one we've had, though I do think she'll need a friendly ear tonight to help her digest all the reactions she's receiving. Especially yours. She understands in her head that her apology is not an instant fix, and yet she's still surprised by the remaining distance between you two."

"Alice never has been patient when she wants something."

"Do you remember our first Christmas together in Florida?"

Bella giggled. "It was the _worst_."

"A complete disaster," he agreed. "One of the few bright spots about it was watching Alice turn an unsuspecting mall Santa into a flustered, stammering, and very un-jolly elf."

"I can still hear her," Bella said with a giggle. "But _why_ can't you give me my necklace now?"

"I believe she said something along the lines of 'You agree that I've been a good girl and that there's no firm rule about early gifting, so what's the hold up?'"

"Which she followed up with a promise not to tell the other children."

"I was left with no choice but to explain the truth, that we are all Santa in our hearts."

"An explanation that made her cry because she was terrified she would grow a beard and have a belly too big for all of her favorite dresses."

"Yes, one of many inadvertent mistakes made in our early days together. Fortunately for me, you were always there to help me quiet the tears and calm the worries. I only wish you'd have allowed me to do more for you."

"I wasn't ready. I don't even know for sure that I am now." Bella noticed her uncle's concerned gaze. "I'm starting to remember more."

"How much more?"

She wiped her hands on the dishtowel and then turned to lean against the counter. "I'm not sure how much is real and how much is my mind making it scarier. I remember helping you out of the water. And Dad's watch. I had my hands on it, I'm sure of that. But I … I think there was a moment where the shark was coming right at me."

Carlisle gently rubbed her shoulder. "Those are all true memories."

"What about—" She licked her lips and tried again, fighting to control her suddenly tight throat and her shaky limbs. "What about the part where my dad chose to make sure I lived rather than risk us getting hurt trying to free him?"

Her uncle wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "We were in an impossible situation, Bug. I think what your father did in that moment was to choose the surest course. He chose to live on through you, your future and your dreams and the memories in your heart."

"I miss him so much."

"So do I. Every day."

"Everything okay?" Edward asked, standing in the entryway with a concerned look on his face.

"Onions," Carlisle replied as he released Bella. "We just can't resist a good family cry around them." His excuse had Bella giggling.

Edward didn't look the least bit convinced and that just made her laugh harder for some reason.

Whit popped up beside Edward and pulled his one eyebrow trick. "Should we be worried?"

"Apparently crying over onions is one of their family traditions," Edward shared.

"Hey, none of that," Whit said, flourishing his hand in Bella's direction. "We have the corner market on being a weird family. You can't just come in here with your onions and tears and think you're going to take it from us."

Her uncle grinned and tried his best to trip Whit up. "Young man, you don't know what weird is until you've danced naked under a full solstice moon, baying at its indescribable beauty with your brother at your side."

But Whit continued to appear just as unflappable as always. "Every full moon since I was thirteen and twice on a blood moon night."

"Just so we're clear, I am not that brother," Edward said as he sidled up to Bella and slipped an arm around her back.

She smiled up at him while scratching his scruff the way he liked. "You are so that brother."

Whit cracked up laughing at her response and she was pretty sure she heard her uncle chuckling too under the sound of Edward's groaning.

"You'll pay for that later, kapu," Edward promised, purposefully scratching the side of her neck with his scruff.

"For a kitchen, there doesn't seem to be very much cooking happening in it," Esme mused, leaning in through the opening over the sink.

"It's Edward's fault," Whit said, pointing a finger from each hand at him.

"Bro!" Edward cried, staring wide-eyed at his friend. His response only made Whit laugh—and Esme and Bella too.

"Alright, back to business," Carlisle declared. "If your last name is not Cullen, get out of this kitchen."

Whit complied immediately but Edward lingered, his arm still locked around Bella's back. He searched her eyes as he asked, "You sure you're okay?"

She smiled to reassure him. "Better than okay. I'm lovely."

"Yes, you are." He kissed her lips softly and then left her to finish cooking with her uncle.

It was as they were getting ready to plate the meal they'd prepared that her uncle leaned in and quietly shared his thought with her. "If I were to pick one adjective to describe that young man in relation to you, I would have to choose 'smitten'."

"Why smitten?"

"Because there's no better word for a man that in-tune with your feelings. From what I've seen so far, I like him. More importantly, I like him with you, Bug."

"I like him with me too. Very much. In fact …" Bella took a deep breath and shared her thought with her uncle. "Maybe Atlanta's not where I'm supposed to be after all."

"Have you spoken with Masen about this?"

"Not yet," she admitted with a shake of her head. "I want to make sure of a few things first."

"Like what will happen when you return to False Bay?"

"Exactly that."

"I can see the wisdom in that. I hope you will see the wisdom in this … Following your heart should never mean ignoring your head. Now don't for a second take that to mean that I won't support you if your dream truly has changed. I only want for you to be happy and to be sure of your choices."

"Thanks, Uncle Carlisle," Bella said as she gave him a quick hug. She also promised to keep his advice in mind. It wasn't like she was going to make a decision tonight or even tomorrow. She wanted to see the internship through first and fully prove herself capable. Once she'd done that, then she'd weigh her choices and have a long talk with Edward. No matter what kind of future lay ahead of her, she wanted to make absolute sure he felt included in it—she wasn't letting go.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

On the outside, Edward seemed perfectly at ease. He was smiling, enjoying a beer with friends, and receiving plenty of affection from his puppy. But he wasn't really joining in. He was being quiet and Bella had quickly learned that quiet with him meant he was troubled.

She excused herself from the conversation she'd been having with Esme, Alice, and Lee to walk to the other end of the patio table where he was seated. After scooping Lizzy into her arms, she sat down sideways on his lap, dangling her feet over the arm of his chair.

"Hello," he greeted with an amused grin. For the first time tonight, his eyes were focused and seeing her, not whatever thoughts were troubling him in his head. "Something I can help you with?"

"Actually, I'm here to help you," she told him, pulling his arm around her back and setting his hand on her hip. "So," she said as her eyes focused on his. "What's bugging you?"

"What makes you think something's bugging me?"

"You're being quiet."

"I could just be enjoying the night and being home."

"You'd talk more, not less."

His eyebrows lifted up. "Are you an expert on my habits now?"

"Not yet, but I know enough to tell when you're not yourself."

He smiled and leaned forward just enough to press his lips to her forehead. "I'm just thinking."

"About?"

He sighed and scratched at the bridge of his nose. "It's nothing. It can wait."

"Edward." She lifted Lizzy and turned her face toward Edward. "You're making your puppy sad. Don't make her sad. Talk to me and make her happy."

He chuckled at Bella's silliness. "You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"

She rested her head against Lizzy's and gave her best sad face. "Talk to us."

Smiling and rolling his eyes, he put both arms around her and hugged her tight. "You're kind of annoying, kapu."

"So are you." She pinched the fabric of his dark blue t-shirt between her fingers and tugged. "Talk please."

He ran a hand through his hair while sighing. "I'm agitated and I don't completely know why."

"Your least favorite state of being—confused." She slid her own hand through his disheveled hair. "What can I do to help?"

His cocky smile came out. "You could kiss me until I stop thinking."

She tried her best to look stern but she could feel her lips twitching. "Long term solutions here, mister."

"Like I said, I don't know."

"Do you know what's aggravating you?"

His eyes flicked to something behind her for a second. "It's more of a who."

"Alice."

"Alice," he confirmed. "I can see she's trying …"

"But?"

"But I don't think she fully understands what she did so how can she fix it? Maybe she gets it for you and Whit, but me? I don't think she does."

"Ask her."

"What? No. No, I don't want to start another fight. We've had a peaceful day and I want to keep it that way."

"Edward, _she_ started all of this. You're just trying to make peace with it. You've been so focused on Whit and me this past week that you haven't really let yourself deal with how her actions made you feel. It's your turn now. Talk to her, explain to her how she made you feel and what you need from her to be able to trust her. Better to talk calmly to her now than to keep this bottled up and have something insignificant make your temper explode."

"What temper?" he asked, smiling too big for it not to be a joke.

"Want me to call her over? Or would you rather us talk inside?"

"Bella, I don't know about this."

"I know so trust me," she assured him. "Now, where do you want us to talk with her?"

"Actually … If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to her alone. I just … If you're not there—"

She smiled to assure him she understood. "If Alice doesn't have an audience, then she's more likely to be completely honest. I get that."

"So how should I approach her?"

"Just ask her to talk, Edward. If she sincerely wants to make things right, she'll agree."

He didn't look as though he believed that but he nodded all the same. He also tapped her leg to get her up from his lap. She watched him walk over to her sister and she heard him very politely ask Alice to speak with her in private. As Bella had hoped, Alice agreed without hesitation and the two of them went into the house.

Bella hoped Edward would be able to express his feelings and that Alice would hear how she'd hurt him. Most of all, she hoped this would be the first step toward a meaningful relationship between them. Even if they never became friends, she needed them to be able to be cordial to each other—she loved them both and she never wanted to feel again like she had to choose between them.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"So!" Alice chirped, bouncing down onto the end of Bella's bed. "What's up?"

Masen stayed near the door, wanting to be ready for a hasty exit just in case his temper did start to rise. He really didn't want to fight with this girl any more, he just also wanted to put an end to this agitation he was feeling.

"I'm getting the sense this isn't a conversation you really want to have," Alice stated. "Did Bella decide we needed to talk more?"

He shook his head. "No, she just encouraged me to get a few things off my chest. Alice, I hope the way you've been today is going to be a permanent thing. I hope you can support your sister and love my best friend the way they deserve. I want to see that happen for all of you. But I also have to be honest and right now I have serious doubts about it because I don't think you really understand what you did."

"Of course I do," she assured him. "I was rude to you because I blamed you for Bella wanting to be here and for my feeling all alone. In trying to keep Bella close to me, I said some mean things about you that hurt her feelings—and Whit's too."

Masen kept from speaking out in anger by taking a moment to cross his arms and breathe. "It's that simple? That cut and dry?"

"Well yeah, it's not like I hurt _your_ feelings. You'd already written me off. You had me kicked off the boat."

"No, not me. _You_. You got yourself kicked off by acting like an asshat. And even then I was hoping you would come around. I didn't want to see you hurt Bella and Whit any more than you already had."

"Right. It's always been about Bella and Whit for you."

"No, I made concessions for them, but I felt the pain of your accusations too. Especially when you accused me of going off to cheat on your sister."

Alice actually looked upset. "I didn't know. I mean, of course I knew you were angry about it, but I … Masen, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize when you don't really know," he replied, struggling to keep his voice even and his temper in check. "I've never done this. I've never done the girlfriend thing, putting myself in the position to be tied to someone. To be perfectly honest, I didn't get a choice with your sister. As illogical as it is, I can't not love her.

"I don't know what's going to happen between us, what we'll do when the summer ends. I'm not letting myself think that far ahead because she needs me to be focused on now, on her progress. At the same time, I'm doing all I can to be in the moment because I'll never beat this summer with her. I'm struggling to show her how I feel and balance that with keeping her safe during work. On top of that, I'm worrying what your behavior is doing to her. And just when I think you've reached the bottom, the lowest you can get without admitting to yourself that you're wrong, you just drop the words that could end everything as if they weigh nothing, have no consequences attached.

"If she'd chosen to believe you over me … Alice, that thought has been gnawing at me for a week now and I've had zero time to deal with it because I've spent all my free time comforting Bella and Whit, hoping for their sakes that you'd wake up. All day I've watched you and you've seemed sincere with them and everyone else, but you can't be with me. Not until I know you understand what you did. Those few seconds between Whit telling me what you'd accused me of doing and hearing that Bella didn't believe it, it felt like a lifetime. More than long enough for me to feel anger, hurt, loss—pretty much every dark emotion possible. And then she told me that she didn't believe you, that she knew I wouldn't do that to her.

"As much as I was relieved to hear it, I was equally pissed that you would use me to hurt her. She's kapu, Alice. She's sacred. She's one of those rare people so beautiful inside and out that you can't help wanting to be better for her. I know I can't.

"You need to know that I didn't seek out this relationship with her and I didn't jump right into it either. I fought it. I did all I could to keep it strictly professional, knowing how important her career is to her. But in the end there was just no resisting her because …" He paused to run a hand through his hair, struggling to find the words to say this in a way Alice would be hard pressed to misinterpret.

"My work means everything to me. Anything at all, no matter how small it might be, anything that has ever threatened to get in the way of it, I have avoided. I look at distractions as my enemy, potential ways to ruin what I'm trying to build for my company, what I'm trying to do for sharks and other marine life. My energy and my focus belong to my work. It's that black and white for me. That simple. If it has the potential to pull me away from my work, then I don't want or need it. That especially includes having a relationship with a woman.

"They want attention and they want you to spend time with them and watch their movies and talk. They don't understand the incessant pull I feel when there's a project to plot, to start, to work on, or to complete. They don't get why when I finish one item, I'm immediately ready for the next and not interested in taking a break. They want to come before my work. I'm not saying any of that as a knock against women. I firmly believe they should have that attention and that their partners should give it to them freely without resentment. If any guy mistreated Lee or Esme, I'd be the first one putting an end to it.

"But for me, I can't do that, give up that much time from my work. Or rather, I haven't felt the need to be that kind of partner. Not until your sister came into my life. I didn't like it, her being an interruption to my focus, and sometimes I still struggle to accept it. I wouldn't change it, though. Not for anything. I'll struggle to balance being there for her personally and professionally, and giving my all to my work every damn day, just so I can call her my kapu every night. For you to nearly destroy so casually what I've been struggling to build with her, with such hateful words … That's what caused me pain."

He finally looked up at Alice and he was shocked to find her wiping away tears. "Alice, I wasn't trying to be mean. I was trying to be honest."

"You were honest. And you're right. I didn't know what I'd done to you. Now that I do, I don't see how you can ever forgive me."

"The same way that Whit and Lee always do with me. We're family. You're Bella's family and that makes you my family. I can't say that we're friends or that we'll be friends any time soon, but you're still family."

Alice sniffled and wiped away the last of her tears. "Your mom, she said you wouldn't hate me and I was so afraid to believe her."

He had to smile at that. "She's usually right when it comes to me."

"You love her a lot."

It wasn't really a question but Masen answered her anyway. "I'm lucky to have her. And I'm lucky to have your sister too." Feeling the need for levity, he added, "So if you could stop doing shit that threatens our relationship, that would be great."

"I promise those days are behind us, Masen. From here on out, I'm going to be supportive of my sister and all of her relationships. And just maybe at some point I'll get to count you as one of my friends."

"Tell you what, you get Lee to be your friend and then we'll talk."

Alice blew out a heavy breath. "Nothing like facing one impossible task in order to start on another."

Masen didn't have anything to say so he kept his mouth shut.

Alice lifted her eyes to his. "Masen, I'm really, deeply sorry for hurting you. All I had was a stupid dream that someone had come between Whit and me and it hurt so bad. I can't imagine how it felt for you that night. I know it's going to take a while for you to believe me, just know that I'm going to make sure you do believe me one day."

"I'd like that, Alice. I'd like to believe you some day and trust that you won't hurt any of us ever again."

"Can I say one more thing?" she asked, stopping him from opening the door.

He turned to face her and gave a nod for her to go ahead.

"Thank you. Thank you for believing in my sister and for helping her to get back into the water. And … And for not letting me ruin what you two are building. You could have very easily decided it was too much of a hassle. But you didn't. She's happier than she's been in a very long time and I know it's because of you, because you didn't let go of your kapu."

"I'll never let go," he promised. "Not as long as I have a choice."

Feeling there was nothing more to say, he left the room and went out onto the patio. Bella was once again talking with his mother and Lee but she noticed him immediately and smiled at him. That relief he'd felt at hearing she didn't believe Alice's lie hit him all over again for some reason and he found himself needing to be next to her, to touch her and feel close to her. He had to settle for sitting on the arm of her chair and rubbing his hand along her shoulder for now, but just as soon as Esme called the night to an end, he'd get to have his kapu all to himself and in his arms. The only thing that could make it a more perfect summer night was if they got word that all the nations had passed shark protection laws.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: ** Hope everyone is having a great weekend and enjoyed this latest chapter! Thank you all so much for reading and sharing in this with us. We appreciate it greatly.


	39. 39 Trapped In A Rip Tide

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 39 – Trapped In A Rip Tide**

**Thursday, July 24th**

Masen put down the book he'd been reading and turned on his side to face Bella. She was soundly sleeping with the covers pulled up to her nose and a mountain of pillows piled behind her back. It was ridiculous the way she made the bed seem so small by sleeping this way but if it helped her sleep well then he wasn't going to knock it.

He wanted nothing more than to wake her with kisses but the early hour showing on the bedside clock forced him to behave. He decided to head upstairs for some coffee and one last look over today's agenda. It was going to be a busy day, especially since they were going to have to work around some uncooperative weather right around lunch time. The others would get a break but he and Bella had a video to watch together until the weather passed. After that, they would get back to collecting data and photos.

After grabbing his file from the office, he headed upstairs to the kitchen. He was stopped in his tracks by the t-shirt stretched across Gopher's large chest. It featured cartoon drawings of a scuba diver and a shark facing each other, and was emblazoned with "Sharks hug with their mouths".

"What the hell are you wearing?" Masen asked, not quite sure if he was amused or annoyed. On the one hand, the shark was kind of cute. On the other, it made light of a serious situation.

Gopher smiled wide while opening his arms to show off the newest addition to his wardrobe. "Sweet, huh?"

Of all the words racing through Masen's mind, 'sweet' was most definitely not one of them. "How the hell do you find all these insane shirts you like to wear?"

"There's nothing insane about my shirts. Most are super hero logos, a few are movie quotes, a few more bear our company name, and the rest are fun to wear just for the reactions I get." He pointed his thumb at Masen. "Like yours."

"I'm telling you right now, if Guppy's reaction is anything less than amused, you're taking that damn thing off."

"Bro, Guppy's gonna giggle her cute little head off. You watch."

He shook his head and grabbed one of the empty mugs waiting in front of the coffee machine. "Where the hell did you even get that thing?"

"My baby sister sent it to me in the package I got at the house Monday. She found it in some beach shop while on a weekender with her little girlfriends."

"Sounds like Megan is enjoying her summer."

"Just so long as she doesn't enjoy it too much. She's gonna be a high school senior but sometimes she tries to act like she's in college."

"I wouldn't worry about it. You're a legend in your home town and all the guys know she's your baby sister. No one's gonna mess with her."

"They damn well better not."

Masen smiled behind his coffee cup, picturing some pimply high school kid cowering before the intimidating form of Gopher.

"Yeah, go on and smile, you asshat. You don't have a little sister so you don't know the stress that comes with it. I've got four of them and not one of them has ever appreciated my attempts to protect them from themselves and the disgusting little perverts they decide they're madly in love with. I can still hear the ear-splitting scream Kelly let out when she discovered I'd warned her junior prom date I'd break his damn legs if he tried to have sex with her."

"Sounds like a reasonable consequence to me. And just so we're clear, I've felt plenty of stress watching out for Lee."

"I know you consider her your sister, but it's not the same as when you watch them grow from a tiny baby. There's something primal that happens when you hold your baby sister for the first time. From that moment on, you just know that it's your mission to protect her by any means necessary. That's part of the reason it took so long for Guppy to stand up to her baby sister. She was stuck in that primal protection mode."

"She seems to be out of it now," Masen replied, sitting at the table with his coffee and his file.

"She had to choose what was more important, her objectives or her sister's acceptance."

"Maybe now that Alice has had a change of heart, Bella will get to have both."

"Maybe so but that all depends on the realness of that change. Hard to tell since we were only around her for a day and a half."

Masen understood the man's reluctance with Alice, and though he felt some himself, he had to remain positive for both Bella and Whit. "For now, we operate on the premise that it's real and keep our focus where it really needs to be—Bella's progress."

Gopher sat across from him with his own cup of coffee. "Today's the big video day, huh?"

"Hopefully she can look at it with a scientific eye but I'm prepared for her to have an emotional reaction. At least I hope I am. She still manages to surprise me in some way daily."

"I kind of think she's going to hate the video and not really for the sharks, but for the idea that you might be that researcher guy."

Masen looked up from his papers, completely surprised by Gopher's suggestion. "Do you really think so? You're not just screwing around?"

"Dead serious, bro. Hell, first time I saw that video, that was my thought. At the time I was still learning how much safety means to you. And I damn sure didn't know just how much control Lee and Whit can have over you, so yeah, I thought you might try some crazy shit like that to get the photo and the data."

Masen gave him a disapproving look. "I'm driven, not stupid."

"Yeah, I know. _Now_. And hey, I could be wrong. Guppy has spent a lot of _quality_ time around you so she might not have that concern."

"Do you _have_ to make that face?" Masen asked, annoyed by the size of Gopher's grin and the undertone it gave the man's words.

"With the way you two were kissing in the hallway last night, hells to the yes, my friend." He swiped his coffee cup from the table and rose to his feet. "I'll just leave you to think on that while I head up front to see how my lady love is doing at the helm."

Masen leaned against the back of the booth and let out a breath as he ran both hands through his hair, wondering for the hundredth time why his previously impenetrable self-control fled so easily in the face of his kapu. He hadn't meant to get so carried away last night and definitely not out in the open for anyone to see, but she'd just looked so damn cute in that stupid Seuss shirt with her hair all wet from her shower and hanging down her back. Her skin had been pink from the heat and steam, the scent of her soap clinging to her body as much as the dampened shirt. He'd just wanted to touch her, to see how soft her skin would feel fresh out of the shower. He could clearly remember saying "come here" and her smiling at him while putting her arms around his neck. After that though, things became incredibly hazy. There had been kissing, of course, and enough of it to make her lips look red and swollen. And the heat and feel of her body, smaller and softer and yet fitting perfectly against his at the same time.

With a rough shake of his head, Masen forced the memory away. He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or scream as he adjusted himself, confused as hell about how just thinking of being pressed up against Bella could set him off in a tail spin not unlike the sharks here with their slippery seal prey. One minute, he was calm and collected. The next, he was lost to everything but her and the need to have all of her.

He'd tried to talk to Esme yesterday about his surprising lack of control but rather than tell him how to get it back, she'd just reiterated some of things Whit and Bella had each said to him about accepting the possibility the wait could end before the internship did. If his concern wasn't a hundred percent genuine, then maybe he would be able to let go and not regret it. Since it was genuine, though, that possibility was only speculation and therefore would not be tested. He couldn't risk hurting Bella, not after all she'd been through with him and Alice this summer—and her father and her uncle in her past.

Feeling sufficiently pep-talked into submission on the lusting for his kapu front, Masen opened his folder and busied himself with today's agenda. Bella would be getting back behind the camera on the skiff today. He'd purposefully given her the morning slot just in case the video proved too much and scared her away from the afternoon one. Lee had been a little disappointed but she'd also supported the choice. Masen snorted as her comment came to mind, _sharing is caring_. His best girl friend was quickly becoming his girlfriend's best friend. While he liked to joke that he needed to put a stop to it, the truth was that he couldn't have been happier about it. That might change if they ever decided to team up against him, but for now it was just nice to watch his family becoming her family.

Thinking of his family moved him straight into thinking of their safety and he spent the rest of his pre-sunrise time pouring over his plan to ensure there were no gaps, not even the tiniest hole, that could cause their day to end in anything other than no harm, no foul.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella stood in the doorway holding a plate in each hand while Edward pushed the chairs back and dropped the cushions onto the floor. Honestly, she didn't care where she sat and she highly doubted she was going to touch much of anything on her plate. She'd been dreading this video since he'd mentioned it on the way back to the boat Monday afternoon. Multiple close-ups of great whites eating were not at all her idea of valuable footage. If she wasn't so sure Edward wouldn't have scheduled this if it wasn't necessary to her progress, she'd have begged for any other assignment.

"Come here," Edward called, patting the cushion beside him.

After a deep breath and quick internal pep talk, Bella joined him on the floor and handed him his plate.

He smiled as he twisted open a water for her. "Don't look so green, Guppy. It won't be that bad."

She wished she believed that. She also wished the rain had gone around them; she'd much rather be on the skiff with a camera than here in this room.

After opening his own water, he set the TV remote on his knee. "Before I start the video, I want to tell you a little about what you're going to see. It's clear you have more control over your anxiety when you know what to expect.

"This is a documentary film so there won't be any sensationalism or ludicrous special effects that you would get from a movie clip. There is a whale carcass involved, but it was already deceased before the first shark arrived."

She knew asking would prolong the inevitable but she was also curious so she didn't feel too bad about it. "What kind of whale?"

"A cousin to the blues and the humpbacks. B-r-y-d-e-s pronounced brudess."

She vaguely recalled hearing about that species from Mike, her Sea World co-worker. "Toothless right? They have baleen plates instead?"

"Yep," Edward confirmed with a nod. "They have twin blowholes and their coloring is a dark smoky gray with a white underbelly. They're considered erratic compared to other baleen whales because they surface at irregular intervals and often change course for no discernable reason. For every fifteen minutes underwater, they surface and complete up to seven blows before submerging themselves again. Their swim speed is usually relaxed at around four miles an hour but they can reach speeds of fifteen miles an hour."

"So nowhere near the speed they need if one of these jumping whites goes after them."

Edward snorted. "Jumping Whites. I like that term."

"So if not a shark, what turned it from a whale to a carcass?"

"No one knows. It washed ashore with no clear signs of why it died. Since local officials were unsure what to do with the carcass, they had it towed to Seal Island, figuring the sharks would take care of it for them."

Bella's eyes grew incredibly wide and she nearly dropped her water bottle. "_Here_? This happened here?"

He reached over and took the bottle from her shaking hand, setting it on the floor in front of their cushions. When he was looking at her again, he answered her question. "Last season."

He said it so calmly, so matter-of-fact. _Last season_. Like he was reporting the weather, which happened to currently be rain.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to see the situation through his eyes. It _was_ a fact. It had happened and there was nothing that could change that. He was a researcher reporting a documented event. And that's the role she needed to take on right now—researcher learning the facts.

She met Edward's gaze and said, "So last season they dragged this carcass to the island. What happened then?"

"Once the boat moved away, the sharks moved in one by one until there were about fifteen in the group. Not only was it atypical to see so many great whites gathered in one location, they were also remarkably orderly about eating, each waiting their turn. After a few hours of gorging, a noticeable change happened in their behavior. The sharks seemed almost drunk and the males appeared to be aroused. One of the researchers you'll hear on the video has a theory that a full stomach causes a change in hormone levels and creates a reduction in aggression needed to allow for mating."

"Do you think there's anything to his theory?"

He shrugged. "Not sure. We know next to nothing about this species' mating habits so it's hard to form an opinion one way or another. The idea of fullness altering hormones isn't beyond the realm of possibility." He grinned while leaning in closer to her. "I know I feel more docile after one of Gopher's big meals."

She smiled as she pressed her palm to his forehead and gave a slight push. "I thought you didn't like his cooking."

He took her hand into his and kissed her wrist below her bracelet, his eyes locked on hers the entire time. "I know you've been dreading this for days now but I really think it'll be fine. Just think of how nervous you were about Alice and then we got there and it turned out okay."

"We were only there a day and a half, though. Who knows where her head will be at when we head back tomorrow night after being gone for most of the week. It's not like she's called or emailed me or anything."

"I know that's been bothering you, but I think she's nervous about calling you after everything she did. I know she's called Whit every night and he says she always asks about you."

Bella nodded as if she agreed but she was still reluctant to completely put her faith in her sister's change of heart.

Edward must have seen her uncertainty because he put aside their plates to pull her into his lap and wrap his arms around her. "I think this is a good time to tell you what she and I talked about.

"I was anxious, kind of like you are about this video. I wasn't sure I could explain to a stranger what I've barely been able to explain to myself, and I knew if I failed, then she would never truly understand what she'd done. But once I started talking about you, about how I feel when I'm with you, it wasn't as awful as I'd expected. When I was done, I could see in your sister's face that I'd gotten through to her. That was a good feeling and it makes me hopeful that things really will be better between the three of us.

"This video, I think it's going to be a good step forward for you with sharks, like my talk with your sister was for us. There's nothing wrong with being anxious about it. There's no shame if you find yourself needing to stop and take a break either. Just don't give in to the fear and give up before you give yourself a real chance to push forward."

Bella picked up the remote and sounding far more confident than she actually felt, she said, "Let's do this."

He grinned and brushed a kiss along her cheekbone. "Press play, Guppy."

The video started with a man narrating, explaining the whale had been dead for days and had washed up on a public beach. Needing to get it away from the people and not really sure what to do with the thirty-five foot carcass, it was towed offshore next to Seal Island. The camera panned across the carcass and then moved to capture two fins slicing through the water nearby.

The first shark head pierced the water and Bella gasped as it sunk its teeth into the whale's flesh and began shaking its head back and forth, reminding her of playing tug-of-war with Lizzy. When the shark disappeared under the water, an extremely visible gap stood out a stark white in contrast to the undisturbed and discolored flesh surrounding it.

All of the shark's flailing and thrusting had left behind waves that rocked the massive carcass back and forth across the water's surface, and just as they began to calm, another shark would appear and begin the process all over again, tearing away a wide gap and then disappearing to let the next one get a mouthful. It was orderly, just like Edward had said. But it was also violent and full of such raw power that she couldn't contain her shiver and it rattled her from head to toe.

"We can pause if you need," Edward offered, whispering the words into her ear.

"I'm okay," she replied, confident she could handle a bit more.

Yet another shark came in for a bite and the camera panned to the boat, showing it was right next to the carcass. It was a stun to her system to see the boat and the humans right there and see how the sharks were completely ignoring them, their focus only on the rotting flesh they were feasting on. This was not the behavior of a group of monsters. These were animals satisfying their hunger, plain and simple. For all their speed and their acrobatic skills employed in preying on the seals, each one must barely equate to a mid-meal snack for these massive creatures. The energy used to catch them almost seemed too much for their trouble so it made absolute sense to her that they would gorge themselves when presented with a basically endless meal.

The camera focused on a researcher in dive gear who was getting into a cage; Bella tensed, worried this man was taking the sharks' distraction for granted and putting himself in harm's way. Even the narrator said it was 'extremely dangerous'. Of course, his very next words were that this was an opportunity that might not come again.

Next, the diver explained what he saw beneath the surface of the water and explained his theory on a possible great white mating ritual. He seemed completely unfazed by the suddenly uncoordinated sharks banging and bumping into his cage, their teeth showing and undeniably sharp.

The video cut to the next morning and there was hardly anything left of the whale, though the sharks in the water were still numerous. A close-up of the carcass flashed on the screen and then a man appeared climbing onto it.

"Stop it!" Bella yelled. "Why is he doing that? Stop it! Pause it!"

Edward hadn't been expecting her reaction and he fumbled the remote and dropped it twice.

Coming from the TV were the words, "This is about the dumbest thing I've ever done. Anything for a good picture."

The video finally paused, leaving the screen frozen with the man sitting on the carcass with a camera in his hand and a shark right behind him.

Bella turned her face away and focused her eyes on Edward's knee, not wanting him to see how freaked out she was feeling. She wanted to make him proud.

She could feel her racing heartbeat in her temples and her fingertips, and she struggled to control her breathing, knowing a panic attack wasn't that far off. She thought of what a real researcher would do and forced herself to ask a question. "Why? Why would any sane person do that? Make me understand."

He tightened his hold on her as he answered, "Every team, every researcher has a different level of acceptable risk. This man and his team felt the sharks were docile enough that the reward would be much greater than the risk. I promise you that nothing happens to him. I would never let you watch it if anything had."

"If I've learned anything at all about Great Whites, it's that docile is not an appropriate adjective for them."

"I wholeheartedly agree with that statement." He did too. She could tell from the combination of his quick response and the conviction in his tone.

She wet her lips and forced her next question out of her tightened throat. "Would you? For a picture, would you do that? Would you get on that small, slippery surface and put yourself a foot away from a Great White's teeth? Would you risk leaving behind your family?"

"No." Again, no pause, no sense of deception. "What he's doing does not meet my own personal criteria for an acceptable risk, and it damn sure doesn't meet the team's."

"That's good. That's good because what he's doing is absolutely insane. There's no data that he's going to get from a close-up photo that he can't get some other way. There's just not. You can't convince me that there is, you just can't."

"Breathe, Bella." It was a demand that she found hard to follow but eventually managed thanks to his calming voice and the soothing way he rubbed his hands along her arms. He reminded her of her bravery on the skiff, of how she'd helped with the seal and coped with seeing the shark right beside them. He also reminded her how wonderful she'd done diving and swimming in the bay the previous week.

"Sorry," she said once she was sure she was in control of herself.

"It's okay. Watching someone purposefully put himself in harm's way can be a troubling experience. Add a massive shark to that and it's completely understandable that it would be a lot for you to handle. But, Bella, you _are_ handling it."

"You wouldn't do that, right? Nothing dangerous like that?"

"No, nothing like that," he promised.

She nodded as she pulled in another deep breath. "Even if he's fine, I can't see him with a shark so close. Not today. Just tell me what else happens."

"He takes a few photos and then they get him back on the boat. They mention that the waters become calm for the next few days. The full sharks retreat to relax and digest, leaving the seals to enjoy the waters worry-free for a short time."

"And then?"

"Back to business, recording breaches on seals and the occasional mistaken penguin."

"Which they don't like and spit out but it's already too late for them because of the pressure exerted by the shark's jaws when they clamp shut."

"That's right." He hugged her tighter. "You did good. You got a little worked up at the end, but you still pushed forward and finished. Good job, Guppy."

"I don't feel like it was a good job. I feel like I wanna barf the lunch I didn't eat."

He chuckled at that. "Before that part, though, did you find it interesting at all to see how the sharks were eating?"

She took a moment before responding, making sure it was the researcher answering and not her fear. "A little, yeah. They were cordial to each other rather than territorial like I expected. It's an interesting tidbit to add to what I've been learning about this species."

"Now that you're not seeing them as evil monsters, what do you think about sharing a cage dive with me? With your skills behind the camera, you'd be a valuable asset to the team."

She tried deflecting rather than outright refusing. "Even you have trouble photographing underwater here."

"That's true, but I'm still managing to get a few good ones here and there. And considering all of your above water shots have been pretty damn near perfect, I have no doubt you can adapt to the underwater conditions and be a big help. Don't answer me, now. Just take a few days to consider it and then let me know."

"Edward, I really—"

His blue-eyed gaze was almost as mesmerizing as the green-eyed one. "Think about it for a bit. If you decide now, you won't be able to keep your anxiety from influencing your choice."

"Alright," she agreed with a nod. "I'll take some time to consider it."

"Good. Now do you want to try to eat or do you want some time in your room with your journal?"

She grimaced as she placed a hand over her flip-flopping stomach. "Journal."

"Then enjoy your writing. If you need me for anything, I'll be in the kitchen."

She couldn't help grimacing again. "All those sharks and it didn't dampen your appetite at all. I can't wait to feel that way."

"In all honesty, you may never completely feel that way. What I can promise you is that you'll have the control to lock it away when you need to keep your focus."

She hugged him tightly, her anxiety slightly eased by his complete honesty. "Thanks for telling me what I need to hear rather than what I'd like to hear."

"Just part of my quest to be a master mentor," he joked. "Now go write. I'm hungry and you're impeding my eating progress."

She smiled at his playfulness then kissed his cheek before leaving for her room to pull out her journal. This was definitely an experience that needed recording and reflection no matter how queasy her stomach felt at the thought of recalling that video.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen set the two still full plates down on the table and then slid in beside Whit. "It could have been worse but it damn sure could have been better too."

Gopher frowned at the untouched plates. "I was right, wasn't I?" He didn't seem to relish his accuracy for once.

"You were partially right," Masen admitted. "The shark being so close set her off first, and then hearing the guy was after a photo finished it off. It wasn't as bad as when we were on The Submarine but it also wasn't as controlled as when we were on the skiff." His stomach chose that moment to growl loudly so he popped a chip into his mouth.

"Where is she?" Lee asked while stealing one of his chips.

"She wanted to write in her journal. She figured it would help her settle down." He picked up his sandwich and took a huge bite out of it.

Whit snorted. "At least you're not worried about it."

He shrugged. "She knows that's not going to be me or any of you so I don't see it being something she'll fixate on."

"How was she before that point? Was she able to watch the sharks eating?" Lee questioned.

"Yeah, she watched. She flinched a bunch but she kept watching." The thought he was struggling to ignore was only getting louder the more he talked about Bella, and that left him no choice but to deal with it now. The rain was ending and the sun would be out soon, allowing them to get back to work—work that required him to have a clear head.

He looked to Lee, knowing Gopher would follow her lead. "Can you guys give me a few minutes alone with Whit? I need to talk to him about something."

"And you can't say it in front of me?" She was smiling but he could still see the hurt in her eyes.

He held his hand out to her and once she took hold of it he told her, "Let him help me translate it into something you can understand and then I promise you'll be the next person I talk to about it. Deal?"

She smiled again and it was much more genuine but not completely hurt-free. "You are _such_ a pain in my ass."

"Love you too," he replied, giving her a hand a squeeze before letting it go.

"Come on, Gopher," she said as she stood. "Let's go check the latest weather report and make sure this rain is really breaking up for good."

Gopher waited for her to walk away first and then quickly spoke to Masen. "Thanks for not being an asshat and just ordering her to leave. She's been fighting her homesickness lately and she got a call a little bit ago that her mom's rheumatoid arthritis flared up and is hurting her pretty bad. She can barely move around the house on her own."

"Why the hell didn't she tell us?" Masen demanded to know.

Gopher smirked. "Because she's just as stubborn as your ass and figured she'd worry less about her mom if she worried about Guppy instead."

Whit chuckled. "And there is the proof that some things will never ever change around here. No matter how much we pull Masen and Lee out of their heads, the instant someone they love is hurt, they're right back in them."

"We better call her back in here," Masen said, turning to see how far down the hall she'd gotten.

"Relax, bro. I've got her," Gopher replied, setting his hand on Masen's shoulder. "You take care of whatever you need to with Whit first. You can help cheer her up after."

Once he was gone, Whit pushed Masen's plate at him. "Eat a little first so your stomach doesn't interrupt your explaining."

After wolfing down half of his sandwich and a handful of chips, Masen let Whit in on what was troubling him. "I thought being a mentor would be easy. The easiest job of all, really. I'm just sharing everything I've learned since we started this company together. But I learned pretty quickly that wasn't going to be the case with Bella because of her fears. Still I thought I could pull this off. Today, though … Whit, I'm a failure at this and I don't know what to do about it."

Whit opened his mouth but quickly shut it. At first, he looked like he wanted nothing more than to laugh his ass off. But before Masen's temper had the chance to boil over, that look faded into a contemplative one.

Whit ended up sitting quietly long enough for Masen to empty his plate and half of Bella's. "Before I respond, I'm gonna need a little more explanation here," Whit shared. "You're a failure yet Bella's fears are lessening. How's that work?"

"Because I'm only helping her as her boyfriend. She got through the video because her boyfriend was comforting her, not because her mentor was successful."

Whit chuckled and shook his head. "As much as your logic helps you solve complex problems, it also creates ridiculous new ones. You didn't discover you fail at mentoring, Mase. You discovered that you're finally mastering your first and most needed people skill—reading others reactions instead of blindly going off what should logically happen.

"When Bella has needed you to be demanding with her, that's what you've been. When she's needed a push to acknowledge she's ready for the next step, then she's gotten it. And yeah, when she needs comfort, you've given her that too. That's one human giving another human the support they need most in the moment."

"But I can't hug every intern we have," Masen argued.

"You don't have to," Whit answered, not holding back his laughter this time.

"Hey, nudger! Stop laughing and fucking help me!" Masen demanded.

"I am helping," Whit promised. "I'm just also laughing at how damn ridiculous you're being. In all seriousness, Mase, I highly doubt any other intern we have will want a hug from you when Lee and I are so readily available. We only lost out with Bella because she fell for your challenging ass." His smile widened before he added, "I bet if I put money down that you're still trying to figure out why you two fell for each other, I'd win enough to finally get myself that Kawasaki Jet Ski I've been drooling over."

Masen grabbed his hair and let out a frustrated grunt. "You have no concept of the true meaning of serious."

Whit gripped Masen's shoulder and gave it a playful shake. "Look, bro, even if a future intern wants or needs a hug, it's not going to have the same connotation for either of you that it does for you and Bella when you two hug. You're worrying for nothing. You'll see. Being able to read people is going to pay off big time for you, especially with how much trouble you have with social cues.

"And here's a perfect example to prove what I'm saying is right … When we were down in Australia and I wasn't feeling the conditions there, you couldn't understand why I was fighting you on it. You just kept saying it didn't make sense for me to distrust the look of the water and the weather reports we had on hand. The only reason you eventually gave in was because Lee and Esme took my side.

"That version of you wasn't trying to argue with me or be a jerk. He was just looking at things logically. But this guy you are now, if I said the same thing about the water here, you wouldn't fight me. You would ask questions and try to ease my worry for sure because that's who you are no matter what, but once you saw it wasn't changing how I feel about it, you would offer to come up with a new plan. You would offer what's illogical to you because you realize how much it means to me. That's something you didn't know how to do before Bella came into our lives."

Masen blew out a breath while running his hands through his hair. "If I was such a shit person—"

"You weren't, Mase. Don't take it like that, bro," Whit said, squeezing his friend's shoulder. "You have always been the man who would do anything for us. That hasn't changed and never will. You just weren't very good at taking emotions into account. You needed to feel the big emotions to understand them and that hadn't happened yet for you. Now that you're experiencing them with Bella, it makes you a better leader and it's helping you as a mentor."

"Yeah?" Masen asked. It wasn't that he doubted Whit for a second; it was that he was still worried about screwing things up with Bella because the logic he'd relied on his whole life kept failing him in this one area.

"Have I ever sugarcoated anything with you in all the years of our friendship?"

"No," Masen said with a snort. The memory that had immediately popped into his head was his first full summer with Whit and the many pimples that had made their home on Masen's face. Esme had tried to be sensitive about the issue but Whit had damn near been brutal, telling him to do what he needed to get it under control or get used to being called 'Pebbles' for as long as the acne stuck around. Whit never would have really used the nickname but he'd known the threat would keep Masen from being lazy and making it worse.

"Trust me, bro, you're doing a damn good job as a mentor," Whit assured him. "If that starts to change, I'll be the first to let you know."

Masen hooked his arm around Whit's neck and pulled their heads together. "You're pretty damn lucky to be my bro."

Whit snorted. "You've got that backwards."

"Yep," Masen agreed with a chuckle.

"All right," Whit said, sighing as he sat up straight. "Now that we have your shit sorted out, let's go deal with Lee."

Masen stood and asked, "Does dealing with her include telling her how damn stupid it is to try to hide her mom's condition from us?"

Whit lifted both eyebrows and stared intently at him. "You can do that just as soon as you stop being exactly like her."

"Hey, I didn't hide the mentor thing from you," Masen argued. "And I'm going to tell her about it now that I know what to say."

"Bullshit!" Whit exclaimed with a laugh. "You only told me to clear your head for work. If this was an off day, you'd still be brooding over it."

Masen said nothing. Then again, his smirk said it all for him. Whit had, had his number before the first word had ever left his lips. If Whit ever decided to use his best friend skills for evil, Masen would damn sure be doomed.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Friday, July 25th**

Masen checked the time on his watch and then took one more look at the painfully quiet water. His shoulders slumped as he finally admitted what had been evident for the past couple of hours. "Today's a bust."

"Big time buster," Gopher agreed. "What now?"

"I'm calling it." He hated to do it, especially after losing so much time yesterday because of the rain, but there was nothing else he could do. No sharks meant there was nothing to document. "Radio in to Lee and let her know to tell Whit and Guppy. I'll reel the decoy in."

Gopher grabbed the radio from its holster with one hand and tossed Masen a pair of gloves with the other. They landed at his feet and with one look at them he decided there was no way in hell he was putting them on. He was also going to demand new gloves be put on the skiff as a public health service.

Masen braced his right hand under the line and used his left to pull the decoy toward the skiff. As he worked, his mind raced with possible reasons for the sudden silence they'd seen today as well as ideas on what their next step should be. It was only three in the afternoon so there was still plenty of time for them to try something else. He could bring up the idea of pulling a decoy with the skiff again, see if anyone was more receptive now that they'd had some experience with the decoy breaches. This could also be the perfect time to bring up the cage to Guppy again. She seemed completely over yesterday's anxiety from the video, and the lack of sharks in this area would be a big plus to her. She could take some test shots and acquaint herself with the cage and underwater—

His eyes and brain registered the change in the water around the decoy immediately but it didn't do him much good. The shark had a head start and those extra couple seconds were the difference between his hands being out of the way and the line pulling taught and slicing into the palm of his right hand. Luckily he'd moved out of the way enough to keep from harming his wrist as well.

"Fucker!" Masen yelled, forcing his eyes to continue tracking the shark even as they watered from the pain and began to spill over. He had to be ready to toss the weight holding their end of the line if the shark decided to pull the decoy under.

In one quick movement, Gopher pushed him aside and cut the line. After setting the wire cutters down, Gopher yanked his shirt off, twisted it up a few times, and wrapped it tight around Masen's hand.

"Should have risked the bacteria and put the gloves on," Masen joked.

"My fault. I should have loaded a newer pair on days ago. We all know how you can turn into a germaphobe when gloves and rags start getting old. Want me to radio ahead to let Whit know to get his supplies ready?"

"No, it's probably fine."

"Dude, my shirt's changing color already. You're gonna need stitches."

"Fuck." Not only did Masen hate stitches, he hated having to divert his focus between working and making sure he didn't pop them or get them wet.

"Don't beat yourself up. The water's been dead-quiet for hours. Nobody was expecting a last minute visitor."

"Speaking of that visitor, she's long gone but our decoy is still bobbing along the surface."

Gopher surveyed the area around the decoy closely. "So this is what we'll do. You drive us up beside it nice and slow and I'll yank it into the boat."

"I'm going to amend that plan slightly. If the decoy is beyond salvage, we leave it."

"Sorry, bro. We are duty-bound not to pollute the waters with our trash."

Masen snorted. "Not forever, you clown. Just until after I get my stitches."

"Oh. Then let's get those now and come back for the decoy after. Probably better to make sure our visitor is really long gone. Besides, I don't really want you bleeding on my steering wheel."

"_Your_ steering wheel?"

Gopher grinned. "I drive the skiff all the time, I'm claiming her."

"Then I guess it's time I put Guppy to work as the driver."

"Guppy's not yet calm under pressure out here," Gopher pointed out.

Masen grinned, sure he had the perfect comeback. "You flooded the engine not that long ago."

He was wrong; Gopher had the perfect one. "And you _just_ sliced your hand."

"Fucker."

"Asshat."

They finally stopped pretending to glare at each other and laughed. Gopher started up the skiff while Masen returned the wire cutters to the toolbox. He was still not touching those gloves. He'd let Gopher make sure they ended up in the trash once they were back on Galeos.

Masen grabbed the radio from its holder. "Come in Galeos."

Lee's voice answered him. "Are you as completely bored by this day as I am?"

Masen snorted and then answered her. "I was until we got a surprise visit after calling it a day."

"Seriously? You got a breach?" Her raised voice left no doubt she was annoyed.

"We did but we didn't get any footage so it doesn't count." He didn't want her to worry so he kept his voice casual as he added, "Hey, would you ask Whit to get his medical kit out? He might need to administer a small stitch or two."

"Did you slip and fall?" She didn't give him time to answer because she immediately began teasing him. "Can't believe you're going to ruin our no harm, no foul status, Mase. So disappointed in you."

"Yeah, yeah. Over and out." He set the radio back in the holster and caught sight of Gopher's grin. "What's that for?"

"There's been a cut. You know what that means."

Masen's eyes widened as he caught on. "No. Hell no! Not with Bella around."

"Dude! It's tradition!" Gopher insisted.

"She's not ready to share in that particular tradition."

"It's just stories."

"Stories with scars that involve sharks and other dangerous activities."

"Can we at least ask Whit and Lee what they think?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Let me deal with my hand first," Masen replied, hoping to buy himself some time. If he held out long enough, then there was a chance Gopher would forget all about it by the time dinner rolled around.

To be perfectly honest, he was partial to the tradition and enjoyed it. He especially loved how proud Whit always looked when he was declared the 'bad ass' for his leg scars. But after Bella's reaction to the video yesterday, Masen felt it was too soon for her to watch them roll up their sleeves and shorts to show off scars and share how they'd received them.

When they reached Galeos, Lee came down to help Gopher tie off the skiff while Masen headed up to find Whit. He found him in the kitchen waiting for him with his tools at the ready. And with Bella at his side, nervously twisting her bracelet.

"I thought you said a couple little stitches," Whit accused as he carefully unwrapped the bloody shirt from Masen's hand.

"It will be," Masen replied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "It's just cut in one of those spots that bleed a lot."

Whit shook his head, not looking convinced at all. He turned the faucet on before unwrapping the last section of shirt and then immediately put Masen's hand under the water.

"Does it hurt? It looks like it hurts," Bella rambled.

Masen smiled in hopes of reassuring her. "It's fine. The water on it actually feels pretty good."

"You'll need a local," Whit warned.

"Not for this," Masen refused. "We have more to do and I can't do it if I've got a headache. Numb it with ice."

Whit looked at him sternly. "Allow me to remind you for the millionth time that you are not in charge when it comes to this area. If I decide you need a local, you're getting one."

"You know that shit gives me a headache."

Whit wasn't the least bit sympathetic. In fact, Masen was pretty sure his friend pressed down harder than necessary while soaping up and then rinsing off the wound area. When Whit was satisfied the area was clean enough, he patted it dry with a square of gauze.

"Hop up on the island for me," Whit instructed. Once Masen was seated, Whit left it to him to hold the gauze in place.

"Aren't you going to take him downstairs? Wouldn't it help keep things sterile?" Bella questioned.

"Don't worry, Guppy. I'll make sure he's fine," Whit told her. "Besides, the lighting's better in here." He gave her a smile and then focused on Masen's hand, pulling back the gauze to get a good look at the injury.

He frowned a lot and he even cursed a couple times, but that was about all. He stepped away to pull some ice cubes from the freezer, mumbling to himself things that Masen was sure he'd get an earful of later. For all of Whit's talk about how Masen and Lee hated for anyone to get hurt, Whit was no better at it. At least he was going with the ice cubes and not the damn local that never failed to give Masen a splitting headache.

The sound of beads clicking together drew Masen's eyes away from his friend and to his kapu. "Come here," he called, offering her his uninjured left hand.

She gripped his hand and forced a smile.

"Don't worry, please. It's really nothing," he said, hoping she would listen.

"How did it happen?" she asked.

"Good question," Whit said as he pulled away the gauze and replaced it with a couple of ice cubes.

Masen kept his eyes on Bella to keep her eyes off of his bleeding hand. "After I called the day done, I started reeling in the decoy. The movement must have been pretty attractive because a shark came out of nowhere and breached it. I saw something was about to happen right before she hit but I just wasn't fast enough to get both hands out of the way."

"What happened to the decoy?"

"She let it go and we left it floating for the time being. We're gonna go get it after Whit finishes playing my doctor."

Bella's eyes turned toward Whit but quickly flicked back to Masen's face. He figured his hand must still be bleeding based on her reaction.

"Weren't you supposed to be wearing gloves?" she asked.

"Yeah, but the ones we had on board weren't wearable. And with the afternoon being so quiet, I took the risk."

"And got hurt."

Whit jumped in at that moment. "Mase, tell me if you feel this."

Masen looked over to find his friend prodding his skin with the tip of the stitching needle. "That thing looked smaller in the case," he said as he let go of Bella's hand to grab the edge of the island.

Whit grinned for a second and then became all business again. "Do not move. Don't even breathe hard."

The needle was so small that Whit had to use a special pair of scissors to hold onto it and maneuver it around the wound. His hands were steady and his movements exact, not that Masen saw much of it. He had closed his eyes to relax his breathing and calm his heart rate—and also to replay what had happened to see if he could have avoided the injury in any way other than putting on the nasty gloves.

It wasn't long at all before Masen's wound was closed with ten stitches that ran in an arc across his hand from the webbing above his thumb to the edge of his palm just above his wrist, exactly where the line had been resting in his hand.

Bella's exhale was clearly audible. "Is that it? Do you just wrap it now?"

"Pretty much," Whit answered. "I'm going to put some salve on it to keep the area moist and hopefully keep him from getting a noticeable scar."

"And then you're going to waterproof it," Masen reminded him. His eyes were still closed but for a different reason now. He was hoping it would help stop the headache that had suddenly started building behind them. He was also rubbing the side of his fist along his forehead in hopes of releasing tension.

"You feeling okay?" Whit asked, lifting Masen's face. "Open them," he demanded.

Masen did his best to open his eyes and not squint. He also said he was fine simply because he wanted it to be the truth.

"You're a shit liar, bro. I can see the pain in your eyes."

"Fucking headache hit me out of nowhere. Feels like when I stepped on—_Fuck_!" Masen glared at his friend despite how much it hurt to do it. "You did it anyway, didn't you?"

"I apologize for letting you think I wasn't going to give you the local," Whit told him. "You needed it with the length of the cut. You're damn lucky it was mostly superficial."

"Lucky? That's the last thing I'm feeling right now. How the hell am I supposed to work with a splitting headache?"

"That's easy." Whit had the nerve to smile at him. "You don't."

Masen was about to let his friend know exactly how he felt about that but Bella spoke up at that moment. "You can't work. Even if you didn't have the headache, your injury is on your hand and you need both for work on the skiff. That's an MMR safety rule. I know because I read them all multiple times when I was stuck at the house after my run-in with the ray."

"I don't need two hands to drive the boat," he argued.

"It doesn't matter if you think you do or not. That's the rule and the rule is to protect everyone. Safety first."

He sighed as he slid his fisted hand along his forehead, once again trying to rub away the pain that was steadily increasing despite his efforts to stop it. "I appreciate your concern, but I know what I'm doing and what I can handle."

"If you really feel you need to be there to supervise Gopher retrieving the decoy, then I'll drive."

He appreciated her attempt to be helpful but also felt it was wholly unnecessary. "There's a time for compromise—it's called 'later'."

"Edward—"

"_Bella_." Between the throbbing in his head and his annoyance with Whit, he had zero patience left for anyone or anything else right now. "It's my call to make so back the hell off."

"Wrong," Whit declared. "It's _my_ call. Masen, you're done for the day. Bella, go let Lee and Gopher know he's done. If you can handle it, I'd like you to drive the skiff so Gopher can retrieve the decoy. Lee can drive in the open water but she's shaky with launching and docking."

"Fine." It was all Bella said before she left.

As soon as the door closed, Whit flicked Masen in the side of the head and caused him to groan in pain.

"The fuck, bro?" Masen asked, wincing from the pain talking added.

"You are a total fucking idiot!" Whit yelled, causing him to wince again. "She's concerned for your idiot ass and you pretty much bite her head off for it."

"So she's pissed. She'll get over it."

"If you hadn't been so busy with the headache you're trying to downplay, you'd have seen the look on her face. She's not mad. She's hurt. And she's got every right to be with the way you just talked to her."

"What was so bad about telling the intern that I can handle my job?"

"That's not what you said. You said the safety regulations don't apply to you. You said you were going to risk your life and the lives of those around you by taking on a role that requires you to be one hundred percent healthy and focused when you so clearly aren't. You also said you don't trust her to step up and fill in when it's needed.

"Weeks of telling her to trust you and to trust that safety always comes first—you just piss it all away in a moment of distraction. And what I don't get is you thinking for a second that you were _ever_ going to get back on that skiff today. So there you go, genius. You just created doubt about your commitment to safety with your intern and you hurt your girlfriend's feelings for basically no reason. Two fuck-ups at once. Have fun digging your ass out of this mess. You're gonna need one hell of a shovel."

Masen was in equal parts pain and denial and really should have kept his mouth shut. Unfortunately, he often missed the cue for when he should stop. "If her feelings are hurt, it's because she took what I said the wrong way. She'll just have to get over it."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"How is he?" Lee asked, having heard Bella's grumbling and the cabin door closing with some extra force.

Bella was much more hurt by Edward's behavior than angry but since the anger was easier to control, she used the emotion to her advantage. "I can't answer for how. But if you'd like to know _what_ he is, he's a giant stubborn ass."

"Ah shit," Gopher said, sliding a hand over his cropped hair and doing nothing to cover up his smile.

Lee smacked him across his chest. "Hush." Looking at Bella she asked, "Is he being a baby about the needle?"

"Not really sure of his thoughts on the needle, but if you'd like to know how he feels about the safety rules, he doesn't believe he needs to follow them." She clenched her fists at her sides, begging her eyes not to water.

Lee looked and sounded confused. "That doesn't sound like him at all. Are you sure?"

"Perfectly so. He planned to drive the skiff one-handed for Gopher to retrieve the decoy, and when I brought up the safety rules about being one-hundred percent for a role like that, he told me he makes the calls."

"Oh did he now?" Lee replied, crossing her arms.

Bella wasn't certain which direction Lee's anger was aimed so she wanted to make it absolutely clear Edward was in no shape to be driving the skiff. "I should also mention he has a headache from the local that's bad enough that he was having trouble keeping his eyes open."

Lee whirled on Gopher. "A local? I thought it was a tiny cut!"

"That's what Edward wants everyone to think," Bella told her. "It took ten stitches to close his laceration."

"Ten!" Lee cried, looking between Bella and Gopher. She suddenly stilled and her eyes narrowed to slits as they focused on the door to the cabin. "Oh he is _so_ going to get it!"

Gopher grabbed her around the waist and held tight. "Hold on there, my little spitfire."

"Em, let me go," she demanded.

"I will after you hear me out. I have a better plan, one that will annoy him infinitely more than one of your good punches."

"I'm listening."

"We do the one thing that breaks him almost as fast as Esme … We ignore him."

Lee grinned. "Oh that's good. That's really good. His patience level deteriorates faster than a bowl of Cheetos set down in front of you."

"No, I don't think so," Bella said. "Just because he's angry and doing his best to make us feel that way doesn't mean we should sink to his level."

Lee pulled out of Gopher's arm and went to Bella, giving her a tight hug. "I'm sorry my idiot brother hurt you."

"No, I'm—"

"Bella, if you were only angry, you would have jumped all over Gopher's idea."

Bella swallowed thickly as she returned the hug, hoping to keep her voice even. "I just don't understand what happened. It's not like I yelled at him or told him he had to stay inside. I just offered to drive the boat."

"Didn't Whit try to shut him up at all?" Gopher asked.

"It happened so fast that he didn't get a chance," Bella shared. "He did say that Edward is done for today and the three of us should go get the decoy."

Lee sighed. "I can't believe he'd try to pull something like this. Stubborn ass."

Gopher snorted and caused both women to look his way. "You don't want to believe it, but there's plenty of precedent for behavior like this. Pain is the one thing that short-circuits Masen's logic chip. Well, that and Guppy."

"That's no excuse for him to—" Bella bit her lip, afraid she'd start crying if she said anything more.

"You can say it," Lee encouraged. "To be a dick-tater."

"It's pretty stupid of him to go on a power trip in his condition," Gopher mused. "He has to know none of us would have allowed him on the skiff."

"Yeah, one threat to call Esme and he would have backed right down," Lee added.

"Great," Bella said through clenched teeth, her hurt shifting toward anger again. "So it's just because it was me talking to him. Guess I'm a bigger interference than he was letting on."

"No, I'm sure that's not it," Lee replied. "He's in pain and he's being stupid, that's all."

"Lee's right. You'll see, Guppy. By the time we get back with the decoy, he'll have gotten himself under control and he'll be looking to apologize to you," Gopher assured her.

Bella nodded to be polite but she didn't believe that at all. Gopher hadn't seen the fury on Edward's face or heard the annoyance in his voice. She was pretty sure that an apology was the last thing Edward would be making today. On the bright side, Lee and Gopher were being supportive so maybe this was as bad as things would get.

"So how do we get this decoy?" Bella asked, preferring to work rather than replay what had happened.

"First we check the water to determine the decoy's exact location," Lee explained.

"Then we make sure it's clear of sharks, drive the skiff on over, and scoop our decoy up," Gopher added.

"That easy, huh?" Bella questioned, feeling only slightly nervous. Their area had been pretty quiet all day long and she couldn't think of any reason why that would change now.

"We'll take it slow and steady," Lee said with an encouraging smile.

Bella smiled back as she made the decision to trust her teammates and go for the decoy with them. She couldn't help glancing back at the cabin door and wishing Edward wasn't going to miss her first time driving the skiff. It was his own fault, though. And she had no idea why that was, why he'd reacted so nastily. The only way she would ever know was if he decided to explain himself—_after_ he apologized for being so cruel.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

After a pain-killer-induced nap and a hot shower, Masen was finally starting to feel like a human being and not a giant ball of ache. His thoughts were still jumbled to the point that he was having trouble focusing on any one thing. His mind jumped from today's accident to tomorrow's plans to Bella's attempt to interfere with his work. That last topic was his least favorite and he continually pushed it aside only to have it return again and again. He wouldn't be surprised at all if he ended up with another headache because of it.

Stepping into the hall, he came face to face with Gopher. "You owe me a new shirt, bro."

"Just wash the thing," Masen responded.

"Tried that. Poor Green Lantern's logo is stained beyond the power of our laundry detergent. I emailed you a list of shirts I would enjoy seeing on my person as a replacement."

Masen snorted. "Of course you did."

"How are the hand and the head?"

"Hand's a little tight and a lot sore. But I'll take it so long as that damn headache stays gone."

"Good to hear your head's mended. Now you can focus on pulling it out of your ass."

Masen sighed. "Figures you'd take her side."

"It's not about sides, Mase. It's about right and wrong and your dumb ass was wrong on a ludicrous level."

"The only thing ludicrous around here is you," he said as he moved past him.

Gopher didn't seem ready to give up just yet. "Sure because wanting to work a job that requires two hands right after getting stiches makes sense. Just like taking your anger out on Bella when it was really yourself you were pissed with."

Masen rubbed his good hand across his wet hair while turning to face the man. "Gopher, I'm sure somewhere deep inside you mean well, but you need to butt out of this. I know exactly who I'm angry with and why."

"Fine." Gopher crossed his arms, staring Masen down. "Let's hear it."

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"That's true. That's very true. Although, a smart man would jump at the opportunity to try out his apology before delivering it and digging his hole any deeper."

"A smart man also knows not to apologize when he hasn't done anything wrong."

"You're going to be one lonely fish in the sea if that's how you really see things."

"Why would I be lonely?"

Gopher's eyes widened. "You seriously think she's going to be chatty with you and sharing a room after what you did?"

"If she wants to be childish and ignore me—"

"Actually, that was my plan and she rejected it. She'll talk, but it will be in answer to work questions during work hours. Outside of that, you will be s-o-l."

"So now she wants to keep work about work," Masen sneered, shaking his head.

"Oh, you _idiot_," Gopher replied, his voice rising with each word. "I see it now. I totally see it now. You completely misinterpreted her attempt to protect you as your teammate. You thought she was trying to boss you around as your girlfriend and that's why you got angry and were such a fucktard to her."

Masen shook his head in denial. "You weren't there. You're making a bunch of assumptions off whatever she told you."

"It doesn't matter one damn bit but just for your own personal knowledge, she didn't tell me anything other than that you were trying to break safety protocol and had a miserable headache."

"Like you said, it doesn't matter. What does is her attempt to tell me what I can and can't do as the team leader."

"Once you get hurt, you're a teammate up for reassignment."

Masen could feel his jaw drop. Those were his words; he'd said them to Lee a couple summers ago when she'd stepped on a broken shell and cut her heel. She'd been arguing that she could still climb up into the crow's nest and stand on her feet for hours to man the video camera.

After giving him a moment to think, Gopher told him, "You have preached about safety pretty much from the moment Guppy got here. All your files, your visible daily commitment to it, they give her that extra oomph she needs to get out there and work with us every damn day. It kept her from leaving when you took that hit to the side from the shark's tail. And it gave her the courage to offer to drive the skiff _while_ she was looking at your bleeding hand. Instead of standing here trying to be self-righteous in your misplaced anger, why don't you try seeing things from her point of view?"

Gopher's argument was pretty damn convincing and Masen almost fell for it, but then the image of Bella twisting her bracelet came to mind. "That's a nice theory but I know what was really driving her and it had nothing to do with safety. It was her anxiety. She was just trying to use safety as an excuse for getting me to stop working."

"If that's all it was, then how come she was so hurt by your behavior?" Gopher shook his head. "You know what, don't bother. You're still lying to yourself so you'll just keep peddling the same shit. I really hope for her sake that you don't stay in this limbo of denial too much longer."

With his peace said, Gopher headed upstairs and left Masen standing in the hallway.

"He's wrong," he assured himself. There was every chance Bella was in his room right now, ready to give _her_ apology. She had been anxious—he'd seen her twisting the bracelet. Hell, he'd heard the beads click.

Masen looked toward the empty stairwell while going over Gopher's reasoning once more. He shook his head in refute again and turned toward his bedroom. Even if Bella wasn't in his room now it wouldn't mean anything because it wasn't really late. In fact, he'd bet she was upstairs finishing dessert with the others.

His room was in fact empty. That part did not surprise him; what did was the clench he felt in his stomach. He blew it off as a side effect of the medication from today and headed upstairs, expecting to find her sitting at the booth with their friends.

Bella wasn't with them.

He thought about asking where she was but one glance at the stairs in the corner had him feeling certain she was up on the viewing deck. He climbed them slowly, feeling the eyes of his friends on him and not wanting to give them anything more to say. He didn't want Gopher to think for a second that he was right about this because he wasn't. He'd see. Masen would find Bella, she'd do the apologizing, she'd come downstairs with him, and then everything would go back to normal.

The deck was empty…

So was the crow's nest…

The video room…

The helm…

Masen blew out a breath as he trudged over to the booth where his friends were seated. He could feel the tension in the air as he waited for either Lee or Whit to look up from the card game they were playing. Neither did.

Gopher looked at him but only to give him a shitty smile. "Lose something, little lonely fish in the sea?"

"Call me that again. I dare you," Masen challenged.

"He's not the enemy, no matter how much you might want him to be," Whit piped up. "_You_ are your only enemy."

"I'm not wrong here. She was the one trying to give me orders."

Whit's look of disappointment was impossible to miss. "If this is how you're going to be, I'm sorry I ever nudged." He lowered his eyes to the table and slapped a card down on top of Lee's. "Seems that line thing was a good idea after all."

Masen said nothing out of pure shock. Whit was the calmest person he'd ever met so seeing him visibly angry over what was supposed to be a small misunderstanding felt completely out of place.

"Don't look at him that way," Lee demanded. "He's right and you're wrong. _Again_."

"Yeah, you've all made it perfectly clear you've taken Bella's side," Masen replied angrily, not understanding how this whole thing had snowballed into a 'let's hate on Masen' episode.

"Where is she?" he asked. "The sooner we get this apology shit over, the sooner all of you can get off my case. She can say she was sorry, I can graciously accept, and we can move the fuck on. So where is she?"

He received shrugs from Lee and Whit, and a "not here" from Gopher.

"Are you guys really not going to tell me?"

"Can't say what we don't know," Gopher informed him.

"You really expect me to believe you haven't seen her at all?"

"That wasn't your question," Gopher pointed out. "You asked if we knew where she is and we do not possess that particular piece of knowledge. Why don't you fix yourself something to eat, spend the night in your project room, and give yourself some time to _reflect_?"

Masen rolled his eyes and walked away to find Bella on his own. They were in a boat in the middle of shark-filled water so there were only so many places she could be.

He checked his office first and then his bedroom just on the chance he'd missed seeing her pass when he'd been upstairs. Both were empty.

He had just decided to check his project room when he suddenly came to a stop in front of what was technically her room. "Bella?" he called as he turned the doorknob.

To his great surprise, it was locked and didn't turn.

"Bella?" he called again. When he didn't get an answer, he put his ear to the door and asked, "Are you in there?"

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow for work."

"What—"

"I'd really appreciate some privacy. It was a difficult day and I'd appreciate some time to digest it all."

He didn't hear any anger in her voice. He also didn't hear the hurt Gopher had claimed was there. Of course, that wasn't completely conclusive with a door in between them.

"Goodnight." It was all he could think to say since he was completely bewildered; this was not anything like what he'd imagined happening.

Silence followed. Enough that he began to feel silly standing in front of a closed and locked door. He headed for his room, stopping twice along the way to look back at her door and wonder what was going on behind it. Was she writing about today in her journal? Would there be a side note about their argument? Would it say he was the one in the wrong?

Masen closed his bedroom door but he didn't lock it—just in case she decided to come to him in the night. He took a moment to move his pillows to the way _he_ liked them and then he plopped down among them, setting one under his hand to keep it elevated per his doctor's orders. He closed his eyes, ready to relax and hoping to maybe even drift off for a bit. He still felt off from that stupid local Whit had insisted on giving him; he figured some good rest would make him feel better.

But he couldn't rest.

That door. That door was bugging the hell out of him. She'd caused everyone to get mad at him and now she was hiding behind that damn door and leaving him to deal with the fallout. Even Whit was acting weird. That stuff about regretting pushing Masen to get to know Bella—Whit couldn't really mean that. Not after one argument that _she_ caused. That made no damn sense at all.

When Masen closed his eyes this time, the image in his head was Whit's hand forcefully placing his card on top of Lee's. It was out of character for Whit to be visibly angry. That fact broke through Masen's own anger and made him take a step back. It also made him admit that Whit didn't support anyone who didn't deserve it.

Masen rubbed at his temples, unsure if he was rubbing away the ghost of this afternoon's headache or the start of a brand new one.

The sound of knocking had him quickly scrambling off the bed, certain of which door was being rapped. He cracked his own just enough to see out into the hall.

Whit stood outside of Bella's door, whistling to himself while he waited for his knock to be answered. Masen doubted Bella would answer for Whit after the quick way she'd dismissed him.

Masen was wrong once again.

The door opened and Whit leaned up against the frame, half-in and half-out of her room. Masen couldn't hear what was being said but he damn sure heard her laugh. It wasn't the giggle he could pull out of her but it was still a true laugh.

Something else was said and then Whit stood up straight and kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight," he said as he stepped back, allowing her to close her door.

Masen heard the lock click.

He watched until Whit disappeared into his own room and then he closed his door and returned to his empty bed.

Whit was supporting Bella and she was opening her door for him. He always supported whoever deserved it and he damn sure wasn't supporting Masen. Why exactly was that?

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella sat in the middle of the bed with her chin on her knees and her eyes focused on her bedroom door. She wanted to go out that door and down the hall and through Edward's door but that wasn't going to happen. He was so convinced he hadn't done anything wrong that he hadn't made a single attempt to rethink what he'd said to her. If she went to him now, he'd never realize what he'd done, how he'd hurt her.

She had gone over every word she'd said and the volume and tone she'd said it at; nothing warranted his reaction. Whit had been standing right there witnessing the entire thing and he agreed that she hadn't been in the wrong. In fact, he'd admitted he'd have said all the same things if she hadn't.

So then why was Edward being so stubborn?

She thought about calling her uncle or Esme to ask for advice on how to approach Edward to talk about this mess, but felt it was premature to get them involved. Any minute now he could knock and ask to apologize.

Or he could knock with that same demanding tone he'd used earlier.

"This is bullshit," she grumbled as she leaned back into the pillows propped against the headboard. "It's in the safety rules. Rules that he has said again and again are for everyone. Not to mention that whole personal set of acceptable risks crap he was peddling yesterday during that video."

She wondered once again what would have happened if she'd stayed silent. She wanted so badly to believe Edward would have eventually come to his senses and realized he was in no shape to go after that decoy. She wanted to hold on to the trust they'd worked so hard to build between mentor and intern.

It wasn't even an apology that she was really looking for, though she damn sure deserved one. And a real one! Not that crap he'd peddled after their first meeting. What she wanted most of all was just to hear that he wouldn't have gotten on the boat, that he wouldn't have put himself in danger and risked not being around for his family anymore. For her.

She felt such an incredible sadness that she couldn't hold back her tears. She could handle him being stubborn, silent, angry … All the things that annoyed the piss out of her. But not having him—that thought just about broke her heart. It was why she'd been giving such serious consideration to alternate career paths, a topic she'd been trying to find a time to discuss with him.

Maybe it was for the best that she'd never gotten to bring it up. If he was so against her reminding him of the safety rules, then it was highly doubtful he had any interest in her being a permanent part of his team.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen did what always felt natural to him when he was anxious or confused or angry—he worked. He went down to his project room, put on his lucky shirt, and worked until he either calmed the flow of information in his head or had a breakthrough idea that showed him how to solve his troubles.

He was in his room, and he had the shirt on, but there was no calm and no ideas. To make it worse, his headache had returned. It hadn't reached that splitting level from earlier yet, and he feared if he didn't take something that it soon would. He even left all his materials strewn about rather than take the time to put them away and leave the headache more time to build.

He found the pain pill Whit had left out for him, along with a sandwich that Lee had made. He could tell from the way the bread was smashed in spots, always a sign of her making food while angry. They were pissed at him but that didn't stop them from loving him and helping to take care of him.

It was eerily quiet as he sat at the booth eating and waiting for the pain pill to kick in. He knew Whit had gone to bed because he'd seen him. He figured Lee must have done the same because whenever she helped Gopher watch the helm there was always talking and laughing.

They were all mad with him, an entirely new occurrence and one that left him uneasy. It created a tiny voice of doubt within him, a voice that questioned if he should be so sure he was right. What would he find if he replayed that conversation with Bella? Would she still come off as an unnecessarily afraid girlfriend trying to interrupt his work? Or would he find what Gopher had suggested was right, that Masen had misinterpreted things?

_What really happened earlier?_ he asked himself. He focused first on what he'd been feeling and thinking. He'd been in pain and irritable. There had been annoyance over the missed footage, and aggravation that there hadn't been any clean gloves onboard.

There'd also been concern for her feelings—at least at first. He'd nixed Gopher's idea of sharing scar stories. And he had tried to ease her anxiety by holding her hand and keeping her focus on him and not his bleeding hand. So what had changed?

He closed his eyes and focused on remembering everything about those moments. The light had been streaming through the windows, hitting those highlights in her hair that reflected red. He smiled, remembering Whit's bright idea to call her flame because of her hair. His hands twitched from the sudden need that gripped him to touch her hair, her face, all of her.

With a deep breath, he brought his mind back around to his task. There she'd been standing in the kitchen with him and Whit. There had been concern in her brown eyes but no panic. She'd been talking and at no point had her voice been shaky or high-pitched. She'd been in full control, a state that had never once resulted in her saying anything without thinking it through. If it wasn't how she was speaking to him, then maybe it was the words she'd chosen.

Masen's eyes popped open as the moment he'd gotten trapped in a rip tide of anger became glaringly clear to him. Three words. _You can't work_. That was all it had taken to cause him to see red and decide she was out to stop him from working just because she'd gotten scared. He'd done what he'd been promising he'd never do—he'd held her anxiety against her. He'd forgotten all about how he'd felt after she'd been hurt by the ray, all the worry that had inexplicably filled him every time she'd moved. He'd flat out demanded she stay put while she'd made an effort to compromise with him, one that he'd shot down immediately and rudely. For all his surety that she would be the one to mix up their personal and professional lives, he had been the one to do it in the most spectacularly fucked up way possible. They were all right about him—he'd been an asshole and he needed to apologize.

Now that he was seeing much clearer, he realized an apology alone wouldn't do it. He'd done more than be rude here. It was exactly as Gopher had said—Masen had put their trust at risk. He'd sullied her belief in his commitment to safety. He'd also most likely filled her head with a dozen scenarios of his injured hand causing more harm.

"Shit, shit, and more shit," he grumbled. He tried getting his anger under control by focusing on rubbing his hand across his head but it didn't have the same effect as doing it with two hands.

Even if it wasn't going to fix much of anything, the apology would be the key to start working on the rest. She needed to hear he was sorry and that it covered far more than being wrong about her intentions.

Masen headed downstairs and straight for her door. His hand was already gripping the cool knob when he remembered that this door was locked to him. Another consequence of his own making. He considered knocking but what right did he have to wake her and interrupt her sleep just so he could unburden himself? The answer was none.

He sat across from her room with his back against the wall. _I'll just sit here until her door opens and then we'll talk. I'll start with the apology and then I'll listen to her share her feelings. That's important. Whit says it's important to listen and he's never wrong. I'll listen and I'll find out every hole I've poked in her trust and belief in me and then I'll start patching them up. I can fix this. I _will_ fix this._

Of course, whether or not he fixed things wasn't really up to him. It was up to her and he hoped she'd give him the chance. Even more, he hoped this would be the last time she'd have to forgive him for being such a giant ass. He'd do better, _be_ better. He'd listen to her more and talk things out rather than just decide he knew what she meant. He wanted her and he could see now that it would mean being worthy of her at all times.

Somewhere between creating backup plans and his self-loathing, the combination of the medication and his exhaustion put him to sleep. Legs stretched in front, head against the wall, and injured hand resting across his chest. Add to that picture his wrinkled clothing and jumbled wild hair and one could almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella wasn't any closer to sleep at two in the morning than she'd been at midnight, or at nine-thirty when she'd first started trying to fall asleep. Making matters worse was the growing intensity of her growling stomach. If it wasn't growling, it was gurgling and causing a rumble like a tiny earthquake was happening in her empty stomach. This was what came of only poking at dinner rather than actually eating it.

She heaved herself out of bed and then used her hands to sweep her hair back into a ponytail. After trading her tank top and pajama bottoms for a t-shirt and shorts, she turned to leave her room only to find herself rooted to the floor by the sight of her locked door. She'd hated doing that, forcing space between them, but had she left it unlocked then Edward would've come barging in here wanting to talk on his terms and his time and she hadn't been ready for that. Knowing there was a high probability that he would say he wouldn't have changed a thing and actually hearing it weren't anything close to being the same and she hadn't been ready to hear those words. She wasn't sure she could ever really be ready but after taking the night to sort through her thoughts and emotions, she felt better prepared for it.

Her stomach growled again, nearly shouting for her to get upstairs and find some food. She grinned for the first time, picturing her uncle's kitchen and the two of them sharing a late night snack of mini bagels and cream cheese. She doubted she'd find those aboard the boat but she was sure Gopher's snack shelf in the fridge would hold something good to tide her over until breakfast.

Opening her door wiped all thoughts of food right out of her head. Sitting across the hall was Edward, only he wasn't exactly sitting so much as leaning up in his sleep. Not wanting to wake him, she quietly crossed the hall and knelt beside him. She almost pinched herself to make sure she hadn't somehow dozed off. Dreaming would definitely make more sense than him actually sleeping outside of her door. She'd asked him to leave her alone, which he had technically done, but at the same time he hadn't been able to leave her. He was being completely illogical in doing so but instead of thinking it a ploy, she saw it for what it really was—the only way he knew to prove the sincerity of whatever it was he needed so badly to share that he'd camped outside of her door. But just what was it that he'd come to say? Was it that he'd finally realized she'd just been trying to protect him the same as he'd done for her so many times? Or had he only come to defend his call?

The idea that he'd still be defensive stung her harder than she'd expected and she struggled not to let the tears in her eyes escape. Defending his call would make it impossible to trust him as her mentor. No matter how much she wanted to believe it wouldn't affect their personal relationship, she wasn't naive. Even one core item missing from a functioning relationship spelled disaster. They'd have no idea when the end would arrive, but it would come and it would deliver consequences and much more pain than she was feeling now.

Edward breathed deeply and opened his eyes. The sadness and the ache of loneliness she felt were mirrored in his blue eyes, so much so that she knew she hadn't been quick enough to fix her expression and he'd seen the hurt she was feeling. He also looked equally rumpled and exhausted, though she knew he'd at least slept some since she'd heard him snore while she'd been puzzling over his presence.

His lips parted and she squeezed both of her hands into fists, bracing for the worst while praying for them and the bright future they could build together.

"My call was wrong. _I_ was wrong."

His words brought her an immediate wave of relief and caused her tears to spill over her cheeks and land on the backs of her fisted hands.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his warm hand cradling her wet cheek. His blue eyes had a glassy sheen and his lower lip trembled when he tried to speak. He swallowed hard and tried again to talk. "Kapu, I'm so damn sorry. _Please_. I need you to know how sorry I am."

She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, needing to physically connect with him and hopefully ease some of the intensity of seeing his emotions so nakedly displayed. _This_. This was the real Edward. This was the beautiful soul of the stubborn man and oh how her heart clenched and her smile shined with her love of him.

That thin line between pleasure and plain existed on both of their faces as their lips met and clung, eyes wide open and fully focused on each other. They parted for a breath and when their lips met again it was with closed eyes and lighter hearts. There was so much they needed to say to each other but for now just the promise of the discussion was enough. The words could wait until she'd had a little time to enjoy being kissed by a man who left no doubt that he wanted to be loved by her. Knowing he still wanted _them_ allowed her to believe the trust could and would be fixed.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** Melding personal and professional lives is a hard task for a lot of people. At least Masen is getting a hell of a lot better at apologizing. That was nothing like his first apology to Guppy – "I apologize your first night with us wasn't what you expected".

EA has put the picture of Gopher's shirt up on the blog for you guys. We'd love to hear your ideas on what kind of shirt Gopher should request as a replacement for his ruined one.


	40. 40 Doubt vs Desire

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 40 – Doubt vs Desire**

**Saturday, July 26th**

"Would you tuck it in already?" Edward demanded.

"Where exactly do you expect it to fit?" Bella shot back.

"In the space between our bodies."

She blushed while giggling. "This conversation sounds a lot dirtier than it is."

He was grinning as he told her, "Get your mind out of the gutter and your elbow out of my arm."

She shrugged. "You were the one who insisted on a rhombus pancake."

"I didn't realize it would be this dangerous," he joked.

She smiled and scooted her spatula forward against the mix a little more. "By the way, this isn't looking anything like a rhombus."

"It's your fault it turned into a U-P-O."

"A what?" she asked with a laugh.

"Unidentified Pancake Object."

She groaned and laid her head against his shoulder. "That is _the_ lamest joke."

"Yeah, it was pretty bad," he agreed. He pressed his lips to her forehead and she could feel his smile.

She helped him with the pancake for a bit before sharing what was on her mind. "You know we have a lot to talk about. You need to say a hell of a lot more than 'sorry' with this one."

"I know and I have a lot I want to say. Just let me make your snack first. It's my fault you're up and hungry at this hour so I owe you."

"You owe me big time," she agreed. She stood up straight and smiled at him as she said, "And since I'm practically making this snack myself, you owe me a meal."

"Done. How about dinner Monday night?"

She was a little taken aback by his quick agreement, and also a little bummed by his suggested timing. "We'll be on the boat. I was kind of hoping for it to be just us."

"It's a big boat," he pointed out. "There's plenty of places for us to find some privacy. Just leave it to me."

"Alright. Monday night," she said with a nod. A thought popped into her head then, and though she knew her smile was oversized for such a little thing, she didn't attempt to dampen it. She just went with the moment and shared her smile and her thought with Edward. "It's a date."

He looked confused by the idea for a second and then his smile grew to nearly match hers. "It'll definitely be a date, kapu."

While she maneuvered the pancake out of the pan and onto a plate, he fixed her a glass of ice water.

"I'm not completely sure where to start," he admitted once they were seated across from each other in the booth. "Is there one thing in particular you want to know?"

She chewed slowly while debating between the why behind his actions and knowing his intentions. She picked the latter. "Would you have gotten on the skiff if nothing had been said?"

He didn't answer immediately, seeming to really consider it rather than immediately give an answer. "I would like to believe I would have realized on my own once I saw the number of stitches. I know for sure Whit would have said all the things you did and would have kept me off the boat."

She tried not to feel hurt by his admission, reminding herself how long the two men had been friends. At the very same time, though, it was impossible not to be hurt that Edward wouldn't trust she had his best welfare in mind. He'd all but demanded her trust before she'd ever really known him yet the first time he'd had the chance to repay that, he'd been either unable or unwilling to put his trust in her.

She pushed her half-eaten snack aside and focused fully on him. "Why? Why would it have been different if Whit had said it to you?"

"He would have phrased it differently. He wouldn't have told me I couldn't work. He would have asked how I thought my injury would affect our plan and the rest of our day. That probably sounds ridiculous to you, huh?"

"It sadly makes a lot of sense if I look at things from the perspective of a guy waiting for his first ever girlfriend to get bossy. I just wish you could have based things on my behaviors and not the worries you've been carrying around with you."

"I wish that too, and I'm sorry I acted like such a jackass. I know I've hurt your trust in me and I hope you'll let me repair it."

"That's all going to depend on you, Edward. Do you feel you know me enough to put your whole trust in me the way I've been doing with you?"

"I do trust you."

She didn't doubt that he believed it—she just needed him to show it now. "You may think so but today proved that you don't. You don't trust me to understand how important the work is to you or to support you. If you did, you wouldn't have questioned my intentions. You wouldn't have had any trouble agreeing to me driving the skiff while you oversaw Gopher's retrieval of the decoy."

He brushed his hand over his face a couple times and then sunk it into his messy hair. "I really want to argue with your logic but it's pretty damn solid. For the record, though, I do think I trust you."

She reached across the table and retrieved his hand from his hair, giving it a tight squeeze as she smiled at him. "Then we'll take that as an encouraging sign that you _want_ to trust me and we'll work on making sure you can follow through with it. You have to give just as much trust as you get. When you start to do that, you'll stop questioning my intentions."

"Why are you being so nice to me? Why aren't you yelling like Lee or pointing out every mistake like Whit?"

"Because I'm not them. And because what works for you guys isn't going to work for you and me. Your relationships with them blur into each other and that serves you guys really well. But for you and me, we have two very distinct relationships by your design. I think we have to talk through things to see which of the relationships has suffered a blow and needs repair. We also have to acknowledge and respect that there are worries you have, some logical and some preconceived, and there are expectations I have as your partner and co-worker. One major one being that I expect you to trust me.

"Don't for a second misjudge my calmness, Edward. I'm incredibly hurt by your reaction and more than a little pissed too. I know I don't have the experience or knowledge that you and the rest of the team have, but I do know how important safety is to all of you. It really hurt to see you doubt that my intention was anything other than putting safety first. My calm is only because I know it's the fastest path to seeing things fixed."

"Do you have any ideas on how I can start to fix things?"

"Yeah, actually, I do have one. Call this conversation done with a promise to continue it later. We both could use some sleep, especially if we want to enjoy our time with our families later today."

Edward grinned and brought her hand to his lips, giving her knuckles a kiss. "Kapu, will you sleep with me now and let me talk with you later?"

"I would love to."

Once they were standing, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I hated being locked out of your room."

"I hated it too but you didn't leave me a choice."

"Yeah, I was pretty damn stupid today. Especially closing my own door. But I want you to know, it was never closed to you, not really. I just wanted you to feel as confused as I did."

Bella snorted. "I was already feeling that way, thank you very much."

"Asshat?" he asked.

"Complete asshat," she agreed, looking up so he'd see her smile. "Let's go to bed."

"You can pile the pillows to your satisfaction but I need to keep one of them," he said as they headed downstairs together. "Whit will have my ass if I don't follow his instructions to keep my hand propped up."

"How's it feeling?"

Edward sighed. "Really fucking sore. It would be a lot easier to ignore if my head wasn't aching all over again."

"Do you need to take something?"

He grinned. "Just you into my bed."

"Oh that's a good one. Really good, actually," she complimented.

Rather than move the pillows around for her comfort tonight, she left them just as he'd put them. Once he was settled in, she tucked herself beside him and laid her head on his chest.

Despite the strength of her urge to close her eyes and immediately fall asleep, she had one more thing to say, knowing she would forget if she waited until later. "You know, it's a shame you used it tonight. That line would have worked a hell of a lot better if you hadn't been such a jackass yesterday."

"Hush. Sleep."

"You know I'm right."

"Maybe."

"Absolutely."

"Slightly," he conceded through a huge yawn. "Sleep, kapu. Talk in the morning."

She smiled as she snuggled in closer to him. "I love you."

The hand he'd been resting on her upper arm squeezed down. "I love you so damn much, Bella."

Her smile was large and content as she whispered, "Sleep, Edward. Talk in the morning."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen came completely awake and stared at the ceiling, working to get his bearings straight and pinpoint what had disrupted his rest. Bella was still beside him, still using his chest as her pillow. His hand was sore and slightly throbbing but nothing that couldn't be ignored with a little effort. Other than feeling groggy, he was in pretty good shape. So why was he suddenly awake?

He let out a loud yawn and let his eyes close, planning to doze back off, but found himself staring at the ceiling all over again. He'd suddenly remembered what he'd been dreaming about … Tomorrow's assignment sheet.

His plan would need to be redone to account for his injury. That in itself wasn't that big of a deal. However, asking Bella to help with the task was huge and very much out of the ordinary. He'd never really had anyone help before. He'd toss ideas at Whit or Lee from time to time when he'd get stuck on a particular piece, but he'd never had them sit down and help him with the whole thing. He doubted he'd be considering sharing this duty with Bella if it wasn't for the major bruise he'd put on her trust in him. But he had and he viewed this as a good way to help the healing along. He only hoped Bella would see it as that and not as some ploy to quickly get her to forgive his stupidity.

He figured with his decision made he'd be able to fall back to sleep easily. Once again, he was wrong. The idea nagged at him much like the throb in his hand until he felt he had no choice but to get out of bed and grab his materials from his office. Slowly, and ridiculously awkwardly without the full use of his right hand, he slipped out from under Bella.

_Damn good thing I'm left handed or I'd have to let her write the changes as well as help me come up with them_, he thought as he padded down the hall toward his office.

He grabbed his assignment sheets, a couple extra pieces of paper, a couple pens just in case, and a clipboard to make it easier to write while sitting in bed. He wanted to surprise her with his idea as soon as she woke.

Masen set his supplies down on the edge of the nightstand and did his best to get back into bed without waking Bella. He was actually hoping to fall back to sleep for a change now that he'd gotten rid of the itch that had woken him in the first place.

The next time he woke it was from Bella calling his name and kissing his cheek. He opened his eyes just long enough to be sure of where she was so he could share a good morning kiss with her.

"You slept through the alarm clock. You must have been really exhausted," she said quietly, running her hand through his hair.

"It was a long day," he replied while carefully flexing his injured hand.

"How's your hand feel?"

"Tight and sore. It'll probably be a couple days before that changes."

"How will that affect the plan for tomorrow?"

"I don't know," he said as he met her gaze. "It all depends on what we decide while revising the assignment sheet."

She chuckled. "So tomorrow we'll have a team meeting to make a new plan and then another team meeting to make sure everyone understands it."

"Nope," he corrected, smiling wide. He was honestly excited to share this with her. "That 'we' is you and me, and we'll be doing it today." He pointed at his nightstand so she'd notice the supplies sitting there.

Bella bolted up in the bed, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "Are you insane? I barely said anything yesterday and you—"

"Yesterday is exactly why I want to involve you this morning."

"Edward, I don't know about this," she said, shaking her head slightly.

He took hold of her hand and tugged. "Come here."

She lay back down beside him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"What happened yesterday shouldn't have happened," he told her. "I know that now. I need you to know that it won't happen again. I also realize that's asking a lot right now since I'm the one who bruised your trust in me. But if you can find your way to trusting me, I'd really appreciate it."

"Why do you want me to help you revise the plan?"

"You said that my behavior made you feel that I don't trust you. I figured involving you with the revisions is a great way to prove to you that not only do I trust you, I value your opinion. Now don't think that means for one second that I'm going to agree with everything you say. It just means I'll consider it all."

Her fingers danced across his stubble as she shared, "I wouldn't want you to agree with everything. That would be fake. And pretty stupid since I'm still learning the ropes around here."

"So what do you say, Guppy? Will you work with me to revise today's plan?"

She agreed and then she sat up and grabbed the items from the nightstand while he scooted up to lean against the headboard. After handing him the items, she slipped her ponytail holder from her wrist and held it between her teeth while she used her hands to pull her hair back. She suddenly stopped, letting the long tendrils fall back over her shoulders.

"You do know you don't have to, right?" she questioned.

"I like watching you pull your hair back and get all serious," he answered, thinking she was referring to his staring.

She wasn't and she made that clear with her eye roll. "I'm talking about letting me help with the plan."

"Off the top of my head I can come up with six other ways to work on our mutual trust building. So then why this one, right? This is the building block of our entire day. It covers safety, trust, experience, knowledge—runs the whole gambit. Plus, as bad as I screwed up, you still have no doubts when it comes to my commitment to our plan."

"It's the task you give the most focus and importance."

"Which means if I'm asking for your help, I have no worries about being able to trust you to be unbiased and safety-minded."

She smiled and quickly put her hair up into a ponytail. She reached for the extra pen and clicked down on the end. "So what's up first?"

He chuckled at her eagerness. He also couldn't keep from teasing her. "Since I can't submerge my hand for a couple days, I thought you could take my spot in the shark cage."

Bella narrowed her eyes and shot forward, gripping the flesh of his arm in between her fingers and pinching hard.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," he said quickly while trying to pry her pincer-fingers off of him.

Her grip actually tightened. "Are you going to behave?"

"I will if you let go," he bargained.

She let go and then she smacked him for good measure. "I'm ready to work. Are you ready to work, Edward?"

"Yes, Bella," he said, his lips twitching from how badly he wanted to smile. "I'm ready to work."

In the hour it took them to come up with a viable plan, they discussed, debated, argued, laughed, teased, and eventually agreed.

"Tomorrow morning's meeting is going to be pretty interesting," Bella said in a sing-song voice.

Masen grinned. "It will definitely be a change from our usual assignments."

"Safety first, Edward," she said with a teasing grin.

He smiled, feeling a mix of pride, relief, and love as he took in the bright caramel color of his kapu's eyes. He reached out and gripped the back of her neck, pulling her to him so he could kiss the hell out of her. He was immensely glad and relieved that he'd apologized and earned the right to spend his morning this way. He had no delusions that the one apology and the plan revision would fix everything; he was just glad he'd found a way out of the rip tide and into calmer waters.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella honestly couldn't help laughing. She had just never expected the reaction Esme was having to Edward's injury. "Pampering" really was too mild of a word for it but Bella couldn't quite put her finger on a better descriptive word for what was happening.

"Are you completely absolutely sure you don't want anything?" Esme asked, holding Edward's face in her hands.

"I'm good. We had breakfast on the boat."

"How about French toast? No, you need protein. Eggs and bacon?"

"Mom, I'm good."

"Something to drink then?"

"Mom, breathe." Edward chuckled as he pulled her in for a hug. "It's a scratch."

"Ten stitches is not a scratch."

"It's a scratch," Whit told her, passing behind on his way to the kitchen. 

"Totally a scratch," Lee called out from her spot on the sofa.

"Bella?" Esme questioned, looking over her shoulder to see her.

Bella looked between Edward's pleading eyes and Gopher's ridiculously big smile. She could help out her boyfriend or give her friend more teasing material. "It's kind of a scratch, but really long. Ten stitches long." She finished it off by shifting her eyes toward Edward's hand and wincing.

Edward immediately groaned and Gopher's low, evil laugh followed right after. He unfolded his arms just long enough to bump fists with Bella.

"You need to sit down and rest," Esme instructed, leading Edward over to the sofa. "I'll get you a couple plums and some water."

"Don't forget a fresh diaper," Gopher murmured just loud enough for Bella to hear and crack up over.

"That's the word!" she said, snapping her fingers. "Babied."

Whit stopped beside Bella, rubbing his apple against his shirt. "I love you joining forces with Gopher, but I hate that it's going to end with Masen getting special treatment. That's the only reason I said it was just a scratch."

"Why can't we both get what we want?" Bella questioned. She left the guys and went into the kitchen where Esme was pulling things from the refrigerator. "Esme, are you sure Edward should have plums right now? I know he didn't get a chance to tell you all about his headaches yesterday and how painful they were for him. I'm just concerned the plums being such a sugary food would hurt his stomach after all that pain medicine. He should probably have dry toast and water just to make sure his stomach settles in time for lunch later."

Esme leaned on the open refrigerator door with a curious expression. "Toast and water, huh?"

"For the good of his stomach." Bella pushed her lips together, knowing she was giving herself away but determined not to laugh.

"You know what," Esme said as she closed the door. "I completely forgot I finished off the plums last night. Guess he'll just have to wait until next time he's home."

Bella's struggle with her laughter caused her to cough. "I'm sure he'll understand."

"I'm sure he will." Esme linked her arm with Bella's and whispered, "Do I want to know what he did?"

"Probably not. It's better if all you know is that he apologized to everyone during breakfast. Oh and he's planning a date night for me on Monday."

"He'll be cooking?"

"Yep. And he's promised to find a private spot for us to enjoy it."

"Well then, let's move on to the next topic. What shall we do with our day?"

"I don't have any preferences. And I absolutely am not opposed to anything that gives the opportunity to tease Edward."

Esme chuckled and playfully pinched Bella's cheek. "You are so cute when you're being devious."

They went into the living area and Bella sat down beside Lee while Esme pretended to have trouble fitting between Bella and Edward. "Sweetheart, be a dear and give us room to spread out," she told him.

"What about my plums?"

"Fresh out," she answered, even managing to look sad.

"Oh. Okay then," he said with a sigh of disappointment. "Maybe next time we dock."

"I'll make sure of it," she promised, patting his cheek. "Now get out of our way."

He looked at her oddly but he got up from the sofa and moved to the floor.

"Ladies, here's what I propose for today," Esme shared. "Lunch on the beach, get in some swimming, then in the afternoon we throw in something competitive, and tonight we pop in a movie and polish up our nails."

"Volleyball?" Lee suggested.

Esme sat up straighter. "Oh, it has been a while since we did that and we do all love it. Bella, what do you think?"

Alice suddenly leaned over the sofa between Bella and Lee. "Did someone say volleyball?"

Bella cracked up laughing while the others stared at Alice. "She _loves_ volleyball," Bella informed them. "She was on her high school team for all four years."

"Masen can judge," Whit declared, having wandered over with Gopher.

"Masen can play," Edward argued.

Esme gave him a stern look. "You are not about to pop open those stitches and make Whit have to work today. And from what I hear, you don't need to chance causing yourself more pain. No ball for you."

Edward lifted his hands in surrender.

"Only problem with that is it makes the teams uneven," Gopher pointed out.

"Not at all," Carlisle assured him. "I'm in no shape for volleyball. I'm of much more use helping to keep score."

"I don't buy that for a second," Lee replied. Her grin turned wicked as she added, "Not after the juicy details Esme has shared about you."

Carlisle turned as red as Bella ever had and coughed a couple times before he finally regained his voice. "Yes, well, as complimentary as Esme may be, I'll sit this one out."

"Let's go put lunch together," Gopher said, smacking his fist against Whit's arm. He cut his eyes over to Masen and grinned. "You too, Mase. There's plenty you can do one-handed."

Whit snorted. "He'd really be up shit creek if not."

"Now who's the asshat?" Edward asked as he flicked Whit in the back of the head.

Whit and Gopher both turned to looked at Edward as they answered, "_You_."

Edward was most certainly still feeling guilty for yesterday's behavior because he only shrugged and followed the guys into the kitchen.

Bella's ears perked up at the sound of her uncle's voice. "A word, my love?"

Esme giggled. "Yes, dear?"

"Dare I ask about these 'juicy' details you've been sharing?"

"It was only a little sharing between women. You know I can't say too much without making them insanely jealous that I was the one to scoop you up."

"Oh, I'm sure." He didn't sound or look even a little convinced.

"Come on, Bella," Lee said as she hauled herself up from the sofa. "Let's go pick out which cute bikinis we're gonna wear."

"Mind if I tag along?" Alice asked hopefully.

Bella smiled at her. "You can come but you can't pick for us."

"Deal." Alice quickly added, "Unless you pick something hideous."

Lee snorted. "She doesn't even have to pick. We all know she's gonna wear the red ruffled one. It's too easy to torture Mase with it to pass it up."

Bella smiled, not feeling any need to add to Lee's very accurate statement.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

_Shiverin' from head to toe,_

_Baby, I feel so low._

_I wish it was a cold_

_But, Baby, it's your hold._

_I never had a clue_

_What one night could do._

_Just one night with you_

_Now I'm haunted, it's true._

_It was only one night with you_

_But thinking 'bout it is all I do._

"I know this song," Lee declared while snagging a clump of green grapes. "How do I know this song?"

"Ask Masen," Whit told her, sporting a familiar dastardly smile as he turned up the volume. "He knows this song."

"How does Masen know this song?" Her confused look only lasted until she noticed Bella's blush. "Oh!" she yelled, getting up on her knees and pointing at Masen. "The bar! The band was playing this when we found you with Bella with your—" Her eyes flicked over to Carlisle, the only reason she'd stopped herself from teasing Masen.

Whit chuckled. "Ding, ding, ding! Gopher give your woman a prize."

Gopher leaned Lee over his arm and kissed the hell out of her, eliciting whistles and catcalls that easily drowned out Masen's "fucking nudger" comment.

Once the noise level decreased, Masen popped Whit in the shoulder and asked, "When did you sneak into my room to get this?"

"Sneak hell! This is my copy."

"It's a catchy tune," Alice commented while passing a water bottle to Whit.

Whit turned to fully face her, looking dead serious all of a sudden. "You owe me," he told her. "And I know what I want as payment."

Carlisle suddenly couldn't clear his throat quick enough or loud enough; Masen had a damn hard time not laughing.

Whit either didn't hear the noise or didn't care. "A foot. I want one foot fully submerged."

"So not happening," Alice cried. "A tip of a toe. _Maybe_."

"Half a foot."

"Ten toes."

"All submerged."

"No!" Her indignant tone went well with her wide-eyed stare. "Just the pinky."

"All ten toes submerged."

She huffed and sighed and glared at the water before giving in. "Fine."

With a victorious smile, he dropped the time limit on her. "Ten seconds."

"Five."

"Eight."

"Six."

He must have decided to take pity on her because he agreed to the six seconds. Masen had witnessed enough of Whit's "negotiating" to know he didn't have to budge unless he wanted.

Alice looked as though she'd been sucking on the sourest lemon ever grown. "When does this water business have to occur?"

Whit hopped to his feet and offered his hand. "No time like the present."

"Give it a try, Alice," Carlisle encouraged. Masen noticed his voice sounded pretty darn clear now that he knew Whit's payment was something innocent.

"Give what a try?" Bella asked, looking up at her sister. She seemed to have missed the entire negotiation, distracted by whatever Gopher had been telling her.

"He's making me put my toes in the water!" Her ability to say that sentence and make it sound like it meant 'walk the plank over shark infested waters' actually impressed Masen.

"Oh boy!" Bella sounded upbeat but Masen could tell from the sly curve of her smile that she expected imminent entertainment by certain disaster.

"Backstage view or front row seat?" Lee questioned as they watched Alice's snail-like progression through the sand.

Gopher locked eyes with her and grinned. "Front row all the way, babe."

With them racing off after Whit and Alice, Esme's maternal instincts kicked in. "That's our cue, Carlisle. Time to head down to play cheerleader and referee. Unless of course, you'd like Alice to have two reasons to fear putting her feet in the water."

"Misfits?" he questioned, helping her up onto her feet.

"I'm afraid so."

"Then off we go, my love." He wrapped his arm around her waist and they headed down the beach with their hips touching.

Masen waited until he was sure they were out of hearing range. "Kapu, you know that I know that you own other bikinis. Therefore you wearing this particular one is extremely cruel."

Bella looked down at her red bikini; he was certain the innocence in her expression was fake. "This old thing? Really? What's bothering you about it? There aren't any fish on it. No Seuss to rile you up."

"Funny." His annoyed expression was visible in her sunglasses.

She snorted and then chanted, "Red fish, blue fish, Edward finds them all de-lish."

"Come here."

"What was that? Head over and support Alice? Why, yes, Edward, I think that's a lovely idea." She popped up off the blanket which immediately got Lizzy all jumpy and excited. "Want to come cheer on Alice, Lizzy?"

She took the puppy's bark as agreement and scooped her up into her arms.

Bella pushed her sunglasses up just enough to make her eyes visible. Masen was in the middle of trying to figure out why she was doing that when she asked a question. "Want to come along?"

_So I can see she means the invite after all the teasing_, he thought, already rising to his feet. "Think she'll really do it?"

She shrugged. "Did she say the word 'promise' at any point?"

"No, but she was talking to Whit so I think there's an implied promise there."

When they reached the others, they found that Alice's feet were still completely dry. Masen wasn't surprised by that knowing of her fears, but he was shocked that there was zero teasing going on—only encouraging.

After a half dozen false starts, Alice finally let the surf touch the tips of her toes.

It took another couple minutes of encouragement, and Whit and Bella each holding one of her hands, before Alice was able to submerge her toes as promised. Lee and Esme counted down for her and when she was done, Gopher scooped her out of the water and began to run around with her on his shoulder shouting "You're number one" while she laughed.

"You did it, bro," Masen said, resting his arm on Whit's shoulder. "You got her to set foot in open water."

"Only the toes," his friend corrected. "The foot _will_ follow, though," he promised.

Gopher set Alice down in front of them and patted her on top of the head. "Good job today, Thumper."

She giggled. "Thanks."

"Hopefully next time will be more than your toes," Bella encouraged.

"I don't know," Alice replied, glancing up at Gopher. "I'm not sure I'd survive whatever celebration came with that."

"Watch it, Thumper," Gopher said as he gave her a tiny push forward. "I can hurl you into the water from here if I want."

"I'd pay to see that," Lee piped up.

Gopher rubbed his chin and asked, "How much we talkin'?"

All the color left Alice's face and her eyes grew comically wide. Masen sighed, knowing what he had to do but also really wanting to let her suffer a little first. He took hold of Alice's arm and pulled her over to stand between him and Whit, marking her as protected from further teasing.

"You two stop scaring Thumper," he ordered Lee and Gopher. "Whit's gonna get angry if you make her cry and no one wants to deal with Whit pissy."

"Language," Esme chastised, smacking Masen in the back of the head.

"My language is fine," he protested. "It's your filthy mind that's the problem. Get it out of the gutter."

Alice took two big steps forward and away from the water before turning to face the group. "This has been fun but I'm ready to get away from the water."

"You all heard, Thumper. Get up there and eat the lunch I lovingly prepared for you misfits," Esme ordered.

"Mom, you didn't make lunch," Masen reminded her.

"I purchased the food that you young men turned into lunch so by proxy, I made lunch."

Masen chuckled, knowing it would do no good to argue with her.

They headed up two by two with Esme and Carlisle in the lead, and Lizzy looking pretty happy to be curled up in his arms. Masen's puppy seemed to be getting awfully comfortable with the Cullen family.

Masen was trailing at the back of the line with Bella when she suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand. He was stunned by how much that little bit of contact did to reassure him she would forgive him one more time. She had said as much but then she'd also been a little distant today, which was completely her right with as much as his words had hurt her. He'd just missed her was all.

She smiled at him and said, "That was nice, what you did for Alice."

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, needing to be truthful but a little afraid of what it might do. "I didn't do it for her. It was for you and Whit."

"I know, but it was nice regardless."

He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. "Is that what broke the 'look but don't touch' that was going on with us?"

She grinned coyly. "A little reward seemed appropriate."

"What would happen if I kissed you right now?"

"You know, I haven't the foggiest. Why don't you experiment and gather data so we can build a conclusion?"

He picked her up and cradled her butt in his arms, sending her laughter peeling through the air and causing her legs to wrap around him. She felt so damn good in his arms and the weight of her body oddly made him feel comfort more than arousal. He didn't give a damn if he popped every single stitch in his hand, holding her this way was absolutely worth it.

Her laughter stopped as soon as she looked down into his eyes. He knew there was only one color they could be with as much as she'd been on his mind the past couple of days.

"Come here," he whispered, craning his neck to put his lips closer to hers.

Her mouth gently settled on his and they both released a sigh of relief. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose, not planning to stop kissing her once he got started.

What began somewhat innocently with just the soft press of lips quickly shifted into stroking tongues and shared breaths. The urge to touch more of her skin was damn near overpowering but he couldn't do that and hold her up at the same time. Her soft hands had no such problem and seemed to be everywhere; each fiery touch of her skin against his made him want to kiss her harder and longer.

Feeling her struggling with her breathing, he pulled back to give her air and took a moment to search her eyes for any sign that she'd felt the kiss had been a mistake. The caramel he saw assured him she was perfectly happy and he was so damn pleased that he had to kiss her again, but slowly and mindful of her struggle to calm her breathing.

He knew they couldn't stay like this all day so he reluctantly set her on her feet but he left his hands resting on her hips, not ready to stop touching her just yet. Her face and chest were flushed red and her hair was sticking to her face and neck from the heat that had built up between them. He laughed at her struggle to push the strands away but quickly started helping once she narrowed her eyes at him.

"So …" he said once he'd freed her from her hair. "I've collected a fair amount of data and it all suggests that my kapu is happy. Would you agree with that conclusion?"

Her coy smile teased her lips, making him want to kiss them all over again. "It's a good theory," she allowed. "But I think further experiments are absolutely required if we're to be certain."

He laughed and hugged her tightly, laying his cheek against her head. "Lucky me."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Whit clapped his hands together and immediately had Masen's attention. "Food's had plenty of time to settle so it's time to hit the water. If you're name's not Masen, that is."

Masen shifted to lean on his right elbow so he could toss an olive at his best friend's head. "You're enjoying reminding me I can't get my hand wet a little too much."

Whit feigned shock. "Me? Never."

"Paddleboards?" Lee suggested. "There's just enough wave motion for them."

"You and Gopher should definitely partake of it," Whit told her. "But Guppy and I have some work to do."

"Me?" Bella cried, twisting to look at him. "What work?"

"You, little fish, need to learn to balance on a surfboard or you will never be able to catch a wave."

"The boards are on the boat," she reminded him.

"Esme's is in the house," he relayed smugly.

Bella tilted her head side to side while she thought over his proposal. "It would be nice to be able to stand on the thing for more than two seconds."

"Bella, shouldn't you—"

Bella cut her sister off with a cross look. "Alice, if I want to learn to surf, then that's what I'm going to do."

Alice's own tone was calm and composed but her brown eyes reflected her hurt. "I was only going to say you should put your hair up. I'd be happy to do it up in a bun for you."

"Oh. Um … Sorry, Alice." She reached for her little sister's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It's okay. It's my own fault you thought the worst."

"I'm trying to move past that, I really am."

"I know. It's just going to take us some time. It's fine."

"So would you mind giving me a bun? No one does it better than you."

Alice smiled proudly. "Low to your neck or up high?"

"Up high."

After pulling a couple hair items out of the little bag she'd brought along with her, Alice got up on her knees behind Bella and used her fingers to comb her sister's hair back.

"They're going to be fine," Whit murmured just loud enough for Masen to hear.

"I think so too. But what about you and Alice?"

"We're talking, _really_ talking, and that's a good sign. Plus there's a feeling of desire coming off of her that wasn't there before. She wants to fight for me to be in her life and she finally understands that my presence automatically includes yours."

"I wish you luck, bro."

"You better wish your kapu luck," Whit said with a chuckle. "She's gonna need it if her balance is the same as it was in Buffel's Bay."

Masen grinned, remembering the way her drenched ponytail had kept sticking to her wet neck that day. He'd never seen anyone struggle so much, not even the pasty white tourists who took lessons at the beach back home.

"Okay. You're ready for the water," Alice announced. "How far out will you be?" she asked, not completely able to hide her worry.

"We'll only be chest-deep," Whit told her. "Just enough for the surfboard to float under her weight."

Gopher and Lee appeared at that moment, with him holding Esme's board and Lee hugging a few paddleboards in her arms. "I brought an extra in case anyone else decides to join us," she said as she put the extra board down next to Alice.

Esme laid a hand on Alice's shoulder, having seen the same look of fear pass across her face that Masen had seen. "I may join you guys later but first I have to take advantage of Alice's talents and get a bun like Bella's."

"Let's go, peeps. The water's not going to wait on us forever," Gopher declared, nearly hopping from foot to foot in his excitement.

Lee chuckled as she patted his bare chest. "Babe, I love you, but sometimes you make no sense at all."

Whit popped up and walked over to Bella, offering his hand to her. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she answered as she gripped his hand.

They got maybe three steps away before Lizzy barked at them and then looked to Masen with a whine.

"Seriously?" he asked his puppy, not at all used to her wanting to leave his side.

Lizzy whined again.

"Go on," he said, flicking his hand toward Bella and Whit.

Lizzy's happy bark filled the air and then she was up and off, her little legs pumping and pushing her across the sand and towards Bella.

"Huh." Esme's single word said a lot to her son and earned her a glare from him. "I didn't say anything," she defended. "I certainly didn't point out how that's the first time since you brought her home that she's willingly left your side."

"Mom, I say this with absolute love and affection … You suck."

She chuckled. "Love you too, Kid."

Before he could say anything else, he was distracted by Whit's voice. "Don't lean! Don't—I said don't lean."

By the time Masen turned his head, Whit was cracking up laughing while Bella was struggling to gain her footing in the water. Masen's relaxed mood instantly disappeared and he jerked up into a sitting position. By then Bella was already climbing back onto the surfboard.

"This time, don't lean," Whit instructed.

She sounded cross with him. "Then how am I supposed to not tip over?"

"Center yourself. Stay in the middle of the board."

"Easy for you to say."

"Guppy, shut up and stand up."

"You're on your way to being more demanding than Edward."

Whit guffawed laughter. "Not even in your wildest, funkiest dreams. Now stand up."

Bella stood—for about two seconds and then her feet went one way and her body the other, landing her in the water with a loud splash.

Masen was seriously contemplating getting up and going over there, his hand be damned. He'd deal with an infection to ensure her safety.

Carlisle's voice put a halt on his go-stay debate. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were worried she's going to drown. But that's just silly. An educated young man like yourself knows that chest deep water with your best friend standing right beside her is about as safe as it gets. Second only to you standing beside her, of course."

Masen rubbed at the bridge of his nose, wondering when the hell he'd become so easy to read. "More like I'm worried she'll knock herself out when she hits the board instead of the water."

Carlisle chuckled. "Bella mentioned your ability to find the potential for an accident in nearly any situation."

He could feel his ears heating up over the thought of Bella talking about him to her uncle. But he didn't get a chance to really feel the embarrassment because Bella's squeal and accompanying tumble off the surfboard replaced it with a mix of amusement and worry.

"_You're killing me, Smalls_," Whit told her, repeating a line from that baseball movie he liked so much.

"Stay," he said as soon as Bella was standing solidly.

He headed for the beach, walking straight towards Lizzy where she was sitting and wagging her tail excitedly. "Lizzy, surf?" he asked, getting an immediate reaction from the puppy. She jumped to her feet, lowering her head and raising her tail—the stance Masen had taught her to take on the front of his board.

Masen tapped his thumbs against his legs, hating that he was sitting while Whit had both his kapu and his puppy in the water without him. He knew in his heart Whit would never let anything happen to them but it still wasn't him right there with his girls.

"Watch her," Whit instructed Bella. He put the puppy down on the board and she immediately hunkered down on her stomach. "Lizzy, surf!"

Once again, the puppy jumped to her feet and lowered her head while raising her tail.

"She's leaning," Bella pointed out.

"She's centered," Whit corrected. "She's keeping the majority of her weight low to the board while keeping her body on the center line."

"Yeah, well, she's also got four legs."

Carlisle's chuckle broke Masen's intense focus on Bella; he was still watching her closely but he was also aware of his surroundings again.

"I think your friend may be in over his head with this surfing idea," Carlisle shared.

"She's got it in her head to learn now so he better figure out how to teach her."

"Her stubbornness comes from her father. And maybe a little from me."

Masen snorted. "How's that going to work with you and my mom? She's won awards for her stubbornness."

"Presented to her by you and the misfits I presume?"

"With cake," he confirmed.

"So far we haven't had any issues. Then again, we haven't tackled anything major yet."

He felt anxious all over again but this time it had nothing to do with Bella—it was his instinct to protect his mom kicking in. "What about working on merging your lives? I'd figure that would be major."

"It is, but we both agree there's not much we can decide right now. She needs to see this expedition through and then she needs some time to settle back into her home. As for myself, I've begun the search for a suitable replacement at my company but it's not going to be a quick process. And I won't be leaving completely, which your mother understands and supports. Of course, while I'm reluctant to leave my company in anyone else's hands, I'm also looking forward to focusing more on life than work, especially when that life includes your mother."

Masen smiled, glad to hear that Carlisle was just as serious as Esme about sharing a future together.

"Masen, have you given any thought to your own future?"

"Mom's right that a lot of what she does for us can be done from any computer. Her being with us has been a perk we've all enjoyed and we're going to miss her for sure. But not having her doesn't change anything immediately. The few places we've been eyeing for our spring expedition next year are all still on the table. We're mainly waiting to see what this next six months will bring in the form of conservation laws and penalties. That's really the issue that's going to drive our next few research expeditions."

"Esme explained a little of that to me. If there are more conservation laws in place, then you can diversify your research. If there are no new ones, then you have to continue doing all you can to protect the most endangered groups, such as the sharks."

"That's it in a nutshell."

"It's good to see a young man with his career path firmly mapped out." After a short pause, he added, "But as a father, I'm infinitely more concerned with your personal future. Have you given _any_ thought to what happens when this expedition ends in four weeks?"

"Some," he answered, which was technically the truth. He had been thinking about the internship ending but only in reference to one particular event.

"I know she hasn't mentioned it to you yet, but you need to be aware that Bella is thinking a lot about what comes next. You should also know that you're in all of those plans. She wants to prove a few things to herself first before she talks to you about her ideas. As her father figure, I feel I have to make sure she's not the only one wanting a shared future."

Masen focused on Bella while letting Carlisle's words sink in. She was laughing and using the back of her hand to brush water droplets from her face, having fallen off and gone under once again. She could be his future. She could share his work and his bed and every small and big piece of his life.

But she couldn't do that and be in Atlanta at the same time. He traveled six months out of the year and spent the other six at his home plotting out the next six. During his downtime he could spare some time here and there to be in Atlanta with her, but what kind of life would that be for either of them?

He could ask her to stay. There was technically an opening with Esme leaving. Even without that, everyone on the team had enjoyed having an extra set of hands around so he doubted anyone would care if they created a position for her. But how would that look for her career? What if she ever decided to do something else? Would that become a black mark for her? The whole point of this internship was to better her life, not complicate it. And yet that seemed to be all he'd done so far.

Whit's whooping yell yanked Masen out of his head and onto his feet before he had any idea what had caused the noise. He forced himself to stand still for a second and survey the situation.

Bella was standing on the surfboard. Standing and not falling. And even more amazing was that Lizzy was on the board with her.

"That's it, Guppy! Keep it centered!" Whit cheered.

"It appears Whit has worked a miracle," Carlisle said as he joined Masen.

Masen's focus was still mainly on Bella and he barely even registered that he was talking. "Look at her. She's so damn proud. She shines."

"She shines because she's happy. As long as she has that, where she works will never matter to her."

Masen said nothing, mostly because he had no idea how to respond to Carlisle. He knew the man meant well and had Bella's best interests at heart, but did he really know what she was thinking? How much had she really shared with him? And if she was really considering a different path all together, why wouldn't she have said something? It stood to reason that if she truly felt Atlanta was off the table, she'd say that and ask for the line to be off the table too.

Enjoying the summer could no longer be his only goal. It was time to start giving serious consideration to what happened after. He needed to be sure of what could and should happen, what was generous and what would be selfish. If there even was such a thing as 'after' for him with his trail of mistakes.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"This is odd."

Masen looked away from the sky and toward his mom's voice. "Since when is it odd for me to be up when everyone else is asleep?"

She grinned while relaxing into the seat beside him. "Since you started spending all of your wakeful hours in Bella's room."

He shrugged while looking down at his hands. He'd been out here searching for solace from the stars and the water but nothing was helping. On and off all afternoon and night he'd tried to think about the future, about building a life with Bella. He loved her and he felt absolutely certain she loved him so it should have been easy to picture a version of the future with them together. But every time he'd tried, there had been a question standing in the way and nagging at him … Should he have a future with her at all?

"Edward?" Esme called to gain his attention.

He tried to smile for her sake. "I just needed to hear the waves and see the stars."

"What's troubling you, Kid?"

He didn't answer right away, wondering if he should say anything at this late hour. The team wasn't leaving until noon tomorrow so he could put it off. Realistically, though, Esme would never go to bed without at least knowing what was bothering him.

He cleared his throat and tried to sound like it wasn't killing him to admit this. "I don't think I'm the man Bella should be dating."

Esme gasped and clutched his forearm. "Edward, what in this world would make you say such a thing?"

"I fucked up."

"That's not a valid reason. We all make mistakes."

"Not like me."

"You know, I just read the perfect response a few hours ago … _Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire_."

"This isn't about fear. I fucked up. I fucked up again." He lifted his head, knowing it would reveal the misery he was feeling. "I _hurt_ her. Yesterday when I was getting stitched up she recited the safety rules to me. Rules I wrote with all of you to protect our team."

His voice rose with his anger and his words sped up with his need to admit all his wrongdoing. "All she did was point them out to me and I went after her. I gutted her like a fish for it. Told her it was my call and it wasn't her concern. Stopped just short of telling her to shut the hell up. Had her thinking I was going to get right back on the skiff and probably had her imagining bigger injuries than the cut on my hand. But that's not the worst thing I did. The worst was not giving a shit if she was scared for me because I was so damn sure I was right.

"And the cherry—" A dark laugh full of disgust for his behavior came out of him. "The fucking cherry on it was it only occurred to me I could be wrong when I wanted to talk to her and she didn't want to talk to me." He shook his head slowly while admitting the hardest part, "I don't deserve her. I'm not good enough for her."

Esme gripped his chin just hard enough to keep him from looking away. "I want you to listen to me very closely and I want you to believe with your heart and forget what your head is saying. If you weren't good for her, you wouldn't have cared to fix whatever hurts you caused yesterday. If you weren't good for her, she wouldn't be learning and advancing. And this is the biggie ... If you weren't good for her, she would not have been the happy and carefree young woman I had such a wonderful day with today."

He shook his head, feeling like he was failing once again, this time to explain himself because if his mom really understood how badly he'd screwed up, she wouldn't be defending him.

"Don't you shake your head at me, Edward Anthony. I know the truth and it's vastly different from the thoughts living in the dark side of your head. Stop looking for the imperfections and look at the truth. Look at how far she's come in getting a handle on her fears. You did that. You gave her everything she needed to get to this point, and you'll keep doing that until she's accomplished all of her goals."

"One good deed doesn't make up for all the ways I've hurt her."

"You're talking silly. You're talking perfection and no man or woman alive can give that to their partner."

"She's kapu, Mom. She's _my_ kapu and she …" He choked on the words as a tear slid down his face. "She deserves perfection. She deserves someone good, someone who can make her happy. Someone who sees what she needs instead of anticipating how she should think."

"Sorry to burst your little bubble but she can't have perfection. No man is perfect. You aren't perfect and never will be, just like I can't be or anyone else in this family. We can't give perfection or receive it because it doesn't exist. No matter how perfect you think Bella is, she's still going to make mistakes because that's what we all do every day in all kinds of big and small ways. That's the real truth and one you better come to terms with before that dark side of yours gets any louder."

She softened her voice some as she continued. "But there's another truth and it's that you love her and want to be better for her. As long as that stays true you will always be good for her. What makes us good people is not our lack of mistakes. It's our owning up to them and working hard to not repeat them, to do better. To _be_ better. You love her enough to fight for her happiness and _that_ makes you deserving of her love in return."

When he didn't respond, she asked, "Why is it that you can forgive all of us for our mistakes but the very idea of forgiving yourself is ludicrous to you?"

"Because it's different."

"Different how?"

"When you guys make a mistake, it's a lack of knowledge or an innocent error. When I screw up, it's because I missed something. It's my job to look at the situation and find the issues before the mistakes ever happen. When I fail at my job, other people get hurt."

"Edward, you're trying to apply work logic to your personal life and that's never _ever_ going to work. You don't love Bella because it's logical. You aren't attracted to her because it's rational. You _feel_ an undeniable pull to her. You _feel_ the light of her soul calling to your own. Love is … Love is this beautiful, intangible, incomprehensible passion that amplifies every emotion a person is capable of feeling. You smile when she smiles because you feel her happiness and the same goes for her when she sees you smile.

"The only thing you will ever accomplish by trying to force perfection from yourself is to disappoint yourself and all those who love and care about you. When you hurt, we hurt. End of story."

"It's hard to switch," he admitted. "When I'm dealing with work, which used to be all the time, I have to take emotion out of it so I can make the absolute best decision for everyone. I'm not sure how to let it in for the personal stuff."

"It's going to take time and practice before it feels natural, but I have every confidence that you can do it. When you're with your kapu, give your head a break and let your heart take the lead. You didn't give her that special name on a whim and you didn't do it because your head thought it was a good idea."

"No, I didn't," he agreed, thinking of the first time he'd called Bella kapu.

Esme must have seen her words were working because she suddenly teased him. "Edward, after all you went through to keep Alice from interfering with your relationship, are you really going to let your head get in the way?"

"It would be a waste of a lot of hard work," he mused, unsure of what else to say.

"It would," she agreed with a nod. "Especially since your head doesn't have all the answers. There are a great many that reside solely in that big, beautiful heart of yours."

"I'm sorry if I worried you," he said while covering her hand with his. "I just feel so damn awful about what I did and nothing I'm doing to make up for it is easing that."

She grinned at him. "Maybe you'll feel better after your date night."

"How did you know?" he asked with a groan.

"Bella's my girl. We talk." Esme's response had them both laughing.

"I was thinking since she likes the viewing deck so much that we'd have dinner up there."

"You'll need a few decorations. Oh, I know just what to pack for you to take on board."

"That would be great. Thanks, Mom."

"Damn, Kid, you _are_ feeling bad. You didn't argue or even attempt an eye-roll."

"I told you."

Esme leaned over to put an arm around his shoulders and press her head against his. "I'm going to ask you this and I want you to really think about it before you answer me. Deep in your heart, do you really think anyone can love Bella more than you?"

His mind immediately went to the wounded look on Bella's face in the kitchen yesterday, making him wince. But then all he could see was Bella's smiles. The ones from today, from their walk through Cape Town, their playtime on the beach with Lizzy, and that huge one after her first dive. Looking back on all of their time together, he had definitely brought her more smiles and laughs than tears.

He met Esme's eyes as he answered her. "I know I love her and I want to be with her."

"That voice, that one in your heart you can't tune out when every other part of you is saying to listen to your head, that voice is Elizabeth's. She's guiding you, helping you to grow from her special boy into a wonderful man. Trust that voice, Edward, because it's yours too."

He sniffled quietly, forcing his wet eyes to hold in their moisture.

Esme smiled and ruffled his hair, giving him a break by pretending she didn't see the tears standing in his eyes. "Come on, Kid. It's late and we've got cuddling to do with our significant others."

He stood and helped her to her feet and then he gave a kiss to her left cheek in thanks to her, and a kiss to her right in thanks to Elizabeth.

Once they were inside, he asked, "Is this one of those times when I need to share with Bella?"

"You can if you'd like to get her opinion, but you don't have to share every moment of self-doubt you experience. Just don't ever keep it to yourself. Always come find me or find Whit and talk it out with us. Promise?"

He nodded. "Promise."

She nudged him in the side with her elbow and spoke in a sing-song voice, "Someone's got a big date coming up."

Masen smiled for the first time in hours. He also gave his mom a huge appreciative hug. "Thank you."

Her smile filled her face. "Always, sweetheart." She gripped his shoulders and gave him a small push toward Bella's room. "Go be with your kapu. I'm gonna go snuggle my man."

He looked back at her while saying, "I wish him luck putting up with you."

She winked at him. "He's already gotten lucky once tonight."

"Mom," Masen cried with a groan. "Why?"

"Because I love teasing you, Kid." She grabbed his arm to keep him from walking away. "You know, maybe if you get lucky yourself, you might finally get out of your head. And for good."

"Mom." He'd said it as a warning.

"I know, I know," she said, putting her hands up. "But you know, that line of yours is just another way you're trying to force yourself to conform to perfection. And the most unnecessary. There is no reason you can't feel that deeper connection with your kapu and still be an amazing and successful mentor to your intern."

He expected a rebuttal to pop right into mind but it didn't happen.

"Think about it," Esme said as she kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Edward."

"Night, Mom."

After grabbing a glass of water and making sure the house was locked, he slipped into Bella's room and climbed into bed beside her. She immediately reached for him, draping her arm across his chest while curling against his side. He admitted to himself that if he wasn't doing a good job of apologizing, she wouldn't want him in her bed. The fact that she'd locked her door on the boat was proof that she would let him know when she was unhappy.

Esme's words came to him … _Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear_ … He didn't want to fear Bella. He wanted to be open to a life with her and even to all the changes that would bring.

He couldn't give her perfection; he accepted that now and could see where he'd been a fool for thinking it was possible. But maybe what he could give her was better. He was sure it was stronger at the very least.

He would give her his desire.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** Masen is a lucky man. He has supportive friends, an understanding girlfriend, and a loving mom to pull him off the ledge of overthinking. We're excited to see how his talk with Esme affects his tomorrow.

So proud of Bella for finally finding balance on that board! Now she just has to work with Masen to find balance with him in both of their relationships.

Have a great weekend and thank you all so much for sharing this journey with us!


	41. 41 End of the Line

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 41 – End of the Line**

**Sunday, July 27th**

Jingling keys had Bella opening her eyes to the sight of Edward staring at the dresser with his left hand tugging at his hair.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she sat up.

"Nothing. Just looking for my phone."

"Did you look in your shorts from yesterday?"

"I wouldn't have had it in my board-shorts. I learned the hard way that beaches and phones don't mix."

"No, Silly," she said with a groggy laugh. "The shorts you wore home."

"Good idea." He pulled open the closet doors and even with tired eyes she could pick out the dramatic difference between her messy side and his organized one. There hadn't been any discussion about sharing; it had just sort of happened the last couple times they'd come home. She liked that it was so effortless, that it wasn't something he puzzled over or over-thought.

She shook herself to wake up more and focus on him. "What do you need your phone for? And why are you up so early?" she asked. "The sun's barely up and we're not leaving until noon."

"We're not leaving at all." Before she could ask what he meant, he gave out a triumphant hoot and turned to show her his phone. He quickly came over to the bed and kissed her cheek. "Thanks. Go back to sleep."

She grabbed his forearm to stop him. "Edward, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna run down to the marina real quick. The weather radio reported a line of storms that turned in the night and now they're heading right at Gordon's Bay. Could be some strong winds with it so I need to make sure Galeos is locked down properly. I'll be gone maybe forty minutes. An hour at the latest."

"Are the guys going with you?"

"Nah, I'm going to let them sleep. They've earned a late morning. Besides, it won't take long and there's nothing that requires two hands, much less two people. Why don't you go back to sleep? You deserve a late morning too."

"I'm coming," she said, tossing the covers back.

"Bella, really, you don't have to."

"I'm coming," she insisted. She reached into the closet and grabbed the first things she saw that looked comfortable. "Just give me ten minutes."

"Alright."

She paused, wondering if he needed some alone time and was being too polite to say so. She knew he struggled with adjusting to being one of two and not just one alone. "If you don't—"

He slipped his arms around her from behind and hugged her tightly. "I never said I didn't want you to come, kapu. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't prefer sleeping in over an early morning ride to the marina."

"I'd rather spend time with you."

He smiled against her neck and then kissed it. "Then I'll be in the kitchen. I'm going to go write Esme a note and post it on the coffee maker so she can't miss it."

Bella dressed quickly, knowing the longer he had to wait to secure the boat, the more keyed up he'd be about it. She slipped her feet into her sneakers, rushed to the bathroom for a quick moment, and then joined him in the kitchen.

He put his nearly empty coffee cup in the sink and then they were out the door, locking it behind them.

Bella looked up to the sky on the way to the Bronco, searching for some sign of the impending storms. "Edward, are you sure the radio said Gordon's Bay and not Gann's Bay? There are a few clouds here but nothing that says storm."

"I'm sure. In about ninety minutes the sky's going to be dark and the rain will be pouring down."

They were quiet on the drive to the marina, but it was a nice quiet. It was a happy-to-be-together quiet and she was enjoying getting to sit beside him and lazily run her fingers through his hair. From the smile that never once left his lips, she was confident he was enjoying it too.

After parking as close to their side of the marina as possible, Edward helped her out of the Bronco and kept her close, hooking his arm around her waist. She wasn't going to complain about the attention but she did wonder what he was thinking; she'd expected his focus to be entirely on the boat by this point.

Once they were inside Galeos, Edward finally became all business. "I need you to check all the portholes down below to make sure they're closed and locked. Lee's is really the only one that might not be locked but better safe than sorry."

"What are you going to be doing?"

"Putting the shutters down. The ones up front are automated so I just have to hit a couple buttons. The rest on this level are manual so if I'm not at the controls, I'll be right outside lowering shutters."

"Should we take radios in case you find you need help?"

His lips curled into a half-smile. "You're sweet for worrying, but I'll be fine. The shutters slide down and there's a pin to push in to lock them. Easy peasy."

"Easy peasy?" she asked giggling.

"It's Esme's phrase."

"Well it better be true. If you pop any stitches, she's gonna easy peasy you and I'm gonna help."

He chuckled and pulled her close. "You ordering me around?"

"Yes."

"Good." He kissed her on the forehead and then let her go so they could get to work.

Bella did her due diligence and checked every single porthole in every single room on both lower decks. All of them were locked, even Lee's. She checked her watch and saw that it had taken nearly twenty minutes, much longer than she'd expected. It was easy to forget how big this boat really was until she had to visit every room on it.

Upstairs, she found it weird for the lights to be on with no view of the outdoors. The shutters looked to be steel and were coated the same shade of blue that the boat's name was written in across the back.

"Edward?" When she didn't get an answer, she headed out onto the deck—and into a very different morning. The few white clouds that had been dotting the sky at the house had been replaced by a curtain of low hanging and menacing dark grey clouds. The day's light had taken on a purple glow, reminding her of Florida skies during hurricane season. The storm had also brought a cold wind that caused immediate goose-bumps to ripple across her skin while it whipped her hair into her face and flattened her shirt against her chest.

"Edward?" Her call was drowned out by a roar of rolling thunder and she had to wait for the echo to die down before calling out for him again.

A shouted response came from above her. "Viewing deck!"

She went to the side where the ladder was and carefully climbed up to meet him.

Edward had the sliding glass door open and was throwing cushions through it. "All locked up below?"

"Nice and tight," she assured him. "Are you almost done? The sky's looking awful angry all of a sudden."

"Yeah, all the shutters are down, the tie-offs have been triple checked, and these cushions are the last things not tied down."

"I'm surprised you're tossing them and not neatly stacking them."

"I want us out of here and home before this storm hits." He tossed another cushion through the door. "Done," he said before the cushion had completely made it through the doorframe.

He ushered Bella inside and then pulled a shutter across before closing the sliding glass door.

At the bottom of the stairs he patted his pockets. "Phone. Wallet. Keys … Where are my keys?"

She snorted. "For such an organized person, you sure lose things a lot."

"I don't lose them. I misplace them. And only sometimes," he replied, walking toward the kitchen. "Ha!"

Bella heard the sound of the keys scraping on the counter and then she felt his hand on her lower back, ushering her toward the cabin door. He locked it quickly and had them off the boat and onto the dock in record time.

They were still on the dock when the first cold, fat drops plunked down to darken the wood and wet her skin. He pressed more insistently against her lower back and she half-expected him to ask her to run.

They had just closed the truck doors when the sky opened up on them. The rain pounding against the Bronco's roof had Bella feeling like she was sitting in a drum during the fast part of a rock song. She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard rain fall this hard.

Edward laid his forehead on the steering wheel and muttered "fuck" under his breath.

"We finished just in time," she said, wondering why he seemed upset.

"We are most assuredly not 'in time'. If we were in time, we'd be at the house, warm and dry and indoors."

"We can't get to the house if you don't start the truck, Silly."

"Bella, look," he said, sitting up and gesturing at the windshield. "It's a wall of water. There's no way the wipers can keep up. Even if they could, I don't know this area well enough to try driving in this. We could hit a washout and not even realize it until we were already being swept away."

She chewed on her lower lip, realizing this wasn't just rain but the actual storm he'd warned her was coming. It seemed unreal because of the sunshine they'd had when driving over here only a little over thirty minutes ago.

"Come here," he coaxed while pulling her into his arms. He held her securely and lightly pressed his cheek to hers. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

She nodded, trusting him completely to keep her safe.

"I do have bad news, though. We're gonna get drenched."

"The truck leaks?" she squeaked, turning to survey the roof.

"Hell no!" he cried, clearly offended. "My truck is in pristine condition," he assured her. "But we can't stay here. We need to get back aboard Galeos."

Her jaw dropped. "What the heck for?"

"This storm isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I think it's best if we head back to the boat rather than sit here out in the open like this. Besides, we have no food or drink in the truck and neither of us has had breakfast yet. I know I'm starving and I'd bet you are too. More importantly, the boat has a radio."

"You have a cell phone," she reminded him.

He chuckled. "Have you really not noticed the distinct lack of view we have? Do you really think there's going to be a signal in this?"

Her shoulders slumped as she realized his argument was flawless. "We're going back to the boat," she said, trying to sound chipper.

"That's the spirit," he teased before leaning in to kiss her lips.

She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to hide her smile. "Still not the hilarious one."

He didn't respond to that. Instead he grabbed hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers. "Don't let go for any reason."

"What if I'm about to fall? I don't want to take you down with me."

"I'd rather hit the ground with you than lose you in this mess. Do _not_ let go."

"Okay."

"I'm serious, Bella. Promise me."

It was the sincere worry in his expression and voice that made her immediately agree. "I promise."

He gave her his shitty grin. "We could always play spider monkey and I could carry you on my back."

"No." She said emphatically and with complete conviction—and with the understanding that she would do whatever he said was necessary to keep them both safe.

"On three, I'll open the door and we'll climb out." He lowered his head to look into her eyes. "What will you not do?"

"I won't let go," she promised.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen swallowed down his anxiety as he let the "three" slide past his lips. He pushed against the door and the biting wind, already becoming drenched by the cold rain. He finally got the door fully open and he turned enough to push his hip into it and keep it that way.

Bella slid across the seat quickly, squealing when the first fat raindrop plopped onto her cheek. "It's so cold," she said as she gripped his left hand tightly.

"Gonna be a hell of a lot colder the longer we're in it, kapu." He slammed the truck door closed, turned them in the direction of where Galeos was docked and then set their pace at the quickest run he felt her feet could handle.

By the time he got the cabin door unlocked and them inside, they looked as though they'd jumped into a pool fully clothed. An ice cold pool from the look of their blue lips and their constant shivering.

"Hot showers," he ordered. "You first."

"You're cold too."

"Yeah, but you have a head full of hair so you're twice as likely to catch cold. I'll dry off and put on some fresh clothes while I wait. I'll be fine."

She had to be as cold as he assumed, if not more so, because she didn't attempt to argue. In fact, she practically bolted for the stairs, squishing along in her drenched sneakers until he stopped her. "Kick them off. You don't want to risk slipping on the stairs."

He kicked his own off too and then he practically hovered over her all the way down the stairs. She headed for her room to scrounge for dry clothes while he grabbed towels from the linen closet.

He walked up to her door right as she was rushing out of it and she collided with his chest, making a wet smacking sound and causing him to wince from the freezing fabric pressing against his skin.

"Sorry," she got out through chattering teeth.

"Shower," was his only reply as he put a couple towels into her hands.

She gave him a grateful smile and then raced across the hall and into the bathroom.

He waited until he heard the shower kick on and then he rushed to his own room, closing and locking the door behind him. He stripped first and quickly dried off to keep his body temperature from dropping any further, but then he wrapped a towel around himself instead of immediately dressing. He had something more pressing to do first.

He went to his nightstand and pulled out the emergency hand crank weather radio he kept there. He needed to know what they were saying about the storm without Bella overhearing; he didn't want to risk worrying her even more.

"…faster than expected. Now that the storm has reached Gordon's Bay, the low pressure system causing the storm has unexpectedly stalled out right over the coastal town. Flash flooding is possible in low lying areas and wind damage from low level gusts will be a threat as the storm continues to unleash its fury on Gordon's Bay and the surrounding area. Even without the wind, this storm is still quite dangerous as it will drop a high volume of water in a short amount of time. We urge everyone in the area to shelter in place until this storm dissipates or passes through. It's already surprised us numerous times, changing direction and speed. This is not a storm to take lightly. If you're just joining us, we say again, stay where you are. Conditions are far too dangerous for travel at this time."

Masen turned off the radio and slid it back into the drawer. With a frustrated sigh, he shook his head and sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. "I should have made her stay home. I never should have let her come. What the hell was I thinking?"

Knowing his thought process didn't matter a damn bit now, he pulled himself up and over to his dresser to find something to wear while waiting for his turn in the shower. Once he was dressed, he opened his door and hung his damp towel on the knob. He then grabbed the second towel and draped it over his head before rubbing it against his hair to soak up some of the frigid water trapped there.

His attention wasn't on his hair, though; it was on the location of the emergency supplies aboard Galeos. There was a set of flashlights in his office and another upstairs in the TV room. Candles and matches were in the kitchen in the cabinet above the fridge. There was a small pack of bottled water in the medic room and three full cases downstairs where they stowed the extra gear. Half a loaf of bread was still on the kitchen counter and they had a couple jars of peanut butter in—

The opening of the bathroom door pulled him out of his head. "That was quick," he said as Bella stepped into the hall with a trail of steam following her.

"You need hot water too. Besides, it didn't take long to warm up under the spray. Now I just need to get my hair dry."

"If you don't have a dryer with you, I know Lee keeps one in the top drawer of her dresser."

"I've got mine."

"Alright. I'm gonna hop in the shower and when I get out, we'll go up and see if we can get Esme on the radio to let her know we're safe." He kissed her on the forehead and then ducked into the bathroom to take just long enough of a shower to warm up.

When he exited ten minutes later, he felt a lot warmer and a little less tense. The storm was bad but Galeos could handle anything it threw at her. Especially with her anchored and him having made sure she was tied securely in place. There were plenty of supplies on board so they were good if they ended up being stuck here longer than a few hours. There were books and cards for entertainment so they wouldn't be bored—not that he ever felt bored when he was with Bella.

He found his kapu nearly buried under his comforter with a book in her hands and her dry hair framing her face. She was so enraptured with whatever she was reading that she didn't notice him standing in the doorway. It wasn't until he'd been watching her for a few minutes that she finally looked up from the book and realized he was there.

"Feel better?" she asked, gifting him with a bright smile.

"Much. You?"

"While I'm not thrilled to be trapped in a storm, I can't say that I mind having you all to myself while we wait it out."

"That is a plus," he agreed. "Ready to head up and find some breakfast?"

"Leave the bed?" she asked, hugging the blankets to her chest. "But it's cold out of the bed."

He saw the little smile she was trying to hide and decided to play along with her. "Feel free to stay then. I'll bring back a granola bar or something after I finish my hot breakfast."

Bella immediately crawled out from under the blanket. "Hot breakfast does sound good."

Before they figured out breakfast, they headed to the front of the boat and tried to reach Esme on the radio. After trying several channels and finding nothing but interference, Masen hung up the radio and did his best to act like he'd expected nothing else.

"Storm's out to be a bigger nuisance than Gopher," he joked. "We'll try again as soon as it slacks off a little."

"Should we try to pick up the news on the TV?"

"That thing is definitely not going to get a signal in this mess." While that was true, he knew he would have said it regardless. He'd rather her make the most of this morning than sit in front of the news worrying.

She chewed on her lip for a few seconds before lifting her apprehensive brown eyes up to meet his gaze. "Do you think they're okay?"

"They're fine. Esme's an early riser and I know as soon as she saw my note, she turned the weather radio on. She probably even woke the whole house to get them to pull the shutters and set out flashlights just in case."

"You would tell me if you were worried for them, right?"

"Come here," he coaxed, taking her hand and tugging her close. When she was nestled snuggly in his arms, he told her, "If I thought for one single second that Esme wasn't safe, I'd be headed for her right now. I'd walk to the house in that mess out there if that's what it took."

"I love you for loving her that much."

He didn't miss the sniffles that had accompanied her words. "Why are you upset? What's wrong?"

"I just … Things are going so great finally and—"

"And you're finding it hard not to wait for something bad to happen?" he ventured, remembering that particular stage of grief clearly. With his life with Esme settled into a comfortable rhythm and his new friendship with Whit growing, he'd become anxious almost to the point of paranoia, convinced that one wrong word or action would throw his life back into chaos. The only cure for it had been the passing of time, seeing for himself that things were continuing to become better with no sign of impending doom.

Masen hooked his finger under Bella's chin and lifted her eyes to his. "You can't start over-thinking like this. There's only room for one neurotic person in this relationship and I already own that slot."

She burst out laughing at his comment.

He let her settle and then he told her, "You'll miss out on so much good if you're looking all around for the bad to appear. I know exactly how hard that is to do, but I also know it's the only way. In time you'll stop worrying all together but until then, you have to keep your focus on now, on the good right in front of you."

"I'll try," she promised him.

He pressed his lips to her forehead and then let her go. "Let's go find something for breakfast."

"I could eat," she joked, grinning up at him.

"You know, I'm at a disadvantage here," he said as they walked down the short hall.

She pulled herself up to sit on the kitchen island. "You disadvantaged? I can't wait to hear your explanation for this one."

"You know my favorite breakfast but I don't know yours."

She giggled and then pressed her lips together.

"Seriously? You're not going to tell me?"

"No, I'm going to tell you, but you probably won't understand a word of it."

He stood between her legs and rested his hands on her lower back. "You really think you like something I haven't heard of? You are the grape snowball eater after all."

"All right," she said with a sigh. She then grinned and hit him with, "Easy eggs on the run smothering sliced taters with heartache on the side and how-now brown cow."

Masen was so unsure of how to respond that he just stood there staring at her, a reaction that she found highly amusing given that her giggles had her shaking.

"I told you."

"You did," he allowed. "Now tell me what the hell all that means."

Another giggle escaped and she cleared her throat to try to stop them. "When we first moved in with him, Uncle Carl felt that if he made meal time fun, then we would eat and not just push our food around our plates. One night he put on an apron and pulled out a notepad and asked us what we wanted to eat. Whatever we'd say, he'd translate it into these crazy phrases and tell us that's how they do it in diners, he was sure of it." Her eyes and smile softened as she shared, "Some of the first times we laughed after the accident, we shared them in the kitchen thanks to Uncle Carl's silliness."

Masen smiled as he groaned so she'd know he was teasing. "You are crushing me here, kapu."

"How?"

"I've been going by the assumption that your uncle is the straight man to Esme's comedic tendencies. Now I know he's just as goofy as her."

Bella giggled. "Told you they made a good pair."

"Uh, huh," he answered with an eye-roll. "You gonna decode that breakfast for me or what?"

She giggled yet again and he was glad for it, glad to know he really was keeping her from worrying. "I'll decode it. Easy eggs on the run is just eggs over easy with lots of yolk. Smothering sliced taters means I want my egg on top of hash-browns. Heartache on the side is buttered toast. And the final bit, how-now brown cow, is chocolate milk."

Masen snorted. "Your uncle has a way with words."

It was Bella's turn to snort. "Why do you think your mom fell so hard and fast for him?"

"Hey, I'm still reeling from finding out he's just as silly as her. Don't give me any more to think about right now."

That got an outright laugh out of her.

"Back to breakfast," he told her. "We lack the hash-browns but we've got everything else. Is that what you want me to cook for you?"

With another of her big, happy smiles, she responded with "That would be lovely."

"_You_ are lovely," he corrected before soundly kissing her on the lips. Getting trapped on the boat had never been his intention but maybe it was the best thing for them. Here with her like this, he felt none of the apprehension and anxiety he'd had last night before his talk with Esme. He felt comfortable and relaxed, ready and able to enjoy a morning alone with his kapu.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella spotted it out of the corner of her eye and came to an immediate stop. Sitting there against the wall, it was like it was calling to her, telling her this morning was probably her best chance for getting Edward to agree. She carefully picked it up and brought it into his room.

He was deep into a game of spider solitaire spread out across the blanket and she smiled; of course he wouldn't play the regular and simple version of the card game. He was on his fifth or sixth hand so she didn't feel bad about interrupting.

"I found something I want to do," she announced.

He looked up from the cards and his grey eyes zeroed right in on the guitar in her hand. While she adored that unique shade of green she brought out in his eyes, she was pretty damn proud to be able to get the grey and know he could truly relax with her.

"What do you want to do with that? I wouldn't suggest hitting me over the head 'cause that might break it and Whit loves that old guitar."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I want you to teach me to play it."

"That's not something I can teach you in a few hours."

She approached the bed and laid the guitar across his folded legs. "I know, but you could teach me one chord. And the next time we have some free time you could teach me another."

"If you want to learn, why are you giving it to me?"

She gave her sweetest smile as she answered, "Because I also want to hear you play something first." She sat down beside him and added, "You don't have to sing at all. I just want to hear you play."

"Oh so there's your real intention," he said, grinning at her.

"It's part of my overall intention," she clarified. And then she threw in what she hoped would be the clincher. "Please?"

He picked up the guitar, shaking his head the entire time, and she began to worry he would refuse. But then he smiled and settled his hands over the strings. "It's been a long time so no judging."

"None," she promised, crossing her heart as proof.

After randomly strumming a few chords, he paused before starting to send an actual tune through the room. It was simple but catchy and she smiled in pure pleasure.

"Whit made me learn this one while we were stuck inside for a week of torrential rain our first season out," he shared.

"It's very pretty."

He looked up to share his smile with her and then brought his focus back to the instrument. He also began to sing …

_How do I love you? Well let me see,_

_I love you like a lyric loves a mel-o-dy._

_Ba-by,_

_Complete-ly_

_Wrapped up in you._

_How do I need you? Well can't you tell,_

_I need you like a penny needs a wishing well._

_Ba-by,_

_Complete-ly_

_Wrapped up in you._

_How do I love you? We'll count the ways._

_There ain't a number high enough to end this phrase._

_Ba-by,_

_Complete-ly_

_Wrapped up in you._

_How do I love you? Well, don't you know,_

_I love you about as deep as any love can grow_

_Ba-by,_

_Complete-ly_

_Wrapped up in you._

Bella let the sound of the last chord fade and then she clapped and whistled in appreciation of Edward's performance. "I loved it. I really did."

"It's not that big of a deal," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It was easy to learn, just a few chords and a simple melody. It's from Garth Brooks back in his hay-day. You know for a little while there I thought Whit was gonna go cowboy on me but he hates shoes in general so boots feel claustrophobic to him."

She shared her observation with him. "You're not much of a fan of shoes yourself."

"I don't feel right in shoes. I need the sand and grass under my feet, not shoes on concrete."

"Hey, that's almost a country lyric right there. Maybe you're the one with the cowboy dreams."

"All that dry land? Hell no." His mock outrage had her laughing.

"Okay, time to teach me a chord."

"You're being awful demanding this morning, kapu."

"You said I could pick anything for us to do," she reminded him.

"I did do that," he agreed. "Wait right here. I'll be right back."

When he returned, he was carrying a couple packets of bandages. "What are those for?" she questioned.

"You don't have calluses on your fingertips yet so you need to protect them or you'll rip them up on the strings," he explained as he put the first bandage on her.

"How do you know I don't have calluses?"

He paused to look up into her eyes, a cocky smile teasing his lips. "I know because I felt them damn near everywhere yesterday when you were kissing me on the beach."

"Oh," she mumbled, her blush staining her cheeks a deep pink.

"You know, we could do that instead," he offered, leaning in closer. He glanced at her lips and added, "You did say you needed more data."

"We can do that in addition to this but only after you teach me a chord," she responded, fighting not to be distracted by his offer. With his attention and his innocent touches and his overall sweetness this morning, she was a little afraid of her ability to keep a clear head and their line if they should share a kiss like that one from yesterday.

Once he finished bandaging her fingertips, he put the guitar into her lap and helped her position her left hand around the neck and her fingers over those strings. He then helped her bend her right elbow to the correct angle and position her fingers over the lower strings.

"I'm not entirely sure I can teach you a chord today," he said as he sat down beside her. "Before you can pick up on the right and wrong sounds, you have to get a feel for all the different sounds you can produce. Strumming the lower strings alone will give you one set of sounds, and holding down an upper string while strumming a lower will give you another set. Why don't you get a feel for the sounds and the strings, and then we'll see about a chord?"

"Makes sense," she agreed.

Her very first try ended with her finger slipping off the string and the only sound produced being the thud of her elbow against the guitar's body.

"Relax. The body is braced on your leg and you have the neck gripped so even if your fingers slip off, the guitar's not going anywhere."

Bella nodded to show she was listening as she worked to reset her elbow and fingers.

"I've never done this so I'm not …" Edward scooted right up beside her and reached in to put his finger on the string. "Just sort of cup the string with the pad of your fingertip and then pull up and away," he instructed as he demonstrated.

She completely missed it, too focused on how close he was and how good he smelled and wondering what kind of kiss he would give her if she asked for one right now.

"Bella?"

She tried not to look guilty but she could feel her traitor blush forming. "Could you show me again?"

"Are you feeling okay? You look a little flushed. You're not feeling sick, are you?"

"No, I'm good. Show me again, please."

He demonstrated again and this time she watched and committed it to memory before giving it a try herself. She became glad for the bandages pretty darn quickly, never having thought of the force required to pluck a tightened guitar string. It gave her a whole new appreciation for the beautiful melodies Whit and Edward could pull from this guitar.

"Now this one," he said, reaching in to pluck a different string.

The inexplicable hyper-awareness of him she was suffering from had her turning her head and greeting his lips with hers. She had intended for it to be a small "hello" kind of kiss but she hadn't figured his reaction into her plan, which was to grip the back of her neck and deepen the kiss with soft strokes of his tongue along hers.

The loudness and possessive quality of the "more" in her head caused her to immediately end the kiss and shift the angle of her body away. "So like this?" she asked, plucking the bottom string.

"Bella, I'm—Look, I'm sorry but you kissed me and it felt like you wanted me to—I'm sorry." The wretched tone of his voice made her heart clench with guilt and remorse.

She put her hand on his knee, too cowardly to look up into his eyes, to see the green mixed with confusion. "Edward, you didn't do anything wrong. I just … Sometimes it feels like too much and I don't know how to keep calm when that happens."

Wordlessly, he moved the guitar to the floor, brushed the cards off the bed, and then laid her down, covering her body with his and gazing into her eyes. "Kapu."

She smiled and pressed her hand against his cheek, loving that he could make her feel so much from one word. "I love you too."

"Do you remember what you told me before your first dive? The thing about perfection?"

"About it not being possible?"

"Yes. You said perfection can't happen because no one can control all of the reactions. I didn't completely grasp that then. I still thought I could give you a perfect career and a perfect relationship. I thought you deserved that, and I still do. But I realize now I can't give you those things. No matter how perfect I force myself to be, I can't make anyone else act that way. I can't decide what opinions people will form when they find out you're my kapu. Or that you've taken a chance on a guy like me, someone who's painfully practical and has the bare minimum understanding of what's considered romantic. All I can do is love you to the absolute best of my ability and hope it's enough to make you happy."

"I am happy with you, Edward, and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks. I love you just the way you are, practicality and all. I'm not trying to change you, just some of the ways you react to me."

"I know, and you are right to want those changes. I want those changes too. And, kapu, I want _you_. I don't want to keep waiting, to keep denying what we feel for each other."

"But our line—"

"It was a bad idea and a wasted attempt at perfection because anything that keeps us apart is flawed and unnecessary. Forget everything I said about that stupid line because it never should have been there in the first place. This is just about us. I want so many things for us, Bella. I really do. And right now, I want us to erase that line. What about you? Do you want this to be the end of the line? Do you want me?"

She could see the uncertainty in his eyes and she was amazed all over again by his cluelessness—she had been his for so long now. "Silly boy, I'll always want you." But she'd also made him a promise to wait. "I just have to accept I can't always have you. Some things are more important, like your piece of mind."

"My mind is what got us into this mess. All I'm listening to right now is my heart."

"You won't be able to rewind things," she cautioned.

"I'd only want that so I could do it all over again." He followed up his promise with a gentle kiss to her lips. "Un-kiss your lips just to kiss them again. That's the only kind of rewind I'll ever want."

"You're confident?"

"I love you." He leaned in, his lips just a breath away from hers, putting the control into her hands.

_And the trust_, she thought as she lifted up to kiss him, her eyes never leaving his. There would never be enough words she could use to say everything she was feeling right then but that was okay because the way he was kissing back made it clear talking wasn't expected.

They kissed until they were both breathless and then with gentle, almost reverent touches he peeled back her clothes, his light touches setting her skin on fire. It was almost scary to feel so much from feathery touches and know there were harder presses of his hands in her immediate future. She'd thought she was prepared for this, having felt his hands all over once before. But this was so different; _he_ was different—focused, unworried, and unhurried. He wasn't holding back this time.

And neither was she, sitting up and forcing him to lean back on his knees so she could get his shirt off. Her hands sliding down his sides had him closing his eyes and clenching his fists. She smiled secretly, pleased to have this physical proof that he was just as affected. She traced every curve and line of his chest with her fingers and palms, fulfilling a want she'd held privately for so long.

His answering kiss was strong and deep and destined to leave her breathless all over again. It certainly left her oblivious to the fact that he'd lowered her back into the pillows, at least until she turned her head to give him more room to kiss her neck. She loved that mix of softness from his lips and roughness from his scruff, and couldn't help grabbing onto his hair to keep his mouth from leaving her skin.

His hand sliding down her outer thigh created goose-bumps and caused a shiver, not of cold but of expectation and desire. His mouth settled over hers again and then he cupped her knee in his hand and lifted her leg, making room for himself between her thighs and never once breaking their heated kiss. She worried she might not be able to keep up this pace but as usual he seemed a step ahead of her because he slowed things down, alternating his kisses between her lips and her neck while ghosting his hands along her sides and legs.

When she finally relaxed fully into the mattress, he began his lovemaking in earnest, slipping an arm under her to lift and tilt her hips to the angle he needed to work himself inside of her. He was tender and careful and constantly looking into her eyes to make sure she was okay and enjoying this as much as him. And when he was finally completely inside of her, he moved his arms under her shoulders and hugged her entire body to his. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

She had to move after hearing those words, unable to take the precarious feeling of having him and not having him for one more second. He followed her lead and it wasn't long at all before they had a rhythm built up that worked well for both of them.

Right up until his thrusting got a little overzealous and he knocked her head into the headboard. Her startling cry of "owww" had him saying "oh shit" and reaching into her hair to feel for a bump, which for some reason tickled her to no end and set off her giggles.

"You loved me into the headboard," she said through so many giggles and snorts that it took him a moment to figure out what she'd said. She knew exactly when he caught on because he released a low, breathy laugh.

"Completely your fault, kapu. You're the one digging your heels into my ass."

"It's a really nice ass," she said honestly, causing them both to laugh again.

"Is this a bad sign for us?" he asked while peeling her damp hair away from her face. "Laughing during sex?"

She smiled while smoothing back his hair hanging in his face. "I think it's just proof we don't need perfection to be together. We just need to love each other."

He responded with a sweet kiss that quickly turned into more as they moved together again, this time a little less eagerly than before but with the same passion in every touch and taste.

They finished one after the other, her first with her hands clenched against his back and his name falling from her kiss-swollen lips. He followed right after with a wordless shout, collapsing beside her with his forehead pressed to her cheek. A bolt of lightning lit up the room, illuminating the sweat on their bodies, while the accompanying boom of thunder reminded them there was a storm raging outside.

Bella chewed on her lip, debating whether to stay silent or to ask and potentially ruin the euphoria she was feeling.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Edward murmured.

She rolled onto her side, both to face him and to be closer to him. He had his eyes closed, his face was flushed, and his chest was visibly rising and falling with his heavy breaths. He looked ridiculously sexy and perfect, like some statue impeccably carved out of the most flawless marble.

"What are you thinking about, kapu?" he asked, pulling her out of her admiring daze.

"How did you know?"

"You went from completely relaxed to tense in under a second."

"I don't want to be tense. I just … Am I awful to be happy we got trapped on the boat?"

His green eyes studied her face while his fingertips traced her arm from elbow to wrist. "You're not happy we got trapped on the boat. You're happy I finally got my shit together and got us together."

She smiled and slipped her hand into his hair, gently massaging his scalp the way he enjoyed. "I like that, and not just because it makes me feel better. I really am happy."

"Good 'cause you can't rewind," he said, his lips curved into a smile.

Since he'd used her words from earlier, she decided to use his in return. "I can if I wanna do it all over again."

"Again sounds good to me." He clutched her against him and rolled over onto his back, causing her to squeal as she went from lying beside him to lying on top of him. His hands gently cupped her head, bringing her mouth closer to his. "As many agains as you want," he promised.

"That's not a real word," she mentioned while kissing the corner of his mouth.

"Don't care," he answered, sliding his fingers down her back and causing her to shiver. "Cold?"

Though his smile told her he knew she wasn't, she decided to say she was just to see what he would do. "Very. You should warm me up."

He smiled up at her while softly squeezing her ass. "Any ideas on how I can do that?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Smart ass."

"Yep. Your smart ass."

"Lucky me," he murmured before kissing her soundly.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen woke from a light doze and listened closely to gauge the strength of the storm. He could hear the rain spattering against the boat still but it thankfully lacked the ferocious pounding from earlier. If the worst of the storm truly had passed and there were no reports of road issues, then they should be able to leave for home soon.

His ears picked up on a buzzing sound and he realized it was his phone on the nightstand. He tried to reach for it but he was just a little too far away. As much as he hated to move, he needed to check his messages and hopefully make a call to his family.

Bella was sound asleep on his chest, the tip of her nose and her pouty lower lip the only parts of her face he could see from his angle. He didn't want to wake her and get her hopes up so he decided to try his phone out first.

After carefully moving Bella to the mattress and covering her up, he threw on his shorts, grabbed his phone, and went into the hall. He found two texts from Whit, about a dozen from Lee, and a missed call from his mom.

He tried calling his mom back but after a single ring he got a busy tone. He turned toward the stairs to head up to try the radio but then decided it would be wrong not to wake Bella knowing how worried she had been earlier.

Once she was awake and dressed in his shirt and her shorts, they headed upstairs together with their fingers tangled and happy smiles curling their lips.

Before reaching for the radio, he decided to open one of the shutters to check the conditions outside. Since the rain was definitely not pounding the boat like earlier, he felt comfortable opening one up.

When the most recent flash of lightening faded, they were able to see the sky remained a dark grey but visibility was better. They could actually see the top of the dock post that anchored Galeos in the front.

"Maybe we can go home soon," Bella commented as he sent the shutter down again.

"First we have to get through and find out what conditions are like at the house," he cautioned. "Just because it's slacking here doesn't mean it's let up there yet."

Masen was relieved to get through on the first try, and he could hear both Esme's worry and her relief in the way she said his name. He hated knowing she had spent her morning worrying for him but he knew there was no way to prevent it; as she often said, it was her right as his mom.

"No harm, no foul, Mom," he said to ease her worries.

"Good. That's good. Same here."

"How's my girl?" He had no doubt Lizzy was curled up beside Esme and trying to hide from the storm. Thunder was the only thing his puppy had shown signs of being fearful of so far.

"She keeps getting up to look for you and Bella in your room but then runs right back to me as soon as she hears the thunder."

"I should have taken her with me."

"So she could be trapped on the boat with you? Don't be silly, Edward."

"It was never my plan to get stuck," he told her. "So what's the rain like there? It's slacked off a lot here."

"The lightning and thunder have lessened but the rain is still coming down steady. Can't believe it's this much of a mess after being so pretty yesterday. Not that it ever matters with storms." She paused and sighed; he wished he was there to hug her. "How's Bella?" she asked.

"Good. She's right here."

Bella leaned forward to speak into the mike, greeting Esme enthusiastically. "Hi, Esme."

"It is so good to hear your voice, sweetheart," Esme responded.

"How's everyone there?"

"We're all fine. Not a single hair out of place for any of us. You two?"

"Safe and dry and all of Edward's stitches are still in place."

"Good. That's good."

"Mom, you sure you're okay?" Masen questioned. "You still sound worried."

"_Hello_! There's a monsoon outside my window and my son is not standing right beside me." Her comment had him smiling and picturing the cross look he knew was on her face.

"I'll be home soon," he assured her.

"As soon as it's safe," she corrected. "We've heard conflicting reports of roads being underwater around here. You are to stay put until _I_ tell you it's safe to leave."

"Mom, I know—"

She responded immediately and forcefully. "Parent card."

"Okay. I'll wait for your go-ahead." He knew this was one of those times when it was best to give in and put her mind at ease rather than argue for his impeccable driving abilities. "Hey, can you tell Whit and Lee cell reception is still spotty so I can't answer their texts?"

"Oh, sweetheart, ignore those," Esme replied with a laugh. "Whit just wanted to tease you and Lee hates that you're not here with us. I hate it too."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Kid. Storms have a mind of their own. Now I want you to promise me you'll radio as soon as the storm completely leaves your area."

"The absolute second," he promised.

"You two look out for each other. I love you both."

"Love you too, Mom. Over and out." He hung the radio up and then turned to face Bella. "I'm glad we got through. I wasn't worried but it was nice to confirm."

"It was," she agreed, hugging him tightly.

"You okay?" he questioned, feeling the tension in her stance.

"She said it's a monsoon over there."

Masen couldn't help himself and snorted. "She didn't mean that literally."

"But it is still raining hard for them and has been for hours. What if the roads really are washed out and we can't get to them until things dry out?"

"It'll suck to be without them while we wait, but it'll be fine. We have supplies on board for us and they have a ton at the house. Please try not to worry."

She nodded and tightened her hold on him for a moment before releasing him. "I'm thirsty. You?"

"Yeah," he answered, following her to the kitchen. "And I could eat too."

She giggled at that. "I still think you might have a tapeworm. Breakfast wasn't that long ago."

He caught her around the waist and held her against him. "Pretty sure we burned off breakfast, kapu."

She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Think if it's still raining after lunch we can burn that off too?"

"We can sure as hell give it a try." He gave her a quick kiss and then let her go so he could get to the fridge. "Water?"

"Please."

He pulled a bottle out for each of them and after making sure she didn't want anything to eat, he grabbed two cheese sticks and an apple for himself.

"Yep," she said as they settled into the booth together. "Tapeworm."

His answer was to bite a cheese stick in half.

"So …" she said as she picked at the label on her water bottle. "Did you paint the shades to match the boat's name or vice-versa?"

He could tell that wasn't the real question she wanted to ask him but he figured it wouldn't hurt to indulge her and give her a few moments to collect her thoughts. "The shades came after we named the boat," he told her.

"They aren't typical for this kind of boat, are they?"

"No, but that's true of most of the accessories on this boat. Once we knew she was the one, we had her outfitted for our particular needs. With the upstairs, we didn't want to give up all the natural light these windows provide but we also had to protect her from fierce tropical storms. The shutters were our answer."

"What's different about the downstairs?"

"We had that small sink added to the medical room, we put in the washer and dryer, and then all the shelving for our gear."

She nodded and grew quiet, not saying anything else until he'd devoured his apple. "Do you think you'll ever want a bigger boat?" she questioned.

He slipped his arm around her back and pulled her right up against him, hoping it would make her feel comfortable enough to open up to him. "Kapu, as much as I love your interest in the boat, we both know it's not what's really on your mind. If I were you, I'd take advantage of this uninterrupted time we have and tell me what's swimming around in this pretty head of yours."

She opened her mouth but then paused. "Um … things will probably be different now."

He chuckled. "No probably about it. We have absolutely entered new territory."

"You don't sound apprehensive at all," she said, lifting her eyes to regard him. "Why is that? Every other big change between us has caused you stress. Why do you seem at peace with this one?"

"I'm not at peace but I'm not apprehensive either. I'm a little nervous to see how this affects our work relationship, but I've already decided the changes are worth it." He leaned in, stopping just short of kissing her. "_You_ are worth it."

He backed up his statement with a kiss that left them both breathless. He understood her hesitancy about his sudden change of heart, and that she might need a little convincing. He'd get her to believe, even if it took all day—and all night would be fine with him too.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

The rain had finally come to a complete stop by mid-afternoon but the main road from the marina to the house was still a mess so Esme had felt it best for Edward and Bella to spend the night on the boat. Edward had been disappointed, mostly because he'd wanted to get home and see for himself that everyone was as okay as his mom was saying. Bella had felt torn; she loved spending time with her family, especially since it had grown, but having Edward's undivided attention had been amazing so far. In addition to ending their line and growing closer, she'd been able to experience his sense of humor, a part of him usually reserved for Whit and Lee and Esme. They'd also discussed books and played card games, and he'd made that attempt to teach her a chord on the guitar. It had been a wonderful day despite the horrid weather.

Thankfully, Edward's disappointment hadn't lasted long. He'd decided to make the best of their situation and he'd pulled out a few of his shark books to quiz Bella and gauge how much she'd learned the past few weeks. She'd surprised both of them with how much she'd picked up and how easily the answers had come to her.

Right around sunset they'd gone outside for some fresh air and to get a look at the multi-colored sky. It had always fascinated her how the ugly grey could turn into such a gorgeous array of colors once a big storm passed. While they'd been on deck, Bella had tried to get a glimpse of the road but they were on the far end of the marina so all she had seen were other boats and the back of the marina's office building.

After another round of battle with the cards—and Bella's first and only win—they'd worked together to whip up a filling dinner of homemade mac and cheese with the last of the milk and cheese from the fridge. It had been the perfect gooey consistency that was the hallmark of excellent comfort food. She'd felt stuffed and sleepy by the time she'd emptied her bowl so when Edward had suggested they read in his bed, she'd happily agreed. Her chosen reading material had been his copy of _Princess Bride_ while he'd gone through a couple marine magazines. It had been so calm and comfortable—right up until he'd quoted the book and she'd _had_ to kiss him, and before she'd known it they'd been wrapped around each other enjoying their lack of a line through a sweet, slow build up and into a fiery ending that had left them both happily exhausted.

It was nearly midnight now and though she was tired from her full day and completely comfortable pressed against Edward, sleep continued to elude her. She wasn't sure if it was not wanting the night to end or if she just hadn't yet put her finger on what was nagging at her and keeping her from sleeping.

Edward hadn't moved or spoken in a while so she whispered just in case he had fallen asleep. "Are you awake?"

"Mmhmm."

"Are you okay?"

He chuckled and pressed his lips against her bare shoulder; a tiny peck of a kiss with the power to make her heart flutter and her skin warm. "I'm naked-spooning with my kapu. How could I not be okay?"

"You've never been this still for this long before."

"I don't have to move to think."

She lifted his hand from her stomach and threaded her fingers through his. "Are you thinking about the ways work might be different now?"

"I was actually thinking about how lucky I am. I almost passed this up. I would have if not for your patience and Whit's persistence. Kind of amazing how I can be both so damn smart and improbably stupid at the same time."

"Don't you mean impossibly?"

"Impossible means unable to occur, exist, or be done. Improbable is unlikely to happen but not completely ruled out. So while I would love for it to be impossible for me to screw-up, it's likely to happen and therefore improbable is the correct word."

Bella raised her eyebrows at his long explanation. "You've given far too much thought to this."

"What about you?" he countered. "What's keeping you awake?"

"I don't think there's really any one thing I can put my finger on. Just chock it up to restless brain, I guess."

"You've had a lot of that lately."

"I've had a lot of changes to digest and understand," she replied, a little surprised he'd noticed with all that had been going on. It made her wonder if maybe he was thinking about the future the same as her so she decided to test the waters. "I was wondering ... Really, I'm not expecting anything, but have you thought at all about what comes after the internship ends?"

"Yes and no. I've thought about it but haven't really gotten anywhere since we still have a lot of work to do in addressing your anxieties and getting you comfortable around sharks."

"Sharks." She said the word slowly, feeling it out and feeling out the emotions it invoked in her. "It still feels weird to be able to say that word and not feel absolutely terrified. I owe you and the team so much for giving me that."

"We didn't give you anything, Bella. We just helped you uncover it within yourself."

"Don't do that. Don't make it seem trivial because it means the world to me," she demanded, turning in his arms so he could see how much she meant her words. "I went on a _dive_. Multiple dives with you guys. I never thought that was going to be in my life again, that feeling of wonder and awe that comes with exploring a completely different world from the one we live in daily."

"I'm not trying to make it trivial, Bella. I'm trying to get you to see that you are just as responsible for the changes you've seen. I could talk until I'm blue in the face but it won't do a damn bit of good if you aren't open to learning, to growing. In addition to easing your anxiety, I want to bolster your confidence. I don't want for you to ever think for a second that your success is solely tied to this team. If you decided—well, if you worked with another team like on Submarine, you should feel as confident and capable there as you do here."

"I do feel more confident," she assured him. "I wouldn't have been able to go diving or get on the surfboards if not. I _know_ I can finish this out and gain so much from you, from the whole team. I didn't have that belief when I arrived and now I do and I feel like it's opened up so many possibilities I'd never considered."

"We, um, we haven't—" He rubbed at the bridge of his nose a couple times. "I was just wondering if you're still set on Atlanta. Maybe if there was an opening here—do you think you would consider it?"

The shock she felt was so deep and sudden that she stopped everything, even breathing. While she was definitely having doubts about Atlanta, she'd never ventured to picture a permanent place here. It would have been too cruel to imagine it and never have it as a true possibility. Now that it seemed like it could be, her mind raced with scenarios.

"I would absolutely consider it." She quickly added, "But not until the internship is over. I don't feel like it would be fair to answer now when there's so much more to work on with me. I have to feel like I earned the position, Edward. I know you would need that too or you'd end up regretting the offer. Will you ask me again when we're done with the internship? _Promise_ to ask me?"

"Done. Promised." He looked so adorably pleased that she couldn't resist kissing him. He wasted no time in rolling over on top of her to deepen the kiss and his eagerness caused her to laugh.

"Now? Aren't you tired?"

He responded between sensual kisses across her shoulder and along the side of her neck just below her ear, "Now … Later … Tomorrow … All the tomorrows."

She gripped his cheeks with her palms and lifted his face so she could see his gorgeous green eyes. She wanted nothing more than to kiss his lips and show him how good 'all the tomorrows' sounded to her, but first she had to share the part of her future she was completely clear on. "Whatever happens in the next few weeks with my progress, I need you to know that you're in my future regardless. I'm not letting go."

His eyes seemed a little watery but it may have just been a trick of the light since he was sporting the biggest smile she'd seen on him yet. "I think maybe I finally figured out what Elizabeth and Esme were trying to tell me. Of all the things I thought I could never live without, it's really only you. You make everything better, even when you make it harder, which is the most illogical thing I've ever said, but it's also completely true. I am ridiculously lucky to have you as my kapu and I'm not _ever_ letting go."

His heartfelt declaration was immediately followed by a bone-melting kiss full of promise, passion, and desire. No future could ever be right for her without these feelings and the man who made her feel indescribably loved.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** We hope you all enjoyed the end finally coming to the line dividing Masen and Guppy. We wanted to do it both tastefully and in a way that very much felt natural to who they are right now in their relationship together. Thank you all so much for continuing this journey with us and being patient for this turning point for them. - MyBella & Eternally Addicted


	42. 42 Got Lucky

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 42 – Got Lucky**

**Monday, July 28th**

The obnoxious squawking of gulls woke Bella and she immediately tilted her head to look up at the window. She could just glimpse the blue sky outside and smiled at the brightness of the day.

She took a moment to stretch her aching limbs and then quietly slipped out of the bed and the room, leaving Edward sound asleep on his stomach with his face partially buried in his pillow. It had been a long, wonderful night of loving and exploring each other so she wasn't the least bit surprised that he was still sleeping.

Glimpsing her rumpled look in the mirror had her giggling. She'd known her hair would be wild after being down all day, not to mention multiple rigorous activities, but she hadn't expected the haystack mess she was currently sporting. The only thing to do with it would be to wash it and condition the hell out of it so she flipped the shower on to let it heat up while she performed her usual morning rituals.

With the room nice and steamy now, she slipped out of her clothes and into the shower. She sighed in contentment while standing under the warm water, enjoying the feel of it coursing over her. With her hands braced against the wall, she leaned forward under the spray to let it pound against her back. Edward had been so right to want to come back to the boat rather than wait the storm out in his truck.

That thought led her mind to replay everything that had happened yesterday, especially the giant change in their dynamic. Their line was gone—completely and irrevocably obliterated. It had felt like a massive shift to her, as if a very physical yet invisible wall had toppled over and allowed them to share the same space for the first time. She had expected Edward to get antsy and to want to deconstruct it all, to make sure they'd made the right decision, so she hadn't been sure how to take his seemingly immediate and untroubled acceptance. She hadn't been able to help being a little apprehensive of his behavior but at least she could say she honestly trusted his explanation—he wanted her and that made any consequences worthwhile in his mind.

Bella had just decided to stop daydreaming and start showering when she felt Edward's soft lips and rough facial hair on her wet skin.

"You didn't wake me," he murmured against her back, leading his torturous kisses on an upward path that followed her spine.

"You looked peaceful. Cute even." She was surprised she could talk with how quickly his touch was rendering her senseless.

"I am many things, kapu, but never cute. Controlled ... Calculating ..." He turned her to face him and he had the most devilish smile on his face as he pressed his naked body against hers. "_Thorough_."

She gripped his hair and pulled his mouth to hers, needing him to feel how deeply his words and touch affected her—especially his promise from last night to never let go. He responded with equal force and intensity, propping her up against the wall and sinking deep inside her. Her mouth fell open in a soundless cry while her arms clenched around his neck, clinging to him to keep from being swept away by the power of his passion.

She wasn't sure if it was the heat of the shower or the frantic pace of their lovemaking but she saw actual stars when she came. She also went limp in his arms which made him chuckle.

"Kapu, you're insatiable," he said, laughing when she wobbled while trying to stand. "I just came in here to say good morning."

She pushed her drenched hair away from her face so he wouldn't miss her glare. "Still not the hilarious one."

His grin was equal parts sweet and shitty. "I love you."

She hid her own grin while shoving her bottle of shampoo into his hand, and then turned her back toward him. "Make yourself useful and help me shower."

He moved her hair away from her neck and planted his lips there. "I really do love you."

Her smile widened and she leaned further into him. "I love you too."

After sharing a sweet kiss, he helped her wash her hair and then he washed himself and hopped out to let her finish her shower without being scrunched in and before the hot water ran out.

"I'll see what we have for breakfast," he told her while securing a towel around his waist. "Raise the shutters too and do a spot check of the boat. Check the tie-offs while I'm at it just to be safe."

Since he was already walking out the door as he said that last bit, she was pretty sure he'd be checking the boat before checking for breakfast. "The other end of his thorough," she murmured to herself with a smile.

Once she was dressed, dried, and had her hair up in a loose ponytail, Bella went upstairs in search of Edward. She heard his voice as she reached the top of the stairs and turned toward the helm where it was coming from.

"We'll let everyone have a vote when we get home," he spoke into the radio.

"Just take your time driving," Esme cautioned. "There's standing—"

"Water in a few places," he finished for her. Bella had a feeling Esme had given him that particular warning quite a few times.

"We'll drive slow, Mom," he added sincerely. "Promise."

"Give my love to Bella."

"Will do. See you soon. Over and out." He hung up the mic and then turned to face Bella.

She smiled while winding her arms around his neck. "What are we voting on?"

"Leaving. I know it would mean a loss of another day, but I was thinking we should spend today at the house and leave tomorrow. We can make it up by spending four days out this time instead of three."

"I wouldn't mind getting to be with Uncle Carl and Alice today, but I'll understand if the others are itching to get back to work."

"The sooner we get home, the sooner we can vote."

"Bored with me already?"

His eyes narrowed and his lips turned down in a serious frown. "Not funny."

"A little funny. We both know they are all perfectly fine. We were in more danger being on the boat."

"We only know what my mom has told us and she has been known to sugarcoat worse than a baker addicted to frosting."

While Bella was still convinced everyone was fine, she also understood his need to verify with his own eyes. "Then we should head home. What do we need to do to leave?"

"Thank you," he said, hugging her completely against him.

"Welcome. Now what do we need to do?"

"Just make sure everything that can be turned off is off and then grab something to eat in the truck. I don't know how long it'll take to get to the house today."

"We should probably change your sheets and make your bed. It would already be weird for it to not be made so one look at the rumpled state it's in will be a giveaway to how we spent our alone time. I don't care myself but I figured you might want to spare yourself some teasing from the nudger and his accomplices."

Edward groaned and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Whit. That fucking nudger's gonna know no matter what I do. Still it might help put off my torture slightly …" He glanced at the hall and then sighed. "If I handle the bed, will you find us something to eat?"

"Deal."

They parted ways after a sweet kiss, Edward taking the stairs two at a time and Bella rolling her eyes at him while heading for the kitchen.

She doubted she would find much of anything that didn't require cooking. He'd eaten all the fruit and cheese yesterday so she had a feeling they were going to get stuck with peanut butter sandwiches. Not that it mattered—she knew he'd eat again once they made it home. After the reaction to his cut, Esme was sure to want to pamper her boy after being without him during a big storm.

By the time Bella had packed up a couple of sandwiches and some water, Edward was ready to go, complete with keys in hand and his phone and wallet tucked safely into his shorts.

It took twice as long to reach the house as it typically did but thankfully it was mostly due to traffic rather than bad spots in the road. There had been a couple of those too, but the Bronco had been able to get through without much trouble. The biggest patch of water they encountered was actually on the sloped driveway of the house and Edward ended up leaving the Bronco parked up top rather than risk getting it stuck.

"So glad you're home," Esme said as she smothered them both in a hug right in the doorway.

"Technically, we haven't actually entered the house yet," Edward pointed out chuckling.

Esme moved to let them inside but then Lizzy had them cornered, barking and jumping and running in between them, seemingly unable to decide who she wanted to pet her first. Edward managed to scoop her up but it didn't solve the dilemma for her and she nearly twisted right out of his arms trying to lick him and Bella at the same time.

"Calm down, sweet girl," Edward cooed. "We're not going anywhere so you've got plenty of time to get our attention."

"Yeah, after I get my hug," Lee said as she locked her arms around Edward's shoulders.

Bella smiled as she watched him press his head to Lee's and whisper reassurances to her. Bella was so distracted by the sight that she never noticed Gopher heading her way and didn't realize what was happening until her feet were dangling a few inches above the floor.

"Damn good to see you, Guppy."

"Glad to be home, Gopher. Could you put me down maybe?"

"Oh, right," he said, chuckling as he set her down. "Sorry just really glad to lay eyes on you two and know for sure you're fine."

"Edward was saying the same thing about all of you," she confided.

"He wasn't a complete snooze-fest worrying about us all day and night, was he?"

"Not at all. We managed to enjoy our forced day off. Actually, the more appropriate way to put it is that I lost my butt off to him in cards."

"Makes you question if he's counting, right?"

"It totally did!" she replied. She had written off her suspicion as her hating to lose but now she wondered if there wasn't something to it.

"I do not count cards," Edward defended while holding his hand out to Gopher. While those two shook and patted each other on the back, Lee squeezed Bella in a hug until she squeaked and then both women laughed.

The front door opened behind them and Bella turned to find Whit and Alice walking in with Uncle Carl.

"Bella!" Alice shrieked. She rushed over and practically threw herself into her sister's arms.

Bella laughed while stumbling to keep them upright. "I'm fine, Alice. Relax."

"I'm just so glad you're home." Alice's exuberance was not only genuine, it was majorly overflowing because she let go of Bella to grab hold of Edward, catching him completely by surprise. He just kind of stood there with wide eyes and gingerly patted the top of her head.

"Now isn't that a little miracle?" Whit asked, slipping an arm around Bella and pulling her into a hug.

"I was thinking 'comical' but I guess 'miracle' works too." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then turned to her uncle. He wore a beaming smile as he watched Alice with Edward. When he looked to Bella, his smile was still huge but there was also concern in his gaze.

She locked her arms around him and hugged as hard as she could.

"I am so very glad to see you, Bug."

"I was safe the whole time," she assured him.

"I have no doubt Masen did all he could to protect you. Still, it felt strange for it not to be me."

"I'm sure you had your hands full with Alice with me gone and a bad storm raging outside."

"I did, but thankfully I also had plenty of help from Esme and Whit."

"You had some fun too, right?" she asked, hoping he would say they had. She'd absolutely hate it if she'd had a wonderful day while they'd been miserable with worry.

He gave a quiet laugh. "Esme felt the best way for Alice to get to know everyone better was with a game of Esme's own invention called 'Who Did It'. She'd share facts about the misfits and Alice had to guess the person involved. Whenever Alice was correct, she could guess again. When she was wrong, she had to share something personal about herself."

"Did it seem to work?"

"For the most part, yes, I think so. Lee is still very hesitant around her, but Whit and Gopher have included her in all of their activities."

"Lee will come around. She just needs time. And to see that Edward and I are okay with Alice."

"Esme said almost the same thing."

"Did I hear my name?" Esme asked, putting an arm around each of them.

"Indeed you did, my love," Uncle Carl replied as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Glad to see that having your son home has relaxed you considerably."

Esme grinned at him. "Same goes for you and your kid."

Carlisle smiled while pressing his hand to Bella's cheek. "Very much the same."

Bella asked them about their day yesterday and while she listened to their answers she caught Edward's gaze. He immediately smiled and though he only mouthed a single word to her, she knew all that "kapu" really conveyed.

She couldn't say she wouldn't have minded staying on the boat a little longer, but she could absolutely say she was glad to be home and to see the happy faces of her family. Looking around the room at all of the smiles and hugs being traded, she felt so damn glad she'd gone through with sending her application in. She'd had no way to know this would happen, that she'd gain so much from this experience, but that was the thing about taking chances and trying new paths—you never knew what was around the corner until you turned it.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"That makes it unanimous," Masen said as he surveyed the raised hands of his team once more. "We're staying put today in exchange for a four day trip out."

"Are we done yet?" Whit asked.

"Almost," Masen replied, wondering why his best friend was suddenly in such a rush to be done. "Does anyone have any questions about the revised assignments we went over earlier?"

"_Me_," Lee exclaimed, sitting up and letting all four legs of her chair touch the floor for the first time in an hour. "Now that Bella's had a turn assisting, when do I get my turn?"

Masen checked her face closely, looking for any sign that he was being set up. "Are you really interested or just asking to see what I'll say?"

"Both," she answered honestly.

He scratched the back of his head while thinking it over, weighing the pros and cons until he decided he needed more information. "Whit and Gopher, would you want to work on it too?"

"You know me, bro, I am wherever you need me," Whit replied.

"I'm in," Gopher said, lifting a finger at the same time. "I really liked picking the assignments that day I was in charge. I could do more of that."

"You guys understand that this isn't going to turn into you getting out of work you don't like, right? And not every idea you present is going to get accepted. I vetoed plenty of Guppy's recommendations," Masen warned the team.

Bella spoke up at that moment. "I enjoyed the process and I think you guys would too." She shifted in her seat and smirked at Masen before adding, "Also, Edward having to explain his opposition to my suggestions was good for him. By the time we were done, it had noticeably helped improve his people skills."

"Really, kapu?" Masen asked, looking down at her.

Her smile only widened. "Really, Edward."

"Then it's a done deal," Lee announced with a few hurried taps of her fingers to the table top. "We'll start a rotation to help Mase with assigning the work. Also, dibs on first spot."

"Second," Gopher declared with his arm high in the air.

Masen gave Bella's shoulder a light squeeze. "See what you've done now?"

"Yep," she said, leaning her head back to look up at him. "I presented you with fresh minds and voices to share in the work."

"That's it, right? We're done?" Whit questioned, already halfway out of his seat.

"We're done," Masen confirmed.

"Good." Whit grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him toward the hall. "Time to check your stitches."

"Since when is that such a major priority?" he asked as he considered coming to a complete stop just to annoy his friend.

"Listen to your doctor, Mase … Get your ass in the bathroom."

He knew for damn sure something was up now, and he really hoped this was going to be about Whit and Alice and not his own life.

The second the door clicked shut Whit was running off at the mouth. "So what was rocking the boat more? The storm or you blowing your line out of the water? And don't even _think_ about lying to me, bro. I need information, not wasted time. Start with what the hell finally got through your self-imposed chastity belt."

"Chastity belt? Seriously, bro?" Masen had expected teasing but nothing on this level.

"Well I thought about asking what made you grow a pair but that seemed a bit crass. Seriously, though, what changed?"

Masen pulled himself up onto the counter, careful of his injured hand. "It wasn't any one thing. Part of it was you, part was Esme, and part was me just feeling like it was the right step for Bella and me."

"I knew if I kept nudging," Whit boasted with a wide smile.

"Actually, it was you saying you were sorry you ever nudged."

"That's not what I said. What I said was that if you were going to be a fucktard, then I _would_ be sorry. But you're not being a fucktard, right?"

"No," he answered with a snort. "I am definitely not being a fucktard. But because I had been one and because I was feeling guilty and incapable of properly making up for my atrocious behavior, I had a talk with Esme about how I was feeling."

"You mean you asked your mom if you were a shitty partner for Bella," Whit translated. He also gave Masen a playful smack to the back of his head.

"Yeah, pretty much," Masen confirmed while pushing his hair back into place. "Mom said mistakes happen, perfection is a myth, and loving a person enough to fight for their happiness makes you a good partner. I was thinking about what she'd said and what you'd said and then suddenly Bella was apologizing for kissing me and I realized how complicated I'd made things. And how ridiculous. So I told her what I was thinking, shared what I wanted with her, and then asked her what she wanted." Wearing a proud smile, he finished with "She wanted me".

Whit grinned. "Would you look at that … Masen is a wanted and loved man. If pigs really start flying, you're gonna have to take up archery. I can't be going without my bacon just because you—"

Masen hopped off the counter as if it was a hot stove and put a headlock on Whit that shut him up almost completely, only allowing some snuffling laughter to get free.

"Say it, then promise to shut it, and then _maybe_ I'll let you go," Masen demanded as Whit fumbled to get loose, knocking them both into the wall.

Whit finally chose an unlisted option—licking Masen's arm.

As revolted as Masen was, he didn't let go. "Say it and then promise."

Whit forced Masen's arm down enough to free his lips. "You are the master. I promise to stop teasing you and be serious." He quickly added, "After I ask if you kept your sexcapades confined to your bedroom."

Masen attempted to turn the half-headlock into a full-nelson wrestling move but Whit had anticipated the movement and easily ducked and twisted to get behind Masen.

"I'm done, I'm done," Whit said, holding his hands up in surrender even as he continued to laugh.

"You will be if you don't stop," Masen warned.

"I'll leave you alone. Just get back on the counter. I really do need to see your stitches."

Masen kept a close eye on his friend while sitting back down.

Whit chuckled as he added, "Especially now that I know you were participating in _activities_."

"Keep it up and you're gonna see these stitches up close when I smack you upside the head."

"If I were you, I'd be far less worried about my jokes and way more concerned with what Esme's gonna say to you."

Masen's eyes widened as the realization hit him—if Whit had guessed, then Esme probably had too.

"She's gonna be happy for you," Whit assured him. "She'll only want to make sure you're okay with the choice after all your worrying."

"I'll just tell her what I told Bella—it was a wasted attempt at perfection."

Whit looked up from inspecting Masen's hand. "There's no way that's all you told Bella. She would need more than that to trust you were having a change of heart and not of shorts."

As much as he wanted to respond to that comment, he ignored the teasing to keep from egging Whit on further. "I told her anything that keeps us apart is flawed and unnecessary."

Whit smiled as he grabbed Masen's shoulder and pulled their foreheads together. "Proud of you, bro."

Masen rolled his eyes and sat up straight.

"I am, Mase," Whit insisted. "You stepped up and faced your fear and already things are smoother for you and Bella."

"What makes you say that?"

"The way you two were during the meeting. You were relaxed with her in a way you haven't been up to now. You weren't keeping that distance and forcing a separation between mentor and partner."

There was a knock at the door and then Esme slipped into the room. "From all the noise you two are making in here, am I to assume we're discussing Edward rocking the boat with Bella?"

"Already used that joke," Whit happily informed her while Masen was busy smacking his forehead against his hand and grumbling pleas of 'kill me now'.

Esme hopped up beside Masen. "So was it everything your _heart_ desired?"

Masen let out a long groan with "mom" mixed into it.

She chuckled and ruffled his hair. "You don't have to answer, Kid. I already got the scoop from Bella."

Whit burst into obnoxious laughter while Masen stared at his mom in wide-eyed disbelief.

"We didn't talk specifics if that's what has you worried," Esme shared. She mirrored his shitty grin perfectly and added, "_Yet_."

Masen's responding whine of "mom" was ignored and talked over.

"I simply asked if she was at peace with her part of the decision," Esme continued. "And she assured me she had no reservations. So that brings me to you … Are you at peace with your part in choosing to end your line? When last we talked you were just a tad stuck on being the perfect partner rather than the best person you can be."

"I thought a lot about what you said," Masen admitted. "And I concluded that you're right, perfection isn't real. Even if I manage to do every single thing right, if one other person does something wrong or has an unaccounted for reaction, then it all goes to hell. An actual realistic goal is to be the best person and partner I can be and go from there."

"My kid," Esme cooed while hugging Masen's head to her chest.

"Seriously, Mom?"

She laughed while letting him go and then waited for him to settle before she continued. "All jokes aside, I really am proud of you, Edward. Changing your life to let someone else in, that's hard work. It's been especially difficult for you because of the way you view the world around you. And while you've made mistakes, you've also made huge progress.

"With that being said, I now have to say to you the same thing I did to Whit in regards to Alice. Please be respectful around Carlisle with your P-D-A. While these young ladies are adults, they are also his daughters."

Masen's lips curled into a cocky grin as his brows lifted up. "Did Carlisle get a warning for my sake?"

Esme rolled her eyes but otherwise didn't take his teasing bait. "Last question for now—and don't you _dare_ try to tell me it's not my business. Was protection used? Don't be afraid to tell me either way. I can't help you two if I don't know you need it."

"We uh … we were safe. We actually had talked about it beforehand when um … When it seemed like everyone but me expected us to cross our line early I decided it was something we should talk about." He shrugged, knowing it probably sounded weird for him to have talked about birth control with a woman he hadn't been sleeping with at the time. "Better to be prepared just in case."

"Told you his inner boy scout had it handled, Esme," Whit remarked.

"How much time have you spent discussing me behind my back?" Masen questioned, trying to keep in mind they did it out of love and support and not mere curiosity.

Esme smiled while pushing his hair out of his face. "Just enough to anticipate any help you might need." She shifted her eyes to Whit. "You think there's anything new to worry about with this one?" she asked, tilting her head toward Masen.

Whit smiled. "He seems like he's finally grasping how to navigate the ocean of coupledom. We'll just keep an eye out that he stays on course."

"And the stitches?"

"Need a little cleaning around them but otherwise intact."

"Oh good! I was worried that finally releasing all that sexual tension would end up in crazy spider-monkey sex that would pop all his stitches."

"_Mom_!" Masen yelled. He was completely ignored by his laughing mom.

Whit, however, did a big flourish with his hands and then bowed to her. He also threw in, "I am but a humble servant to your mastery, my liege."

When Esme finally calmed down enough to speak, she told Masen, "I'm sorry, Kid, but I couldn't resist."

"Esme, you're the best," Whit declared, still laughing a little.

"You two are ridiculous," Masen grumbled.

Esme patted his cheek lovingly. "We are your family and we love you. And we love teasing you. In that order."

He allowed himself to crack a smile while pulling her into a one-armed hug. For all his grumbling about her teasing, she could pretty much tell him anything and he'd take it. He owed her—and Whit—for helping him to get his shit together so he could completely be with his kapu. He was damn lucky to have his family's support. And patience. Definitely their patience.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Lee, stop talking," Edward ordered, pointing menacingly at her.

"Don't you dare, Edward," Bella cried as she yanked on his arm, trying to force it down. "Keep going, Lee. Tell us—" She was cut off by Edward's hand covering her mouth.

"That's not gonna work," Gopher warned him with a laugh.

"Yeah, it definitely won't keep me from telling her you cried the first time you saw this movie," Lee added with an evil grin.

After a long day spent together as a family, the four of them had decided to spend the night camped out downstairs in Whit's room with pillows and snacks, watching Lee's well-traveled copy of _Lilo and Stitch_. They'd asked Whit and Alice to join them but they'd chosen to stay upstairs with Esme and Carlisle to watch an old black and white romance movie instead.

"I did _not_ cry," Edward refuted.

Bella pulled his hand down and leaned her head back to see his face. "Be honest, not embarrassed."

"I didn't cry," he insisted. "Maybe a little teary eyed at one spot, but I didn't cry."

"You totally cried, Mase. And it wasn't just one spot. The ohana got you first and then the bit about the family being little and broken but still good."

Gopher jumped in to reveal another piece of this very interesting puzzle. "And ever since that first time, Mister Big and Bad there, he still reaches for Esme at the end and hugs the shit out of her."

Bella lifted up to kiss Edward's jaw in hopes of consoling him and his bruised ego. "I think it's sweet."

"Sweeter than a plum," Gopher joked with a chuckle.

"Remember, Mase, we could always change the topic from this movie to your love-life," Lee cautioned with a devilish smirk. "From the way you've been touchy-feely with Guppy all day, I'm pretty damn sure there's a story there."

"Look, look!" Bella yelled, slapping her hand against Edward's leg in her excitement. "It's Whit's hula girl on the dashboard."

"Nope. You're wrong," Lee said with a shake of her head. "As I have been corrected many times, allow me to school you … Whit's hula girl has a _red_ skirt while this one has a _green_ skirt. Apparently there is a world of difference between the two."

"Awe, Lee-lee," Edward said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "Don't be jealous I found his lamp and you didn't."

"Abomination," she replied, tossing a peanut M&M at his head.

He laughed as he caught it and then popped it into his mouth. "That's Stitch, not me."

"That's right," she said as she snapped her fingers. "You're the stupid head."

Gopher tapped Bella on the arm and then shrugged. "Siblings. Whatcha gonna do?"

"Laugh," she answered, which was exactly what she was currently doing.

"Bella!" Alice's cry was so unexpected that it made Bella jump and nearly clip Edward's chin with her head. It also got everyone laughing at her.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching a movie?" Bella asked as she sat up from her reclined position against Edward's chest.

Alice got down on her knees beside her sister. Her eyes were wide and bright and her face was flushed—Bella knew right away Alice was up to something. The rushed way Alice answered reinforced Bella's suspicion. "I was but then I wasn't and there's something I need you to see. You and Masen. Now please."

"See what?"

"I can't tell you but you're gonna love it." From Alice's megawatt smile, it was clear she believed her predicted outcome was a definite.

"Why can't you tell us?" Edward asked.

Her eyes shifted to him. "Because you and her have to see it. Together. Now. Please? I promise it's a good surprise. A real surprise and not a joke at all. It's for both of you."

"Uh …"

Bella smiled at his lack of coherency around her sister. Alice was a lot to take all at once when she got excited about something.

"You'll like this, I swear. Please just come with me. _Please_," Alice pleaded with her hands clasped together.

"You guys better go with her before she explodes," Lee commented.

"Yeah, it's not like we haven't all seen this movie a bunch of times," Gopher added.

Bella wondered if they knew something about what Alice had planned or if they just wanted the hyped girl gone so relative peace could return to the room. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to check out this 'surprise'. It wasn't like the movie couldn't be rewound.

"Alright, Alice," Bella said as she began to get up. "We'll take a look at this surprise of yours."

"We will?" Edward asked, still seated on the floor.

Bella smirked at him. "We will."

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders before getting up.

"Yay!" Alice exclaimed as she jumped up and danced toward the doorway. "You guys will love this. Seriously. You'll see."

Edward pointed out the flaw in her plan. "Not if you don't get out of the doorway and take us to wherever this surprise is located."

The location ended up being outside on the beach in a secluded corner between the house and a large sand dune. A small square table with a bunch of little candles glowing brightly was setup between two lounge chairs. Sharing the limited space with the candles was a large covered dish and two wine glasses that looked to hold Esme's homemade tea complete with lemon slices sitting on the rims.

_This_, Bella thought as she looked from the table to her sister. _This is the Alice that I know and love, the sister who puts together little surprises just to let me know I'm important to her._

Alice nervously twisted her fingers together while rocking back and forth on her heels. "Masen, I know you had everything planned out for a date with my sister, and I swear I'm not trying to step on that at all, but when I heard you had to cancel to spend today with us … I just thought this would show you guys I really do support you and want you to be happy. And I thought it would be a good way to thank you for such a great day together as a family. I know things are still tense between us and that makes it all the more awesome that you guys included me in everything today. I know this won't make things a-okay for us but I thought it could be a good first step. And that's it. Promise. Oh and _surprise_!"

Edward looked positively bewildered as he scratched the back of his head. "I … Uh … Thanks?" He looked to Bella for help and as soon as he saw she was struggling not to laugh, he started fighting not to show his cocky smirk. She couldn't wait to find out exactly what was going through his head.

"Yay! You like it!" Alice crowed. "You really like it! OH! I could hug you. Can I hug you? That might be awkward. Would that be awkward?"

Edward chuckled and took a step back from her. "Definitely awkward. Maybe another time."

"Right. Another time is a-okay with me." She turned her gaze to Bella, clearly looking for her sister's approval. "Bella, what do you think?"

"It's wonderful, Alice. Thank you."

"Yay! You love it!" Alice launched herself at Bella and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad. And now I'm going to shut up and stop talking so you can enjoy. So enjoy! And I love you and bye!" She hugged Bella again, squealed excitedly, and then ran off.

Edward blinked a couple times and then looked at Bella. "_Wow_."

She smirked at his shocked expression. "I told you."

"No. No you damn sure did not tell me. You said bubbly. _That_—" He pointed in the direction Alice had gone. "That was some major insanity."

"Yeah, but she did a good job," Bella replied while looking over the decorated table.

Edward took her into his arms and brushed his lips against hers. "It'll do."

"What do you really think of this? And what were you thinking about before when you had that cocky smile of yours showing?"

"I was just coming up with ideas on how to make you pay for laughing at me."

"Be serious."

"I never joke about payback."

She rolled her eyes at his teasing. "Will you at least tell me what you think of her surprise?"

He looked at the table for a moment and then focused on Bella again. "I like it. Mine's still going to blow this one out of the water, but I like this too."

"Still?" she asked, trying not to get completely distracted by the feel of his lips on her neck.

She could feel his smile against her skin. "Don't sound so surprised," he told her.

"This isn't your kind of thing and I'm okay with that."

He stood up straight to look into her eyes, his hands gently holding her face. "It's not about me. It's about _us_. You like dinner dates and I like making you happy so we'll work them in when we can, only you won't know when it's coming. Now that it's an option, I like the idea of surprising you."

"Of course you would," she said with a sigh and eye-roll. He knew exactly what he was doing, dangling the surprise and getting her curiosity all riled up.

His smile was equal parts sweet and sexy as he whispered, "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, Edward."

They shared a kiss that left them breathless as well as smiling and happy, and then they sat down facing each other and the table separating their lounge chairs. He lifted the cover and they found that Alice had prepared a tray of olives, cheese cubes, apple slices, and crackers—and a couple of Edward's favorite plums.

He looked up from the olive he'd been inspecting. "You think she really did this just to be nice?"

Bella finished sipping her tea and set the glass down before answering. "Mostly, yes. But like she said, she also hopes it eases the tension between all of us. Why? Are you worried she has something bad planned?"

"Food poisoning?" he ventured. His smile said he was joking but the olive still pinched between his fingers told a different story.

Bella couldn't help giggling. "She mentioned once being worried you would suspect that from her."

"She hasn't exactly been a fan of mine."

"She did try really hard today, though," Bella reminded him. "I kept looking for some sign that she was being fake about it, but there weren't any. She was genuine today."

"I think maybe I saw a little of what you and Whit see in her." Rather than elaborate, he popped the olive into his mouth and chewed it.

As nice as it was to see Alice genuinely getting along with Edward, Bella had a completely different topic on her mind now. "We never really got to discuss what happened on the boat."

That sweet and sexy smile was back on his lips. "Our actions said plenty."

Her face flushed from the heat of remembering the feel of his body moving with hers and she struggled not to become distracted. "What about today's actions? What do they say?"

"Is this about Lee's comment earlier?"

"A little. I guess I just want to be sure of where your head is at right now."

His smile fell but his green eyes continued to meet hers. "My head. A source of brilliance and trouble." He drew her hand to his lips and softly kissed her wrist. "I'm sorry for letting it get in our way for so long. And I promise you, it's not going to happen again."

"Edward, you're too analytical to make that kind of promise. There's no way you're not dissecting every minute of what happened."

"There is a way. This is not work time. This is our time and I'm making myself be in the moment. I'm focusing my energy on making memories with you. It's similar to when we get home after a trip and I put myself completely into being with my family."

"Is that hard for you?"

"At first it's difficult to go from being on high-alert to being relaxed, but after a while it feels natural."

She couldn't help the grin she was wearing, not with knowing all the past stress she'd caused him. "I feel natural to you?"

"No but that's because natural is ordinary and you… Kapu, you're astonishing in every way imaginable. You elevate everything." He took hold of her other hand and locked all of their fingers together. "Being with you, it was different. It was deeper, _more_ somehow. And I didn't want it to end just because the sex did. I wanted to hold you after, and to listen to your breathing calm and feel your heart slow down. I wasn't thinking about projects sitting unfinished in my room or work plans. I was just lying with you and that was enough—astonishing and enough."

His words were beautiful and they made her feel special but they also made her incredibly sad because of what she'd learned about him during their time together.

His thumbs gently rubbed against her cheeks. "I know you, Bella, and I know these aren't happy tears. What's wrong?"

"I hate that you spent so long believing you would never know any of this—love and contentment and just the joy of sharing with someone."

"Kapu," he said, chuckling as he dried the rest of her tears. "That should never make you sad. It should always make you smile because you proved me wrong in the best way possible."

"You hate being wrong."

"Not when it comes to you. Getting to call you kapu and seeing in your face that you know how much I mean it, I am so damn lucky to be wrong." He kissed her then, slow and deep in that way that never failed to make her toes curl and her stomach knot.

She considered for a moment calling off the date in favor of the privacy of their room but she knew it would hurt her sister's feelings if they didn't at least enjoy a little of the spread she'd put out for them.

"It's crazy how clear it is tonight after yesterday's storm," Bella commented, glancing at the stars while fitting some cheese between two crackers.

"The sky gets clear and the water gets murky."

She frowned, knowing murky water was extremely dangerous because of how easily it hid large creatures, especially sharks. "I hadn't thought about that. How will that affect work tomorrow?"

"Won't know until we get out there," he answered with a mouthful of an apple slice. He was clearly over his poison worry from earlier.

"Not hungry for your plums? That's a first."

He turned the plate to move them closer to him. "Just saving them for last."

"Best for last, huh?" she asked, grinning over his obsession with the fruit.

He pulled his tea glass from his lips to make sure she didn't miss his cocky grin. "No, that's what happens later when we're in our room."

Her blush was immediate and completely out of her control, much like her desires around him. She waited until he'd set his glass down and without a word she pushed on his shoulder to get him to stretch out on his lounge chair. She sat just below his waist, her weight resting on her knees on either side of him, putting her in the perfect position to kiss him. She took just a few seconds to enjoy his smile and the sight of her desire mirrored in his green eyes before losing herself in the softness of his lips and the firmness of his kisses.

She hadn't exactly meant for things to go any further than kissing but she suddenly found herself holding another firm part of him and she couldn't resist finally having a chance to repay him for that night when he'd made it all about her. This wasn't normally like her but they were secluded in their spot and Edward was definitely not protesting so she felt safe being a little wild with him.

With half her focus on his reactions and the other half on their heated kissing, there was none left for the outside world so she completely missed Lizzy's barking, her uncle calling for the puppy, and the mix of voices calling for him. It was her uncle's surprised yelp and shout of "sorry" that finally broke through the lust and alerted her to an audience—the absolute last audience she ever wanted to accidentally receive.

She reacted instinctively, her hand flying away from Edward at the same time her body dropped down to block him from her uncle's view, which pretty much only did one thing—caused Edward to groan in discomfort and probably some pain too.

"Carlisle, get back in the house." That was Esme.

"We tried to stop you." Whit.

"Honestly, Uncle Carl." Alice.

The only way this could be more humiliating—"Oh shit, they were totally doing it out here." Gopher. Of course Gopher.

"All of you back in the house this instant," Esme ordered. "Edward, Bella, you two—" Once she got her snorting under control, she added, "Finish your … uh … your date and then … We're all heading to bed so you two just take your time. Or not." She outright laughed and then there was silence.

"Are they gone?" Bella whispered, refusing to move to look for herself. She was absolutely mortified and she was sure her face had reached a new level of red even for her.

"Don't care. Get off me. Please get off."

She practically fell off in her hurry to get up. "Are you okay?"

Edward was too busy groaning in the fetal position to answer.

Here she stood on her first official date, her first time seeing to her partner's needs, and all she'd managed to do was give him an epic amount of unreleased tension and squashed beans and frank. Oh and there was that little issue of her uncle catching her which had pretty much turned into the entire family catching her.

Bella laughed so hard that she had to sit down on her lounge chair. As bad of a turn as this night had taken, it was still something to be grateful for. She had someone she loved, a family to catch her being wild, and the bravery to face them all in the morning along with the fortitude to survive the teasing that was absolutely coming her way.

She felt something cold hit her chest and looked down to find an olive sitting in her bra. She pulled it out and offered it to the person who'd thrown it at her. "I think you lost this."

"I think you lost your mind," he told her. Rumpled … Harassed … Annoyed … They were all good adjectives for the way Edward looked. "How in the hell are you laughing right now?"

"Because even with what just happened, what you're always saying is right. We are lucky, Edward. We have each other and our family."

"What we have is a shit load of teasing coming our way."

"Sorry about that," she said honestly. "I didn't mean for things to get so heated. It just sort of ran away from me."

He looked at her for a long moment, probably trying to decide how to get her back for embarrassing the hell out of him. "I'm not mad at you. I've felt that run away thing with you plenty. I'm just … Esme had asked me to be respectful around your uncle this morning and already I've messed that up."

Bella winced. "I kind of didn't actually give you a choice. I'm _really_ sorry."

"Come here," he said, offering her his hand. Once she was sitting beside him, he hugged her close and rested his head on hers. "I'll find some way to smooth things out with your uncle. Just do me a favor in return. Don't ever drop your weight on me like that again."

"Deal. Promise. And I also promise to make it up to you as soon as you feel up to it."

"I've got another promise I need from you. If your uncle is around, keep your hands to yourself until we're behind a closed and locked door."

"Promise." She couldn't help smiling or asking the question that had popped into her head. "It was fun before the interruption, right?"

He laughed and hugged her tighter. "Smart ass."

"I love you."

"Lucky me." He picked up his head and as soon as she looked up at him, he kissed her sweetly. "I love you too, kapu."

She laughed and threw her arms around his neck, overcome by the happiness she was feeling.

"You do know this date was a disaster, right?" he questioned, sounding a little worried to her ears.

"Not completely. And there is a bright side. The one you plan can't possibly go any more wrong than this one did."

He groaned and smacked his forehead with his hand.

She laughed as she got to her feet and tugged at his elbow. "Let's go. This dinner date is officially over. Let's blow out the candles and take all this stuff inside."

They worked together to get the table cleared and then to put everything away in the house. The living room and kitchen had thankfully been empty when they'd entered the house, and though they heard voices more than once while cleaning up, no one came out to tease them. She figured they were giving them a small reprieve, planning their assault for first thing in the morning.

She'd have to try to pull her uncle aside and make sure he knew it hadn't been Edward's fault. Although on second thought, that knowledge might not be that comforting.

Esme. She'd talk to Esme first. If anyone knew the right way to handle this, it would be her.

"You know, I think the real bright side to all of this is you owe me for once," Edward mentioned as he locked the bedroom door she'd just closed.

"Do you have something in mind already?" she asked, tossing herself facedown into the pillows on the bed.

She heard him growl and then she was suddenly on her back with his body hovering over hers and his green eyes shining from his playful mood.

"Hi," she said, giggling over her inability to come up with anything smarter to say. He was far too good at scattering her thoughts.

He didn't say anything while pulling her Sea World t-shirt out of her jean shorts.

"Looking for something?"

He silently pushed her shirt up and then pulled it over her head.

"It's not going to fit you, if that's what you're wondering. I know it's big on me but not enough to fit those broad shoulders of yours."

His lips twitched as if he wanted to smile but he didn't look up or say anything, his focus now on getting her shorts down her legs.

She waited until he was leaning over her again to say, "I'm getting the sense that you're feeling better. Are your beans and frank okay now? I've never actually seen a grown man in the fetal position before. At least everyone else had gone back inside by that point."

"Kapu, stop flapping your lips and kiss me."

She ducked his attempt to kiss her, having one more thing she had to get out. "This isn't some evil plan of payback is it? You wouldn't get me worked up just to stop and leave me wanting so you can get your revenge, would you?"

He began with a kiss to her neck that made her entire body tense up with anticipation, and followed up by speaking in a low, seductive tone. "I have something much more _satisfying_ in mind for you." He moved his kisses to her collarbone and in that same low tone he told her, "A true revenge gives pleasure to the seeker."

He brushed his lips against the hollow of her throat while making sure his scruff scratched the sensitive skin between her breasts. She gasped at the feel and reached for him, wanting him to do it again.

But he had already moved and his mouth was hovering over the top of her panties. "And leaves the intended awestruck by the events that unfold."

He licked his lips and then he licked his way back up her body. She wanted to pay close attention, to memorize everything he did, everything she felt—but his passion was like a wave that overtook her, pulling her down and making it impossible to think straight enough for memorizing. All she could do was feel him and move with him and love him; it was extraordinary and enough.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:**

Thank you all so much for the supportive reviews from the last chapter. We are so appreciative of your love for this story and these characters! We were not able to answer each review this time but we did read and enjoy every one of them.

We also loved seeing references to "It Happened One Night" and "Wall of Jericho". Glad to see some other old movie buffs in our audience.

And while I'm sorry to burst **Hope4More**'s bubble, there will not be any "little fishes" as a result of the line ending. LOL We were not privy to the bc convo, but it did take place, as Masen confirmed for Esme and Whit in this chapter.

For this new chapter, we'd like to give a special thanks to **lvk1978** for allowing us to use her brilliant phrase of "navigating the ocean of coupledom". It fit perfectly as something Whit would say in talking about Masen and his kapu!


	43. 43 Holding On Letting Go

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 43 – Holding On & Letting Go**

**Tuesday, July 29th**

Masen grabbed the water bottle from the nightstand and swallowed some down, his eyes never moving from the sleeping woman before him. Bella was an entirely new reason to feel lucky and enjoy his life. A challenge, an adventure, a source of astonishment—she was all of these things and each day she seemed to add to his list of adjectives for her.

She was also trying very hard to trust him. Since he'd created the worry, he felt it was only right that he fix it. It was why her journal was sitting on his leg, folded open to a new blank page that he intended to fill with the comforting words she needed—at least he hoped that was what he'd accomplish.

He finally tore his eyes away to set the bottle down, and then he picked up his pen and clicked the end down, ready to put his thoughts on paper. He looked to her for inspiration, noting the soft purse of her lips in contrast with the hard lines of her furrowed brows.

_Sighted: Kapu_

_Where: In bed asleep_

_Description: Astonishing_

_Side Note: You sleep for longer periods now than you did when you first let me into your room, into your private space, but your dreams are still troubled. It bothers me more than I can explain to think I might be a source for what troubles your mind in the night. I realize now how complicated I made things in trying to give you a perfect summer both professionally and personally. I kept dividing them as if they were two separate pieces of you rather than seeing the truth that was there all along—they're as intertwined for you as they are for me. I'm not sure if I didn't see it because you were so scared when you first came to us, or if it was from fighting so hard to stay neutral about you. It doesn't really matter I guess but I can't help wondering at the same time—I'm still learning to turn off the analytics with you._

_I know for you it seems that my choice to stop separating us was sudden, and I admit it was a much quicker decision than others I've made about us, but it was also necessary and permanent. Anything—I mean this absolutely—anything that keeps us apart is flawed and unnecessary because together we're the best of ourselves. Our strengths complement each other and they allow us to push each other in all the areas we need it. You're teaching me to be relatable to a wider audience so that those meeting me for the first time don't mistake my logic for hubris or rudeness. I'm helping you discover just how strong you really are and how capable you are of conquering the fears that have been holding you back._

_I had a talk with Whit not long ago about some concerns I had with my abilities as a mentor. He told me that as much as my logic helps me solve complex problems, it also creates ridiculous new ones. In my view, that's exactly what happened. I was so focused on protecting your career that I never saw the complications I was creating with my rigidity. I'm sorry for that. I'm also sorry it put you in the position to worry my decision about us wouldn't be permanent. I promise you, I have as much conviction right now as I did when I made my choice—the choice to be with you with no lines, no barriers of any kind between us is the right one for us. This relationship, it's not a summer fling or an impetuous moment of indiscretion. It's a connection that defies logic and encompasses every part of who we are and who we can grow to be. I promise that I'm excited to see where we go next, and I'd like to think you are too, and that this entry will give you the security you need to trust in me and my desire to be with you._

He couldn't help his cocky smile as the perfect ending came to him along with different enjoyable scenarios that played in his head. He wouldn't even really have to do anything; her curiosity would make the suspense a torture all on its own.

_There's one last promise I want to make to you, kapu. It's from deep in my heart and I can't wait to come through on it. I promise there will be payback for last night's fiasco. You won't know when it's coming or what it'll be, but I promise you'll never forget it._

_I love you._

_- Edward_

He chuckled at his brilliance until Bella stirred in her sleep. He looked up to see if she was waking or just burrowing further under the covers. It was the latter and he decided he should use the quiet of these early hours to catch up on her journal entries. He hadn't had a chance to read anything since before their dive in Buffel's Bay.

He made it about halfway through her entry before he could no longer contain the laughter trying to force its way out of him. She was just so damn excited and it came through in her writing in a way that made him feel her joy.

A sleepy voice asked, "What's so funny at—" She paused and picked her head up to look at the clock, letting out a groan once she saw the time. "_Three_ in the morning?"

"Sorry," he said as he smiled at her. "Your exuberance got the best of me." He looked to the journal in his hand and then back to her. "Is it still okay for me to read it?"

Going on logic alone, there should be no issue with him reading it since she hadn't revoked his privilege. But as he was learning, logic had no place in a romantic relationship. He had screwed up majorly with how he'd treated her when he'd cut his hand and there was a good chance she'd written about it and might not be comfortable with him reading it just yet.

"What would you do if I said it wasn't?"

"I'd respect your choice and know it wasn't done out of spite." He smiled to relax her as he added, "And probably beat myself up some more for being such an asshat to you on Friday."

"Total asshat," she agreed through a yawn.

"Of course, that little stunt you pulled last night has almost certainly gotten me into a lot of hot water with your uncle so …" He purposefully didn't finish just to see how she'd respond.

Her cheeks started to turn pink just before they disappeared behind her pillow. "That really happened."

"What's that?" he asked chuckling. "I don't speak that kind of pillow talk."

When she didn't come out from behind the pillow, he climbed into the bed with her and tugged the pillow out of her arms, revealing her red face. "Come here," he said, still laughing a little as he slipped his arms around her.

"What part were you reading in my journal?"

"Your first dive with Whit and me." He grabbed the journal from the night stand and read her the part that had made him lose it. "_It was a surreal moment made comical by my relief laughter as much as by my giant fear being realized through a tiny creature so much more afraid of me than I could ever be of it. I also must admit that as bad as I felt for causing Edward discomfort, I was also equally impressed his glare could still be so incredibly fierce from behind a scuba mask._"

She giggled while reaching up to take the journal from him. "Tiny was definitely a highlight of that dive."

"And to think you were so sure you'd never like a shark."

"I wouldn't go that far, but it was nice to come across one that didn't incite a panic attack," she said while sliding the journal under the pillow above her.

"You put it away. Does that mean you don't want me reading it anymore?"

She lifted her brown eyes to meet his green ones. "I'm okay with you reading it but later because you might have questions and I'm too tired to answer."

While he believed the tired part, he didn't think it was the full truth. "Bella, it's _your_ journal. If you don't want me to read it, I'll respect that."

"It really isn't about the journal. It's just …"

He gently prodded after she remained silent for few moments. "You can tell me anything, kapu. I hope you know that."

She smiled but it was in that sad way he hated. "I know. I've been searching for the right time but there never seems to be one."

"My mom has two sayings about that. The first you've heard plenty … you snooze, you lose. The second is that the right time is an imaginary moment we chose to believe in and hide behind out of fear."

"There's wisdom in both."

He smiled at her continued stalling. "Kapu, you're braver than this. Talk to me."

Her eyes finally met his again and the sadness there gripped his heart and had him holding her tighter.

"I remember." Two words said so softly but with so much weight attached.

"Your dad?" he guessed, already sure of it.

"The more I accomplish with MMR, the more I remember about the day of the accident. Not every detail but enough that it's changing how I look at my dad's death."

She tilted her head to see his face, allowing him to see the vulnerability in her eyes. Whatever else she wanted to say, he had to make sure she knew he was paying full attention. She needed him to know the same way he'd needed her to understand about Elizabeth.

"I checked with Uncle Carl to make sure of what was real and what was just in my head," she confided. "He said it was all real. He even shared with me some things from his perspective. I'd like to share with you if you feel up to it."

"I'd be honored," he said sincerely.

"You really mean that, don't you?"

He answered her question with one of his own. "Didn't you say that's how you feel when I tell you things about Elizabeth?"

"Always." She hugged him tightly and then she started to talk, already surprising him with the first few sentences by talking about her father as the man he had been and not in direct relation to the accident. "My dad had the best laugh and one of his favorite things to do was make other people laugh. A lot of people didn't expect his sense of humor because of how driven he was when he was working, but once they got to know him then they couldn't get enough of him. Sometimes when something really funny happens, I swear I can hear his laugh. I'm glad he was able to laugh that morning before everything went so wrong."

Masen had expected to hear the facts of that day but what she'd ended up sharing instead had been so much more. She'd shared her thoughts and feelings in those moments and how she felt about them now, spending a lot of time on the guilt she felt over being angry it was her uncle she'd first pulled out of the water. She'd told him of her attempts to scare off the shark by throwing things at it, a feat that many teenagers would not have been able to do since the natural reaction was to be crippled by the fear. There had been more guilt for the scars she'd left on her uncle's arms as she'd fought to free herself and go after her father, followed by the relief of knowing she had done all she could to try to save both her father and her uncle.

Masen had been able to tell she wasn't completely convinced her father had made the right choice in ensuring her survival over his own, but she was damn sure open to it now which was a huge step forward for her. Even a week ago she would've fought that idea with everything she had. She'd still clung to the belief that everything else in her world had fallen apart simply because she'd failed to save her father. Now that she was open to the idea that the accident was just a match in the fire, she could hopefully start to let go of the guilt she felt over Alice growing up without her parents and Carlisle having to raise his nieces. Regardless of whatever else came from this night, Masen felt it had damn sure been an honor to learn so much about his kapu and her family.

Now that Bella was asleep again, he slipped out of the bed to search for food and quiet his grumbling stomach. He was already picturing how good those plums he'd saved would be when he stepped into the kitchen and found Whit sitting on the counter and doing the unthinkable—eating one of Masen's plums.

"Bro, that's thievery on a major scale," Masen scolded.

Whit chuckled darkly. "You snooze, you lose."

"How the hell did I snooze? There's supposed to be a six-hour hold on food put into the fridge and it has not been six hours since I put those in there."

Whit's smile widened. "You should have eaten them on your date while you had the chance."

"He was too busy getting busy," Gopher said from behind Masen.

Masen moved to let Gopher into the kitchen; the man went straight for the coffee pot and turned it on.

"What are you two doing up? Were you just waiting to hear my door open?" Masen questioned.

Whit looked at him oddly. "Mase, it's four-thirty in the morning. Mandatory wake-up is in half an hour. It's not early."

Gopher chuckled. "He's having so much sex he's lost track of time."

"Don't be an asshat," Masen warned. He had no idea how Gopher knew there wasn't a line anymore but he also wasn't surprised. Few things stayed secret when you lived and worked with your family. "And for the record …" he continued, "… we were not having sex outside last night. Let it also be known that I was not the instigator."

"Bullshit," Whit and Gopher declared together.

"When have I ever lied to you, Whit?" Masen asked, looking right at his best friend.

Whit studied him for a moment. "I'm not saying you're lying, but we've seen you in action."

"Your ass has charmed perfect strangers into all kinds of shit," Gopher added.

"Oh like that time he got the girl at the Ocean Center to let us into the already full behind the scenes tour," Whit shared.

"Or the time he bullshitted those bouncers at that club to get us in so Lee could catch a glimpse of that singer she's all gaga over," Gopher stated. "That kind of power around a woman who loves you—It's suspect is all."

He rolled his eyes, annoyed they'd think he'd be that way with his kapu. "I don't want to _charm_ Bella into doing anything. I want to do whatever makes her happy."

"Well now that's something," Gopher said, sounding impressed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Masen asked.

Whit reached out and gripped Masen's shoulder. "It means this is a new side to you and we like it. More importantly, I bet Bella likes it."

Gopher chuckled. "Slick fucker. Dude's in his first relationship and already he's got more game than an arena."

Whit cackled and then offered up, "More honey than a bee."

"More eggs than a chicken," Gopher continued.

Masen jumped in with, "More seal than a shark."

"Oh! More krill than a whale," Whit spouted.

"More nuts than a squirrel," Gopher contributed.

While the three of them were busy laughing like a group of high school boys, Esme walked past them and over to the coffee machine. She pulled the freshly brewed pot off and filled her cup. She took her time putting in her sugar and creamer, all the while not looking at the guys or saying anything to them.

After taking a long sip and making an exaggerated satisfied sigh, she smiled sweetly at them. "More ass than a chair." With her contribution delivered, she walked off with her cup.

Whit was the first to break from their frozen state. "Esme, I fucking love you!"

"I fucking love you too, sweetheart," she called back, causing all three men to laugh and snort.

"You gotta answer this for me, Mase," Gopher said. "How does your mom manage to curse and still sound like a classy lady?"

Masen snorted. "Hell if I know."

"It's simple," Whit said matter-of-factly. "She's a goddess trapped in human form."

"Are you sure you're in love with Alice?" Masen joked.

Whit grinned. "I can appreciate the beauty of many a woman but my heart only belongs to one."

"Speaking of that one," Gopher started. "Can we please talk about how someone so little can be full of so much damn energy? She's like a female Flash."

"She tried to hug me," Masen told them, saying it as if it was the craziest thing to happen to him lately.

Gopher laughed. "You sound scared, Mase."

Masen shrugged. "I wasn't sure she'd let go once she latched on."

"She was really excited to do that for you and Bella," Whit said.

Masen grinned. "Clearly."

Lee sauntered into the kitchen wearing a devious grin. "Morning, Whit."

"Honey," she said as she stopped to kiss Gopher's cheek.

She got to Masen and told him, "Morning, Horndog."

He pulled her against him with one arm and started tickling her with the other, making her squeal and the guys laugh. "Such a damn brat, Lee-lee."

"You should have kept your hands to yourself," she told him through her laughter.

"Wasn't his hands doing the wandering," Gopher informed her.

Lee came to a complete stop and looked up at Masen with wide eyes. "Seriously?"

He nodded.

She grinned wide. "That's my girl. But we have really gotta talk about her timing."

Masen snorted. "You do that."

A very grumpy looking Alice wandered in at that moment. "How are you guys always so happy this early in the morning?"

"It's the start of a brand new day open to a million possibilities," Whit answered as he hopped down and put an arm around her.

"Yeah and today's parasailing day," Lee stated. The even tone of her voice and the excited smile on her face was enough to make anyone believe her, especially someone like Alice who hardly knew her.

"_Parasailing_?" Alice sputtered, saying it like it was the scariest thing imaginable. "That's fly fishing for sharks!"

They cracked up at that, even Esme could be heard laughing from the living room, while Alice stood there still looking petrified.

"Has the teasing commenced already?" Bella asked as she joined them in the kitchen.

Alice spun around and clamped her arms around her sister. "Don't go parasailing. Please. Please promise me. I don't want you to be shark bait."

Without even thinking, Whit, Masen, and Gopher chanted the line from _Finding Nemo_, "Shark bait, ooh ha ha."

"What? Parasailing?" Bella looked to Masen for the answers. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he assured her. "Lee's joke just went a little too far. You're sorry, Lee, aren't you?"

Lee grinned. "Who said I was joking?"

Masen leaned in to speak into her ear. "The kid sister tried all day yesterday. You can try this once. If not for me, do it for Bella."

Lee sighed but she also gave in. "Sorry, Alice. I was only teasing but I should have thought of how you worry for your sister. Just so you know, we never parasail in strange waters. We go parasailing back home some but always on clear days."

Alice relaxed her grip on Bella but didn't let go as she turned her head to look at Lee. "Don't you ever worry at all about getting bit?"

"All the time," Lee answered honestly. "But I don't let it stop me. If I let every worry I have control what I do, then I'd never do anything. That's not the kind of life I want."

"She's right, Alice," Bella said. "I still have a ways to go, but I am so much happier now than I was when I first joined the team."

Alice allowed her fear to clearly show on her face. "But not all change is good. What if in trying to get rid of one fear, you make a whole new one? Or what if you lose all the good it took so long to build?"

Bella gripped her sister's shoulders and smiled kindly at her. "We are not our mother, Alice. We are not going to give up on each other just because things are tough or sad. Uncle Carl isn't going to give up on us or leave us. We are always together, Alice, even when there's emotional or physical distance between us."

"Ohana," Masen said as he hugged Lee and smiled at Bella.

"Ohana," Bella agreed with a bright smile. She looked down at Alice and said, "Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."

"Okay," Alice replied, trying to be brave and smile. "But can you please still not parasail?"

"Alice," Bella said through her chuckles. "You know I barely tolerate flying."

"Oh." Alice blushed as red as Bella ever had. "I forgot."

"That's what fear does," Gopher pointed out. "It makes you forget what you know and fills your head with bad stuff. That's why it's important to fight it, to keep it from controlling how you think and feel and react."

Alice looked suspicious of him. "Says the guy who's strong enough to never have to be afraid of anything."

"Except of not being strong enough to protect my family."

Alice's jaw dropped.

Whit pulled her away from Bella and into his arms. "Alice, we've all got something we're afraid of for some reason. The only difference between us and you is that we refuse to let the fear be in control."

"Guess I'm adding that to my long list of fixes, huh?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Only you can answer that, and only when you're ready," he told her.

"I'm ready for food and torturing Masen," Lee announced. "Who's with me?"

"Hold on now," Masen said, keeping his arm locked around her. "Why didn't I hear Bella's name in that sentence?"

Lee didn't miss a beat. "She's dating you. That's torture enough."

Once the laughter subsided, everyone started moving around the kitchen. Whit, Lee, and Gopher fought over the coffee machine while Alice and Bella pulled out the milk and Hershey's chocolate syrup. Masen stood back and took in all of the activity, enjoying the emotional calm of a morning where everyone was getting along and in a good mood.

Movement seen from the corner of his eye caused him to look toward the entryway and notice Carlisle standing there. There was a stern look on the man's face as he pointed first at Masen, then at Whit, and then toward the room Alice was using. Masen instantly went from relaxed to alert, nodding to show he understood.

He walked up to Whit and whispered, "Carlisle wants to see you and me."

"Shit," Whit hissed. "I knew he'd heard Alice come downstairs last night."

"Perfect. Just what he wanted to hear after almost seeing Bella with her hand—" He was cut off by Whit's elbow pushing into his stomach.

"Shut up so we can go face the man before we piss him off more," Whit demanded.

The two friends used the scramble for drinks and breakfast to their advantage and slipped out of the kitchen unnoticed.

"Where to?" Whit asked.

"Alice's room," Masen answered while guiding him by his shoulders.

"Shit. Out of hearing range," Whit lamented. "We are so fucked, bro."

Masen was ready to jump out of his skin, having zero knowledge of what to do with an angry father. "What do we do? What do we say?"

"You say as little as possible. Last thing we need is your logical responses getting us in more trouble. Let me do the talking and smooth things over with him."

Masen nodded, feeling relieved that Whit had come up with a solid plan so quickly.

They entered the room to find Carlisle scowling while standing at his full height with his arms crossed. In Masen's opinion, the man was the epitome of a seriously pissed off dad. It created an overwhelming need to apologize and made Masen forget all about the plan to let Whit do all the talking.

"Carlisle, I'm sorry if you felt any disrespect at all last night. I take full responsibility for it and I assure you it will not happen again."

Carlisle immediately relaxed and even grinned. "Amazing. I was so sure Esme was wrong on this one and I'd never pull it off but clearly I did. And thank you for the apology, Masen. I know it wasn't your idea and I appreciate you shielding my niece by taking responsibility for it."

"What?" Masen and Whit blurted out.

"I know, I'm just as shocked as you two that I pulled off the angry dad look," Carlisle confided with a chuckle. "Charles was always the scary one. He'd have sat you two down at the table and cleaned his shotgun in front of you. Of course, he could have just as easily threatened to shoot you both in front of everyone. He always had a flare for the dramatic. I suppose that's where Alice gets it from.

"As for myself, I'm a direct man. I like to lay everything out on the table from the start so there's never a question of where we stand with each other. I'm trusting you two." He paused, seemingly to give them a moment to let his words sink in.

"Trusting us with what, Sir?" Whit asked.

"Sir? Really?" Masen's expression and tone made it clear he was annoyed at such obvious sucking up. Even he knew you didn't try to suck up to an angry parent.

"Shut up. It might help. If nothing else, it's respectful," Whit defended.

"It won't help," Carlisle assured them. "But it is respectful and it's very important that the three of us respect each other. I am trusting you two with the most precious parts of my life. I have shielded them, loved them, provided for them, and filled in as many gaps as I could for them. I have done my best, though I know my best wasn't enough at times. I take responsibility for Alice's immature behavior of late and I apologize for the hurt it caused you both. I shielded her too much, allowing her to ignore her fears instead of facing them. I want you both to know I appreciate your willingness to forgive her."

Whit shook his head in disagreement. "You shouldn't feel responsible and it's not your fault as the parent. You're a guide for them but it's up to them if they follow. What happened with Alice was a bad point of view that led her to make bad choices. And we all see how hard she's working to make things right. Don't we, Mase?"

"She is trying," Masen agreed. "Bella really appreciated the surprise date." No sooner than the words left his mouth, he started considering kicking himself. He had basically been out of the fire and now he'd thrown himself right back into it.

Carlisle got a little red around the ears and neck. "Yes, well, last night—I'd appreciate it if you two gentlemen tried a little harder to keep your public displays g-rated. I know my girls are women now and are very much in love, and they're excited to experience that love. I only ask that you both make an effort to allow me to walk around without seeing that love being expressed in private ways."

Masen's own awkwardness was evident in his reply. "I will. I mean I won't! I mean we won't in public. Sir."

"Sir? Really?" Whit teased, throwing Masen's earlier response back at him.

"I'm not looking to make either of you nervous," Carlisle assured them. "I honestly want us to build mutual respect for each other. Most of all, I want for the trust I'm putting in you to remain intact. Treat my girls the way you'd want your own mothers treated, with respect and dignity. Trust them, listen to them, be honest with them, encourage them, and above all protect them. If you do those things for them, they will give it all right back to you." He paused and then added, "One last thing … I won't always comment, but I'm always watching. When it comes to my girls, you do not want to give me a reason to be angry with you."

"We won't," Whit promised.

"We love your girls and we'll do all we can to ensure they're happy," Masen vowed.

"Excellent," Carlisle replied with a smile. "That's all I needed to hear. Now we can join the others and enjoy a family breakfast."

Masen quickly stepped forward to keep Carlisle from leaving. "Could I talk to you alone for a moment?"

"Certainly," he agreed.

"See you guys in a bit," Whit said, turning for the door. He knew he would find out soon enough so he had no problem leaving.

"Son, before you go," Carlisle called, getting Whit to turn his head and look at him. He gave a knowing smile and said, "Please let my darling Alice know she doesn't have to sneak to your room or mess up this bed to hide her absence from it."

Whit was the one with a red face this time. "Yes, Sir."

Masen had been grinning over his best friend getting busted but then the door clicked shut and Carlisle spoke. "Now what to do about you, Masen?"

Masen swallowed thickly, never having attempted anything like this before. He chose his words carefully, wanting to be respectful of a delicate subject. "Bella told me about her memories coming back and she shared everything she knows about what happened that day. I just wanted to say thank you to you. Thank you for saving her and keeping her safe. Thank you for never making her feel like it was her fault."

Carlisle smiled and damn if it wasn't that sad one Masen hated so much on Bella's pretty face. "Son, I would venture a guess that at this point you know the big truth about our Bella … There's nothing we won't do for her. She's the kind of good soul that deserves every happiness, every protection we can manage to give her simply because she never gives us anything less."

"I do," Masen agreed.

"She's come so far with your help. I've glimpsed the girl she was before Charles' death and now I'm seeing the woman she would have been had he lived. I can never repay you for these things. I can only give you my sincere thanks as a proud fill-in father."

"You're not a fill-in, Carlisle. Not to her. You're the real deal and your approval means the world to her." Masen knew that had to sound like he was sucking up but he truly meant every word.

"Thank you, Masen. I appreciate your candor with me and everything you are doing for Bella."

"I'm honestly just telling you what I've learned from listening to her talk about you."

"Then allow me to repay the favor … You are exactly the kind of man her father wanted for her. Practical but loving, encouraging yet protective, and able to put her happiness first. Charles would really have enjoyed getting to know you, just as I have enjoyed it."

Masen was literally speechless over receiving such a compliment, especially after expecting to get his ass chewed for last night's fiasco.

"I would like you to know," Carlisle continued. "I have tried over the years to convince her she has no reason to feel guilty. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I didn't turn on the radio soon enough and I didn't try hard enough to make Charles get back on the boat. I thought there was time."

"Carlisle, you and Bella did everything right," Masen insisted. "Everything we're told to do when there's a shark in the area. Hell, you kicked the shark to get it away from her and cut your foot in the process."

"I did try to keep my foot out of the water but there wasn't much I could do." In that moment, Carlisle's own guilt and pain was so plainly written on his face.

Masen put a hand on Carlisle's shoulder, hoping it would comfort the man the way Whit's hand always did for him. "With complete certainty and years of research backing me up, I promise you the shark didn't stick around because of your cut any more than it stuck around because Bella made it mad by hitting it with a shoe. It was a bull and they are extremely territorial. Once they decide something belongs to them, that's it. So please, just as I've said to Bella a hundred times, you did all you could and have no reason to feel guilty."

Carlisle nodded but it seemed a lot like how Bella nodded when she wasn't sure of what to say. He ended the silence between them by asking, "A hundred? Has it really been that many?"

"At least," Masen assured him, smiling as he did it. "And I'll tell her a hundred more times if that's what it takes for her to finally believe it."

Carlisle's features relaxed and he even smiled a little. "You're a good man, and I'm glad to have you as her man."

"Esme gets all the credit," Masen replied.

"As Whit said earlier, she is only the guide and it's up to you to follow."

Masen grinned as he held his hand out and once Carlisle took hold for a shake, he said to him, "Thank you, Sir. I plan to make sure you don't regret giving me your trust."

"See that you do, son. Now let's get out there before your mother decides we need her help."

Masen snorted. "She can be a little bossy," he allowed.

Carlisle let loose a full laugh. "That's like saying the ocean is a little wet."

"You know I have to defend her, right?" Masen asked, grinning wide.

"You better. You are her kid after all."

The two shared a laugh and then left the bedroom to join the others. Masen was pleasantly surprised at how well the conversation had gone and he appreciated the way Carlisle had been straight with them about his expectations. Even more, he valued his belief that he was good for Bella.

Masen opened the door while moving aside to let Carlisle pass through first. The first thing he noticed was Whit being cornered by Alice and Bella so he quickly scooted into the kitchen where he could see and hear them through the cutaway over the sink.

"I _am_ serious," Whit insisted. "Your uncle laid down the law and the smackdown and the fatherly fury all at once."

Masen pushed his lips together to keep from laughing out loud. _Leave it to Whit to use this as a way to mess with them. I should probably interrupt before he digs himself in too deep. Then again, he is a pro at this stuff so why not just stand back and be entertained?_

"It has to stop, Alice. As much as I love you, you can't come into my room when Carlisle is in the house. I do not want to incur that man's wrath."

"Are you sure you're talking about _my_ uncle?"

"He was the only adult in the room."

"You and Masen are adults too," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's an adult-adult and we're still in training."

"Why is Edward still in there?" Bella asked, looking very suspicious of Whit.

Whit shrugged. "I guess 'cause his infraction was way worse than mine. He was canoodling in public."

"But it wasn't him," Bella insisted. "I should go tell my uncle that."

"Sure. Go tell him," Whit agreed. "Of course, it's going to make things a hell of a lot worse for Masen, but he probably deserves a little extra crap after the run of mistakes he's made lately."

"Why would it make things worse?" Alice questioned.

"Because Carlisle will see that as solid proof Masen corrupted Bella, much like you believed when you first got here," Whit explained.

"So what do we do? How do we get you guys out of trouble?" Alice asked.

Whit grinned wide and Masen just knew whatever was about to fly out of his friend's mouth would be complete nonsense. The only thing he didn't know was if Bella and Alice would find it funny or if they'd get mad at him.

"Well first you have to put your right foot in," Whit shared. "Then you take your right foot out. You put your right foot in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey—"

They both yelled his name and they each began smacking his shoulders while he laughed too hard to protect himself. Masen enjoyed it all from his hidden spot right up until he snorted and alerted Bella to his presence.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, leaning into the opening.

"I just got here," he replied, smiling far too wide for anyone to believe him.

"What really happened in that room?"

"Come here and maybe I'll tell you."

"Maybe?"

He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders, pretty sure that her curiosity would get her into the kitchen.

He ended up being right and as he enjoyed the feel of her lips and the way her curves fit against him, he was stricken by just how lucky he was to share this with her. She could have decided he wasn't worth the trouble. Her uncle could have forced her home after the ray incident. Her sister could have torn them apart. Instead they were closer than ever and he basically had her uncle's blessing to date her.

She smiled while looking up at him with her gorgeous caramel eyes, her fingers sliding through his mess of hair. "So what really happened in that room?" she asked. "Are you in trouble with Uncle Carl?"

"We talked, we agreed to respect each other, and I assured him your happiness is very important to me."

"Very?" she questioned with a big grin.

He answered while leaning in for a kiss. "Supremely."

She pulled her lips away so she could ask, "Whit couldn't be there to hear that?"

Masen took a moment to brush her hair from her shoulders and decide on how to phrase his response. The last thing he wanted to do was add to the hurt she felt in connection to her father. "Life is a bunch of little moments that come together to make a big picture. Without Carlisle's involvement, the chances of you ever coming into my life dwindle to nothing. That's worth a 'thank you'. Plus, sometimes parents need to know they're doing a good job."

Her brows drew in which he'd learned meant she was puzzled. "Did it seem like he didn't already know that? I always thank him anytime he does anything for me."

"Any concerns he has, it's not because you haven't let him know he's appreciated. It's just a side effect of being a parent who cares. You see all the stuff Esme does for me but I bet you'd be surprised to know she worries all the time that she hasn't done enough to make sure I have a good life."

"That's just crazy, Edward. Esme is so loving towards you that no one could ever know she's one of two moms, not unless you told them."

"I agree it seems crazy, but that doesn't stop it from being true."

"Well what can I do to let him know he doesn't have to worry?"

"Nothing you can do, kapu. It's his right as a parent—something Esme tells me all the time." His answer brought a frown to her face and all he wanted was to get rid of it. "He knows you love him, Bella. That's the important part."

A little of her smile came back. "That is important."

"You know what else is important?" he asked, pulling her completely against him.

"That we have good weather today and end it no harm, no foul?"

"Bigger than that."

She tapped her chin as if she was really considering ideas but the playfulness in her eyes said otherwise. "A jumping white cooperates and lets you get tons of amazing pictures?"

He answered her teasing with some of his own, brushing his lips and stubble against that sensitive spot on her neck that always made her shiver. "Even bigger."

"What could possibly be bigger than that for Edward Masen, supreme shark researcher?"

He gently gripped her face in his hands, making sure she could see how much he meant his answer. "You."

Her full smile touched her lips and shined in her eyes as she said, "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, Edward."

He responded with action rather than words, meeting her lips and pouring everything she made him feel into the kiss. He felt it when her knees went weak and held her tighter while fighting the smile that wanted to break out and end their kiss. Through all of his adventures, all of his research, and his experiments, nothing compared to the excitement he felt when kissing her. There was no practical reason for these two mouths connecting to feel so wildly different from any other kiss he'd shared, and yet it was. There could be only one explanation for it no matter how much it might defy every bit of logic he knew … He had found the woman made to love him, just as Elizabeth had always told him he would—just as she had been made for his father.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Masen."

He pretended not to hear in hopes of enjoying his Lucky Charms in peace.

Alice dashed those hopes by sitting down in the chair Bella had recently vacated. "Masen, can I ask you something?"

"Whit's outside helping Gopher make sure we packed everything." He immediately shoved a huge spoonful of cereal in, hoping she'd get the hint that he was hungry and not in the mood for conversation.

She didn't. "Does your mom always stay on land when you guys go out? Does she ever tag along to see what it is you do?"

With a sigh, he put his spoon down and looked up at her. "Why?"

"Just curious."

He answered quickly in a flat, factual tone. "No, she doesn't always stay in the rental house. She tags along pretty often and even jumps in to help, though she likes to wait until we have a feel for the water. This summer has been an exception because of Carlisle being here at the house."

"What does that mean, waiting until you have a feel for the water?"

"She figures she's avoiding the time period where an accident is most likely to occur. She's a bad ass but she's still a mom and no mom wants to see her kids hurt."

He picked up his spoon, planning to take another bite of his cereal but stopped at the wide-eyed look on Alice's face. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he did—she had something else she wanted. His impatience had him growling at her.

Alice was so flustered by the sound that her cheeks started to redden. "Did you—did you just _growl_ at me?"

"My cereal's getting soggy. Just ask me already so I can eat," he demanded.

"You are _so_ crabby."

"_Alice_," he hissed, staring hard at her.

"Right. Um …" Her entire face was red now. "You're leaving with the team for four days on the same day Uncle Carl leaves for two weeks to conduct interviews. I was just thinking that has to make your mom sad, and maybe lonely too. Maybe she might like to go with him, to share in his life the way he's been here sharing in hers. Maybe you could encourage her to go with him."

Masen considered her viewpoint while watching his mom interact with Carlisle and Lee. She seemed happy enough, sharing in their laughter, but he knew it wasn't the only thing she was feeling. It was written in the lines at the edges of her lips and the way she kept her hand on Carlisle's shoulder.

Masen thought back to when Bella had been stuck here at the house with her injured leg and he'd been on Galeos, working and trying damn hard not to miss her. He felt like a giant horse's ass for never having thought of his mom feeling the same way about Carlisle—and even worse that Alice had noticed his mom's sadness before he had.

"I'd be glad to watch the house for you," Alice offered.

He looked at her exactly as she deserved—as if she was insane. "You are out of your mind if you think we're going to leave you alone in a country where you don't speak the language. If Esme wants to go with your uncle, you'll have to come on the boat."

"What about your dog?"

He gave her that same look from before. "My dog goes where I go."

"So then you'll mention it to Esme, that going with my uncle is an option?"

Masen decided to use this as an opportunity to mess with Alice and get a little harmless revenge. "I don't know yet. You haven't agreed to the conditions for boarding my boat."

"What conditions?" The worry in her voice made him grin.

"For starters, you can't interfere with the work of any of my crew."

"I can promise that won't be an issue."

He wasn't sure how much he believed that, but he'd try to trust her until she gave him a reason not to. "A few other things are that you can-_not_ question me about the work I assign my team, you have to help with meal prep, and if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything."

"Those all—"

He interrupted her just to mess with her further and really sell that this last one was the big one. "And the most important condition of all … I'm going to need you to take care of my best girl. Lots of attention, encouraging words, back rubs, and treats."

"Treats?" She was clearly confused and trying to equate treats and her sister, which was exactly what he'd intended.

His shitty grin came out in full force. "Lizzy loves her treats."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Oh brother. You know, you're really weird for calling your dog your best girl when you're dating my sister."

"Your sister's not a girl," he said, glancing toward the closed bedroom door and wondering when Bella would come out and what she'd be wearing. She'd threatened to wear that damn Barbie shirt that drove him to distraction—he couldn't decide whether or not he wanted it to be an idle threat.

"So basically I have to babysit your dog?"

He shrugged his shoulder for effect. "This is non-negotiable, Thumper. If you want to be on my boat, you'll spend the daylight hours inside taking care of my dog and staying out of my team's way."

Alice looked away from him and toward Carlisle and Esme. Her head tilted side to side the way Bella's sometimes did when she was thinking hard. Finally, Alice looked back at him and nodded once. "I agree. I owe it to Esme to make sure she can go if she wants."

It was only because he could tell Alice truly meant what she was saying about his mom that Masen agreed to let her back on his boat. He then dismissed her by returning his focus to his cereal. Of course it was soggy by then and he had no choice but to toss it out.

It was as he was coming out of the kitchen that he overheard Bella and Alice talking and followed their voices to his room.

"I'm serious, Bella. He growled at me. Like an actual growl. Like he was some kind of lion or something."

Bella smiled devilishly. "I happen to like the animal side of him."

Alice's mouth moved like a fish out of water and after trying and failing to get a word out, she turned and left the room, nearly bumping into him on her way out.

Bella's attention was focused on something in the closet so she never noticed Masen watching her. She had chosen her Love shirt over her Barbie shirt, and had on that same pair of paint splattered shorts from their trip to the Ocean Center. He felt a twinge of guilt over his behavior that day but quickly brushed it off knowing there'd be no repeat of it—ever.

He smiled as a mischievous idea struck him and then he carefully entered the room to sneak up behind her. He locked his arms around her, holding her tight against his chest so she couldn't get away, and pressed his mouth to her neck. He growled against her skin, sending such a strong shudder through her that he could feel it.

"I'll growl for you any time, kapu. All you have to do is ask."

"I said I liked your animal side, not … not the ass one," she replied, faltering when he kissed her behind her ear.

His humming against her skin made her shiver in his arms. He smiled at the effect he had on her and said, "I've been known as a jackass at times and I'm pretty sure that is in fact an animal."

He felt her shoulders shift and figured she was going to turn to smack him so he distracted her by covering the back of her neck with open-mouth kisses until he felt her melt into his body.

He barely got to enjoy his victorious smile before she found the will to pull away and turn on him, jabbing her finger into his chest. "Behave."

He lifted his hands in innocence. "It was just a few kisses."

She snorted. "That's like saying the ocean's a little wet."

He coaxed her back into his arms with a repentant look. "So Alice thinks Esme doesn't know she has the option to go off with your uncle."

Bella said nothing and kept her face neutral, which he'd learned meant she wanted to hear his thoughts before she shared her own.

"Esme doesn't need permission. She can go wherever she pleases," he said, knowing right away it had come off defensive. "What I mean is, she can always go but maybe she hasn't thought about going because she's used to being here for all of us."

"She probably hasn't thought about it," Bella agreed. "But I bet she'd be really happy to hear you thought of it."

"Don't you mean your sister?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "I think it's okay if you steal the credit this once. And my sister does owe you plenty for her past bad behavior."

He quickly did the math in his head, figuring in the team's work days and off days. "I won't see her for twenty days."

"I know that seems like a long time, Edward, but it'll pass quickly with all the work we have ahead of us. And when she does come back, we can have her and my uncle come aboard and see how much progress I've made after all our hard work. I know that'll mean Alice coming too but by then I think things will be a lot better between us all."

Masen nervously rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

"What?" Bella asked, her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Tell me."

"The thing is, if Esme does want to go, then Alice needs a place to go. I told her she could come on the boat as long as she behaved."

"Sounds to me like there's only one thing left to do with this …" Bella leaned up and kissed his lips softly. "Go talk with your mom."

He stole another kiss just because it was too damn hard to walk away after only one, and then borrowed his mom for a private chat in her room.

"Alright, Kid, what's crawled up into your brain and festered there?" Esme asked, eyeing him closely.

"Nothing," he answered with a laugh. "I thought it was time to change things up so instead of asking you for advice, I want to offer you some."

Her posture relaxed and she plopped down on the end of her bed. "I am officially intrigued. Do tell."

"I was thinking now might be a good time for you to have a break."

"I will in about half an hour," she said, glancing at her watch and grinning at him.

"No, I meant a real one. I think you should go with Carlisle."

Esme only blinked.

"You do so much for all of us and I thought it was time you did something for yourself. You can go with him and check out his home and his office, and we'll take Alice and Lizzy with us."

"Edward, he's going to be gone much longer than four days."

"Twenty," he rattled off automatically. He looked away, not wanting his worry to influence her decision. "We won't see each other for twenty days."

"That's an awful long time."

"I know but …" He let his frustration out in a sigh, hating that he couldn't be better at hiding his feelings for her sake. He really did want her to feel like going would be a great vacation. "I love you and I want you to be happy and this will make you a hell of a lot happier than being here for us on our few days off."

Esme went to him and took his face into her hands, getting him to look at her. "You have such a big heart. It's always been one of my favorite things about you, Kid."

"You should go, Mom. You should find out everything you can about him, especially since you seem pretty set on sharing your life with him. I'll miss you like crazy, but I know this is the right thing for you."

"Twenty," she said with a sigh as she pulled his forehead down to rest against hers. "We haven't gone that long without seeing each other in a very long time."

"We can use that thing on Gopher's iPad. If Carlisle doesn't have one for you to use, I'll buy you one. In fact, I'll buy us each one and that way Gopher can't say I'm hogging his tech."

"I promise to bring you back a souvenir," she joked, trying to get him to return her smile.

"Pfftt! You better get me a souvenir for every day you're over there."

"Done."

He lifted his head so that he could give her a proper hug. "We can do this."

"Of course we can," she agreed immediately. "We're Team Masen. Nothing can defeat us."

"A plane ticket might," he said while letting go of her. "You better get out there and get Carlisle to help you secure one."

Esme's face lit up with a huge smile and she planted a loud smack of a kiss on his cheek. "I love the hell out of you, Kid."

He chuckled. "I love the hell out of you too, Mom."

She bolted for the door and practically ran up behind Carlisle, throwing her arms around his neck. "Guess who's coming to dinner?" She didn't waste any time in answering. "Me!"

Masen smiled for her happiness even as his stomach dropped. Twenty days without her. Twenty days of her being over half a day away should something happen. Not that being right beside her would make a difference if something did happen but at least he'd be there for her.

"She's really happy," Bella said as she wound her arms around his chest. "I know this is hard on you, but it's the right thing to do. And I'm right here. If you want to talk or just want a hug, I'm right here."

He brought his forehead to rest on her shoulder and breathed her in before responding. "Just promise me she'll have a good time. Promise he won't get lost in his work and forget that she's alone at his house waiting for him. He won't—" His arms tightened around her even as he fought against the need to hold on to her in order to let his mom go. "He won't be like me. Promise me that."

The feel of her hand on his neck calmed some of the agitation he was feeling. "Edward, I promise you that my uncle will make sure she has a great time. If he does have to leave her at the house, he'll make sure Mrs. Cope is there and no one has ever felt lonely around her." She pressed her lips to his cheek and then whispered into his ear, leaving him unsure if the shudder he fought was from her touch or her words. "For the record, you have never made me feel forgotten no matter how deeply you've gotten lost in your work."

His body relaxed even as his mind continued to spin with scenarios. It would have to be enough for now because they had work to do today and he was excited for that even if he didn't look it at the moment. Standing there clinging to her with his face hidden against her shoulder, he probably looked like a giant momma's boy who couldn't let go. He could let go, though, and he _was_ letting go. It just also happened to be a really hard thing for him to do. Bella was making it a little easier and for that he was extremely grateful. "Mahalo, kapu."

"That means 'thank you', right?"

"Yeah."

"How do I say 'you're welcome'?"

A small secret smile curved his lips. "You just did."

"I meant in Hawaiian."

"There isn't an equivalent. The closest thing would be to say 'no problem'. A'ole pilikia."

"Yeah, I'd butcher that and accidentally offend someone so I'll just stick with you're welcome."

His secret smile widened at her words. "You are adorable, kapu."

She tapped his shoulder until he lifted his head. "That much I know. But am I helping at all?"

"You're helping. And I knew she would stop traveling with us but I wasn't expecting it so soon. But it's the natural progression, right? They both love to travel so their life together will have lots of trips and sometimes they won't include the rest of us. It's just hard not to worry about her being so far—" He froze at the feel of an unfamiliar hand on his shoulder.

"Masen."

He shifted to face Carlisle. "Did you get a ticket for my mom?"

"I did," Carlisle answered with a genuine smile. "I wanted to express my appreciation to you." His eyes flicked to Bella for a quick second and then he continued. "I know having someone so precious to you so far away is not easy. You have my word that I will make this a wonderful trip for her and I'll take the absolute best care of her."

"Thank you." Masen offered his hand for a shake but Carlisle pushed it aside to give him a hug instead.

"I know what letting her go means to you, Masen. Thank you for putting her ahead of your worries."

Masen shrugged. "I love my mom. I'd do anything for her."

"Move aside, move aside!" Esme excitedly ordered. "I have to pack. Well actually first I have to decide what to pack and _then_ I have to pack."

Carlisle chuckled at her exuberance. "No need to rush. We've got time and I'll help you pack."

Esme stopped and took a deep breath. "You're right. Got a little excited there but I am the picture of calm now."

Masen and Carlisle looked at each other and smiled, knowing full well she was not now, nor would ever be, the picture of calm.

"Besides, I can't pack yet," she continued as she reached over to ruffle Masen's already wild hair. "I have to see my misfits off for their newest round of research."

"Bella!" Alice called as she burst through the doorway. "I'm so excited that I can't decide what to pack. Please come help me. Pretty please."

"We'll both help," Esme offered, taking Bella by the shoulders. "Edward, you should put together everything you need for Lizzy to be comfortable."

"Already have the list in my head," he promised, tapping a finger against his temple.

"What can I do to be of help?" Carlisle asked once the ladies had vacated the room.

Masen answered him with complete openness and honesty. "Just make sure my mom has a good time. That's really all I need."

Carlisle nodded.

As they were leaving Esme's room, the object on the chair by the door gave Masen a thought that he felt compelled to share with Carlisle. "Books."

"Excuse me?"

"Books. Mom loves them. If you have any libraries that are in cool buildings or that have really old books, she loves seeing them."

"What about local bookshops?"

"Those too. Just be careful with scheduling your time because she can spend hours in a single shop. We found this one little bookstore in Spain and she literally spent all of our daylight hours in it."

"Books are absolutely on the agenda then," Carlisle assured him.

"Is it true?" Whit asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He waited until Carlisle walked past them to ask his second question. "Esme's off to Florida?"

Masen nodded and tried to act as if it was no big deal. "Carlisle's been scoping out our lives so now it's time she got a look at his."

"Oh so we're gonna take the 'pretend this is normal' route on this one."

"For now, yeah. I need my mind to be on the work, especially since we're expecting murky conditions."

"That's fine for today but don't think this will fly tonight."

Masen grinned and hooked his arm around his best friend's neck, pulling him closer. "I'd never dream of it, bro."

"Sure, sure," Whit replied with a laugh.

"Hey, I do need one thing, though," Masen said as he released Whit.

"Anything for you. You know that."

"Your technical abilities. I need you to order iPads for Mom and me, whatever are the current best on the market and get them shipped as fast as possible."

"Gonna have to hand over that shiny black card, bro," Whit said, smiling and rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Do _not_ get tempted," Masen warned. "I know how hard you've been eyeing that Jet Ski but it's not your birthday or Christmas."

"You could just buy it for me because you love me."

"Already did that. That's how you ended up with the Ducati."

"Hey, you drive my kick ass super bike almost as much as I do so it's kind of like it's for both of us."

Masen knew the only way to end this conversation and he grinned as he deployed it. "If you want to sign the Ducati over to me, then you can order the Jet Ski today and have it delivered the same day we get home."

Whit shook his head furiously. "No way. No way in hell am I signing over my super bike. I love that bike."

Masen handed over his card. "Order the tech and then give the card back and your super bike remains yours."

Whit let out a sigh. "I thought you loved me, bro."

With a big grin, Masen used one of Esme's phrases on him. "It's because I love you that I give you what you need rather than what you want."

"Responsible you isn't nearly as much fun as adventurous you."

"The more you talk, the longer it takes for today's adventure to start," Masen pointed out.

"It already did, Mase. Esme's going on a trip and for the first time in forever we're not going with her. That's going to be one hell of an adventure for all of us."

Whit walked away to find and order the tech Masen wanted, leaving him standing alone in the hall with too many thoughts in his head. He shut it all down, pushing his mind to focus on today's to-do list.

First up was getting everyone packed and out of the house which meant a trip downstairs for the plastic bin he used to tote around Lizzy's essentials. Once they were at the boat, he'd get Lee and Whit to help him run a quick diagnostic check on Galeos to make sure she was ready for travel, and Gopher could get Bella and Alice to help him put away all the groceries they were bringing to restock the boat. They'd sail back into False Bay, probably Zone 4 again, and then they'd get a look at the water and decide which level of murky it reached. Masen was hoping for "medium visibility" which would mean they could still do some work. If they hit "impaired vision", then there'd be no water work but they'd still work. His backup plan was to tour the area on the skiff to see if there were any visible signs of changed shark behavior based on the change in the water, things like more discarded penguins as a sign of a higher number of accidental bites. With that much work on his mind, there was no room for thoughts or feelings about his mom's trip.


	44. 44 In Tandem

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 44 – In Tandem**

**Tuesday, July 29th**

Bella adjusted her cap to better block out the glare of the bright sun above and improve her view of Edward and Whit opening the crates that Gopher had helped Whit tote up to the deck. Edward had been barred from helping because of his still healing stitches, a decision he had disagreed with but had abided by all the same. He really did hate working at anything less than a hundred percent.

"What kind of high tech equipment do you use to test the visibility beneath the surface?" Her excitement had her talking again instead of waiting for an answer. "Is it a waterproof camera with a live feed? Or maybe a video camera you send down for a bit and then pull up and review the footage?"

"Those are good ideas but in low visibility conditions it's also a big risk," Edward replied. "The equipment is more likely to be mistaken for an animal which ends in an expensive loss. On a day like today, we go low tech."

"How? With what?"

"Hang on and I'll show you," Edward said as he stood.

Whit lifted his head and he had that one eyebrow up high. "Uh, Mase—"

"Relax, bro, I've got this."

Whit chuckled. "Oh, you're gonna get it alright."

Between Whit's raised eyebrow and Edward's grin, Bella had a strong suspicion Edward was about to do something regrettable.

Edward rooted around in one of the crates for a bit and then quickly stood and turned, hiding behind his back whatever he'd taken out. "This is a superb low tech option and if it were to get damaged then it wouldn't be much of a loss."

It was because he still had that sneaky grin on his face that she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Let's see it then."

He presented it to her with his shitty grin in full force. "A _mason_ jar."

It took her a second to react, to realize this was Edward joking and not her mentor explaining a research process to her. She cocked her arm back and socked him in the shoulder, doing nothing more than making both Edward and Whit laugh. At least when she punched Jacob for being a giant goofball, he had the decency to pretend it made him take a step back. Edward barely even moved his shoulder.

Edward hooked his arm around her and pulled her closer despite her attempts to shrug him off. "Come here."

"Jackass."

Whit snorted loudly and stopped what he was doing to watch for Edward's reaction.

Still laughing, Edward said, "I told you I was an animal."

"Oh come on!" Whit cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "All the ways you could have replied and you pick that one! You have learned nothing from me, bro. Guppy, punch him again."

"Hey, she's the one who said she liked it," Edward defended. He tightened his arm around Bella and leaned in for a kiss.

She smiled and acted as though she was going to let his lips near hers, but at the last second she turned her head and he ended up kissing her hat.

While Edward pouted, Whit gave a high-five to Bella. "Good one little fish. Keep it up and you'll be swimming with the big fish in no time." He turned his attention toward Edward. "And as for you …" He smiled real big and sang, "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

Edward pushed him away, the both of them grinning like the fools they so clearly were.

"Seriously, Guppy," Whit said as he put his arm around her shoulders. "Do not feed his already overblown ego with this animal crap."

"My ego is earned, not overblown," Edward argued.

"And I shit rainbows. Doesn't mean it doesn't still stink."

Knowing these two could go on forever, Bella interrupted by taking the jar from Edward and saying, "You really shouldn't use this. Glass is not biodegradable and MMR is committed to keeping the waters they visit clean."

"You're right, kapu. We do try not to pollute the waters, which is exactly why this is part two in our process. Part one is to use a milk jug with the top cut open to collect the water. If a curious creature was to come along and snatch the jug, it's likely they wouldn't be harmed by it, and we know the carton will degrade over time."

"Still takes three months for plastic cartons to break down," she pointed out.

"All of the materials currently available that break down faster can't hold the amount of liquid we need. If you know of anything, let us know and we'll gladly research it."

Try as she might, she couldn't think of anything. The quickly degrading materials she thought up were all paper based and inappropriate for the task at hand.

"The water collected in the jug goes into this mason jar," Edward continued, tapping the jar she was holding. "Then we hold it up to the light. If we can clearly see through it, then the visibility should be great. If there are a lot of particulates swirling around, then visibility is expected to be low. The more particulates, the less we'll be able to see."

"We could always drop the shark cage and have a diver go down to verify conditions," Whit offered. "But in that scenario, we run the risk of attracting attention with the disruption to the water and the noise of the winch's engine. Under low visibility, curiosity often becomes aggression and the last thing we want is for any of us to be faced with an aggressive Great White."

Edward stole his jar back. "Or as Guppy refers to them, Jumping Whites."

"That's not bad," Whit said. "If we can ever find evidence of them jumping in other locations, we can create a petition to have that be their official nickname."

"Can you really do that?" she asked.

"No, that's just Whit being wishful," Edward responded. "The closest we can come is to use the moniker in the papers we submit to journals and hope it catches on in our community."

"Pole is ready," Whit said as he got to his feet with the object. "Bungee cord the jug on and let's get down to business."

Edward reached into another of the bins and pulled out a milk jug. They had left it almost completely intact, slicing off the top above the handle at a slightly downward angle. "Guppy, you get the honor of holding it while I secure it."

While she held the jug from the bottom, Edward wound a bungee cord through the handle and then around the pole until there was no give between the jug and pole. With their low tech "device" ready, the guys climbed down to the platform.

"Remember the rule," Edward said as Whit knelt down. "If you feel a tug on that pole, you let it go."

Whit looked up at him. "On a scale of one to ten, how annoyed are you that you can't do this yourself because of your hand?"

"Just pay attention and get us a good sample."

"Eye, eye, mon cap-e-tan."

"Guppy, are you ready?" Edward asked, glancing up at her.

She finished setting the binoculars for her use and then gave him a thumbs-up. "Ready when you are."

"Whit, whenever you're ready, sink the jug as much as you comfortably can and then pull it back up slowly."

"Get the sample. Don't attract attention. Got it." Whit took a deep breath and then leaned out over the platform and submerged the jug.

Bella immediately put the binoculars to her eyes and began scanning the water. She had to be careful not to assume every movement was a shark and at the same time trust her instincts. She realized how big it was for Edward to trust her to be their lookout and that made her even more determined to do a good job.

Within a few minutes, Whit had a full jug. Due to Masen's injury, Whit had to pass it off to Bella before the two men could climb back up to the deck. She was very careful not to spill any of the water while setting the jug down on one of the crates.

Edward came over to unhook the bungee cord and free the jug while Whit gathered a couple of the mason jars and brought them over. Once the jug was free, Edward held the jars for Whit to pour the collected water into them. With that done, Whit took a jar for himself and Edward brought the other to Bella.

"You don't want to hold it directly in line with the sun because that could damage your eyes. Hold it off to the side like this," Edward demonstrated. "What do you see?"

Bella studied the jar's contents for a moment. "My view isn't completely obstructed but at the same time my eyes keep being drawn to the particulates swirling around. It's distracting."

"And now?" Edward said, putting a finger along the back of the jar.

"There's a definite shadow but if I hadn't seen you do that, I wouldn't know for sure what it was or how big it was." She looked at him with her wide, curious eyes. "Is this really just from the storm?"

He nodded. "My guess is we're looking at the runoff from the parts of Gordon's Bay that were swept out in the storm. The closer we are to the beaches, the more suspended solids we'll see from the tides swirling them around."

"From the look of this," Whit said as he joined them with his own jar held high. "We're going to be using Plan B today."

"Is it really that bad?" Lee asked, popping up behind Whit and setting her forearms on his shoulders. She took one look and said, "Ooh yeah that's bad."

"Is everyone still okay with the original team breakdowns?" Edward asked. "Gopher with Guppy and me, and then with Whit and Lee?"

Everyone nodded their agreement.

"Then let's get to work. Gopher, ready the skiff. Guppy, grab our cameras and the map Whit set out for us." Edward then turned his attention to Lee. "Walk with me," he said as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her away toward the ladder.

"Wonder what that's about," Bella said to Whit.

He snorted. "She's being asked to be nice to Alice, and also reminded of how badly her parasailing joke went over this morning. She's trying but as you know all too well, she has a hard time building trust with newcomers."

Bella grinned, remembering how intimidating Lee had seemed in the beginning. "She's protective of her family."

"For damn sure," Whit agreed. "Want some help with the camera bags?"

"I'd love it."

They headed inside to gather the equipment from the helm and were greeted by the sight of Alice sitting on the sofa with Lizzy. Alice had the puppy's collar stretched across her thigh—_gluing rhinestones onto it_.

"Holy shit," Whit cried.

Alice's head popped up. "What? What happened?"

"Alice, honey," Bella said sweetly as she picked up Lizzy and sat down beside her bewildered sister. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, I'm making her collar cute for her," Alice answered. "Masen's always going on about how she's his best girl so I figured she should look like one. He _did_ tell me to pamper her."

"Can they be taken off?" Whit asked, pointing at the collar.

"Technically but the collar is leather so it might separate," Alice explained. "Why? Doesn't it look awesome? I mean, I know I just started but if you can imagine these all the way around, it'll be like a tiara around her neck. Way better than this matte black. Doesn't that sound cute?"

"It does," Bella assured her. "And if Lizzy belonged to any other family, the collar would be perfect. But, honey, Lizzy is part of _this_ family and they spend so much time in the water."

"Oh that's okay. The glue's waterproof," Alice shared with a bright smile. "You two had me worried for a moment."

"No, it's not the water," Bella told her, fumbling to find a way to explain delicately.

Whit jumped in to help. "Alice, shiny objects in the water attract marine life much bigger than Lizzy."

Her brown eyes widened as the truth dawned on her. "I just turned his puppy into shark bait! Masen's going to _kill_ me!"

"Breathe," Bella ordered, gripping her sister's shoulder tightly. "Don't panic. Just breathe. We can fix this. Right, Whit?"

His eyes were suddenly as big as Alice's. "Uh … Sure?"

Bella grabbed the collar. "Okay, you've only got about ten—twelve of them on here. We're getting ready to leave so while we're gone, Whit's going to help you get these off. There are black sharpies in the office downstairs. It won't be the same shade of black, but it should be enough to hide the damage for a bit. Just until a new one can get shipped to us. Whit, you'll help her find an identical one online, right?"

He nodded quickly. "Yeah. Yeah, we'll do some internet shopping and get it replaced."

The one weak link in the plan occurred to Bella and the alarm she felt had her grabbing Whit's arm. "Lee."

He groaned. "Her silence is going to cost us big time."

"Whatever she wants, give it to her."

"Bella, you don't realize what you're saying. Lee is to blackmail as sharks are to seals. She doesn't let go until she's damn good and ready."

"Well it's that or tell Masen about this collar and hope he's understanding. If this was at any other time, I'd take that chance. But with him still getting over Alice's past abuse and his mom traveling to the other side of the world, this could be a last straw that breaks him and sends his temper over the edge."

"I hate to agree, but I do," Whit said with a sigh. "The only possible reactions from him are laughter and anger. And the thought of Lizzy in danger is not gonna tickle his funny bone."

"What are you three doing?" Edward's voice made them jump and then completely freeze.

Edward chuckled. "You guys look like a bunch of seal pups staring down a Great White." He noticed the collar in Bella's hand and leaned over to take it. "Someone want to explain this?"

All three started talking at the same time…

"Bro, you're going to laugh—"

"Edward, it's not as bad as it seems—"

"Masen, I'm so super sorry—"

Edward whistled so loud that they instantly stopped talking. "One at a time."

"There goes the surprise," Gopher lamented from behind Edward. "And after all the hard work I put in to keeping this under wraps."

Edward turned to the side so he could look at Gopher while keeping an eye on Bella, Whit, and Alice. "You weren't even in here. What do you know about this?"

"_Dude_," Gopher exclaimed while snatching the collar. "This has me written all over it. Taking the plain and making it sensational. Your surprise is Lizzy's first bling. Your best gal is long overdue for a decked out party collar and I felt it was my duty as your friend and her favorite chew toy to make it happen."

Edward shook his head in disbelief. "_What_?"

"It's your own fault, Mase," Lee stated with a devious grin. "I've been telling you for years that best girl stuff was going to bite you in the ass."

Edward crossed his arms, clearly not buying into this. "What's really going on here?"

Bella stood up and told him the truth. "It was an honest mistake. Alice thought she was doing something nice for you and Lizzy."

"You told me to pamper her," Alice quickly interjected. "But if I had known a shiny collar was a danger, I never would have done it."

"Technically you've only done a quarter of it," Edward replied. He took the collar from Gopher and handed it to Alice. "I expect it to be finished when we get back in a couple of hours."

"But it's not—it's not safe," Alice stammered, her wide eyes tracking Edward as he picked Lizzy up and cuddled her.

He smiled while scratching behind his puppy's ear. "She won't wear it in the water obviously. She can wear it for special family events. In the meantime, I've got an extra collar in my room we can put on her."

"Wait, you're not mad?" Alice asked, looking as confused as Bella felt. "I'm not going to be tossed overboard?"

Edward laughed. "Alice if I was going to toss you, it would have already happened. Just don't alter anymore of her things without talking to me first. And keep those sparkles away from my gear. And my boat. You know, a good rule of thumb is that if you didn't buy it, don't bling it."

Bella and Whit came out of their shocked states at the same time, releasing the breaths they'd been holding. Somehow, by some miracle, Edward was taking this really well and even seemed to like it.

"Got it. Promise. No more bling," Alice blathered. "Except on this one collar. But that's it! Promise."

"Glad we got this settled." Edward handed Lizzy to Alice and then surveyed his team. "Any of you interested in working today? I don't see a lot of prep going on for us to leave."

Gopher and Lee disappeared out the door while Whit and Alice took off toward the helm.

Bella put her arms around Edward's neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being calm and understanding."

His shrug didn't match his grin at all. "It was an honest mistake."

"What are you really thinking?"

"I'm thinking that in addition to being bubbly and slightly insane, she tried to be nice to my puppy. I'm not going to fault her for that."

Bella's smile beamed with the joy she felt at finally having real peace between her boyfriend and her sister. "Try not to let this inflate your ego … I think you're pretty amazing."

Edward grinned and tapped his finger against his lips.

"What? I don't see anything," Bella teased, knowing exactly what he was after.

"That's exactly the problem, kapu."

"You're assuming I want to kiss you."

"Why wouldn't you? You _do_ find me amazing."

She groaned in pretend annoyance and let her head fall back on her neck. Her response made him laugh and he cupped his hand around her neck and lifted her head.

Her lips curled into a smirk. "You gonna kiss me or what?"

"Smart ass." He kissed her smirk away and then her thoughts and finally her balance, melting her into his embrace.

Lee's voice put an end to the kiss. "Mase, quit macking on the intern and get your ass on the skiff. Gopher's itching to get going."

Edward puckered his lips at Lee while Bella laughed.

"You know how I'm going to respond to that," Lee warned.

He laughed and finally released Bella. "I'll grab the camera bags and map and meet you on the skiff."

"I would have already gotten them if you hadn't insisted on a kiss," Bella told him as he walked away.

He stopped just long enough to look at her and say, "Worth it."

Those two unexpected words left her feeling like her heart hurt from how deeply she loved him. She'd been anxious to see how their new level of intimacy would affect their work, afraid he'd feel too distracted, but he seemed to be enjoying every minute of it.

Lee hooked her arm around Bella's shoulders and moved her toward the door. "While I find you two absolutely adorable, I _need_ you to be consummate professionals on the water. I need all three of you back here with no harm, no foul. Capishe?"

"If Edward even looks like he's struggling as team leader, I will immediately ask for a regroup. Promise."

"I'm not saying I think he'll have a problem at all. It's just that I don't know what to expect, and it's been a really long time since his behavior wasn't completely and rigidly predictable."

Bella put her arm around Lee in hopes of easing her visible tension. "Safety first, Lee. That's the MMR way—_our_ way."

Lee's shoulders relaxed and she grinned. "I'd be worried for you if I hadn't already seen you handling him like usual with that jar mess."

Bella laughed and walked with her to the ladder.

Once Bella was down on the platform, Gopher offered her an arm to hold onto while boarding the skiff. "Where are the cameras?" he asked.

"Edward's bringing them."

"Good deal." He turned to move to the front of the boat but she grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Thank you for helping with the Alice situation."

"Are you kidding me? That was a golden opportunity to mess with Masen. Passing that up would be like passing on meeting Stan Lee."

"He's the cute old guy in all the super hero movies, right?"

"Cute old guy?" Gopher repeated, looking as horrified as he sounded. "Stan Lee is—is—he's—"

"A topic for another time," Edward said as he boarded the skiff.

Lee had come down with him and though she still seemed a little tense, she was smiling. "Make sure you have a couple hours to waste on that topic," she warned.

"Did you bring the drinking water aboard?" Edward asked Gopher.

Gopher nodded. "Sitting in the shade up by the steering wheel, along with a bottle of sunscreen in case anyone needs a refresh."

"Then start the engine and I'll untie us." Edward handed the bags and map to Bella so he could take care of the rope keeping them beside Galeos. He gave it one good tug in just the right way and the knot immediately came loose.

Lee put her foot against the side of the skiff and pushed hard, creating enough distance for the waves to take hold of the boat and move it away from Galeos. "Be safe," she called to them. She also blew Gopher a kiss before climbing back up to the deck.

Gopher started up the engine and carefully pulled away from Galeos while Bella got comfortable sitting on the floor. Edward stood right behind the driver's seat, keeping an eye on the dash's compass.

When they were clear off the big boat, Gopher put the skiff on the right course for their first stop. "Time to get our exploring on," he called out as he increased their speed.

Edward must have been satisfied they were on the correct course because he came over and sat down beside Bella. He busied himself with looking over the map and she enjoyed the sunshine, both of them finding their center and calming their minds in their own ways. Bella smiled to herself, thinking that if working together could be this easy once the sharks were involved, then there really would be an entirely new future for her to consider.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Careful," Masen cautioned, feeling uneasy about how far over Gopher was leaning.

Gopher suddenly stood up and stepped away from the skiff's side. "Something's not right."

Masen glanced at Bella, taking in her white knuckles as she clutched the back of the driver's seat with all her might. She had been against the idea from the start but she'd listened to their arguments and in the end had agreed it was important enough to take the chance.

They'd come across a group of three adolescent penguins, all deceased and floating lifeless on the water's surface. There were no visible marks on any of them and that had been the source of Masen and Gopher's intrigue. They wanted to know what had happened to these penguins. Bella hadn't been so sure messing with them was a smart idea.

Gopher nudged Masen in the side and as soon as he returned his eyes to the penguins, he saw what Gopher had noticed—the very tip of a dark grey fin slicing through the water as smoothly as a hot knife passed through butter.

Bella slipped between the guys and tangled her fingers with Masen's. She didn't squeeze down out of panic, just a light pressure seeking reassurance that staying here this way was safe. As long as they stayed still and silent, he was certain there was nothing to worry about.

He was proved right when the shark finally swam away minutes later. The most they ever saw of it had been half of its dorsal fin as it circled the penguins in an inquisitive manner.

They waited a couple minutes more just to be absolutely certain the shark had left the area and then Gopher grabbed the net again to try and pull a penguin closer to the boat. It took a couple tries before he snagged one and tugged it over.

They knelt down for a closer look, with Masen using a gloved hand to reach down and turn the body over.

"A shark didn't cause their deaths and also wouldn't touch them. What do you think that means?" Gopher asked.

"Turn it on its stomach again," Bella requested, looking and sounding every bit the curious researcher without a trace of fear.

Masen did as she asked. "What do you see?"

"In the pattern there on the belly, it doesn't look right. It's sort of discolored and splotchy instead of the uniform patterns we noticed when we went to see them at the beach."

Masen yanked off his glove and grabbed his camera. He took a few photos of the penguin and then used the camera's built-in zoom to inspect the markings. Bella was right—there was a pattern under the natural markings.

He was pretty sure of what he was seeing but he wanted to hear Bella and Gopher's theories before he shared his own. "Tell me what you see," he said as he passed the camera to Bella.

She held it so that Gopher could look with her and the two of them studied it closely, sometimes changing the zoom and the angle.

"What do you think?" Bella asked, looking up at Gopher.

Gopher ran a hand over his cropped hair and let out a breath. "My guess would have to be jellies. But it would have to be a whole mess of them to do that much damage."

"That's what I'm thinking too," Bella shared. "And like you, I find it hard to imagine that many all together without seeing any signs of them now."

They both looked expectantly at Masen.

"You're on the right track," he told them, smiling proudly. "Those are burn welts. But I don't think it was a big group of jellyfish. My guess it was two—maybe three—of something bigger with more tentacles."

Gopher's whole face lit up and he pointed at Masen in his excitement. "Portuguese! The man of war!"

"_Here_?" Bella asked, looking between the two men.

"I think so," Masen responded. "Strong winds drive them into bays and onto beaches, and we just had one hell of a storm come through here."

"Adolescents penguins like these caught up in those tentacles and getting hit with all that venom." Gopher shook his head. "Painful way to go."

Bella's eyes widened with excitement. "And the shark must have been able to tell they were full of venom. You've told me all about how sensitive their sense of smell can be. That's got to be why it didn't get any closer to them."

"That's a great theory," Masen encouraged. "However, it's not something we can prove. The shark could have been disinterested just because they were penguins, or it could have been their lack of movement. Sharks prefer live prey."

Bella nodded. "When we write about this, we can speculate about the venom but to be fair we also have to mention it could be just a general lack of interest."

"Gotta be responsible researchers," Gopher agreed with a nod.

Masen unfolded his map and pulled off the pen he'd clipped to the collar of his shirt. He marked the location of the penguins and after checking the direction of the wind, he used his finger to trace a path from their boat to the closet beach. "If it was the man-of-war, then the wind and waves should push it toward this stretch of beach between Wolfgat and Macassar."

"Let's go," Gopher suggested, looking first to Masen and then to Bella. "Let's try to back up our theory."

Masen checked his watch. There wouldn't be time to chase down proof and hit all their spots. If it was purely up to him, he'd choose to keep going. Proving the source of the penguins' injuries wouldn't lead to anything they could use to understand or help sharks. By continuing to check out this side of Seal Island, they had the chance to piece together a picture of how water clarity affected the sharks and their seal prey.

It wasn't just up to him, though, so he presented the options to Bella and Gopher. "Our assignment today was to get a general idea of how murky water affects the sharks and seals. We can't do that if we go looking for the man-of-war. Which would you guys rather? Continuing with our original plan or further investigating the penguin deaths?"

"Which would you rather?" Bella asked, smiling as if she already knew his answer.

"Personally, I'd stick to our original plan," he told them. "I'm curious about the penguins, but their deaths aren't related to the sharks. I'm not even sure we could find the man-of-war with such an expansive area," he said, tracing the beach line he'd guessed at earlier.

"Meanwhile our assignments are here, here, and here," Gopher added, tapping each marked spot on the map. "Yeah, looking at that, I say we stick with the original plan."

"Start the engine and get us to our next location," Masen ordered as he folded his map back up to keep it safe from the wind.

Gopher immediately complied while Bella tucked away Masen's camera in its bag for safekeeping.

"You know," she mentioned, stealing a quick glance at him. "You didn't ask what _I_ thought we should do."

He grinned with amusement. "I figured if you disagreed at all, you'd let me know. You sure as hell let me know your thoughts on the penguins."

"I did it respectfully," she defended.

"I know. You didn't talk to me any differently than any other team member so I'm not treating you any differently. I trust you to let me know if you disagree with anything."

She relaxed and even teased him. "_Finally_."

He chuckled. "Don't get cocky on me, little fish. You've still got a few things to learn from me."

She blushed and tried to hide it by lowering her head so the hat would hide her cheeks, but he'd already seen it.

"Now just _what_ are you thinking?"

She put her arms around her head to further hide. "You don't want to know."

He managed to uncurl her arms and get her to look at him. "I always want to know, kapu."

"Guppy. You're supposed to call me Guppy while we're working to keep your focus."

He frowned over the worry in her brown eyes. "You didn't get to look in your journal before we left, did you?"

"No. Why? Did you write in it again?" She looked so sweet and hopeful that he couldn't resist smiling.

He also couldn't resist teasing her a little. "Maybe. I can't really recall."

She smirked at him. "You don't forget much and you definitely wouldn't forget writing in my journal."

He shrugged. "I could probably write a few things if you wanted."

"I don't mind it, not as long as you write honestly like last time."

The boat was starting to slow down so he quickly told her the truth. "I want you to feel secure in us—in _me_—so I tried to explain my decision to end our line. When we get back to the boat, I'd really like you to read it. I think if you read it, you won't worry about my focus or my decision changing."

"Then that's the first thing I'll do when we get back."

"I'm thinking more like second, or maybe even third, because first is definitely going to be telling me whatever had you blushing a moment ago and everything after will depend on that reveal."

"We'll see," she said, trying to sound like resisting him would be easy.

He just smiled, already knowing exactly what he'd do to melt her and get her to spill all her secrets. Later. When it was safe for them both to let their guards down and move their focus from their team to themselves. Right now was all about photographing and documenting, searching out the puzzle pieces to fit them together tonight in the team's daily report.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Lee's POV**

Lee came down the stairs munching on the last bite of her apple and carrying Lizzy in her arms. She halted at the sight of Alice standing just outside the office listening intently and actually looking curious for once.

Lee considered her options, which were really only to ignore or to invite. The girl had been trying lately, and she had given them all a good laugh with Lizzy's collar earlier.

Lee snuck closer until she was almost behind Alice. "Whatcha doin'?"

Alice jumped and her face immediately reddened. "I could hear them yelling and laughing but not what they were saying but I didn't want to interrupt—"

Lee stilled Alice's verbal assault with a raised hand. "Calm it down, Thumper. I need you to come out of light speed and explain yourself in ten words or less."

"They sounded so excited and I just wanted to know why." Alice's eyes widened. "That was more than ten. Sorry. Oh! Now it's really more than ten."

Lee put a hand on the girl's shoulder to calm her. "Take a break and breathe."

While Alice did that, Lee poked her head inside the office. Masen was still at the whiteboard behind his desk with Bella sitting on the desk's edge and Whit and Gopher standing on the other side of it. That desk corner had been Lee's for a long time and she'd thought she'd miss it, miss being Masen's go-to gal for ideas. Funny thing was that even though the spot was now Bella's, Masen was asking for more ideas than ever from Lee and everyone else.

If Gopher asked, she'd have to be honest and admit that it hurt some to see Masen giving Bella everything Lee had once needed. It wasn't like she'd ever pictured herself with Masen forever—he'd just seemed a natural choice as her friend, as someone reliable, easy, and safe. But he'd also been in his own world. Maybe deep down she'd always known she'd never draw him out, but that hadn't stopped her from trying or from feeling like a failure when it hadn't worked.

One thing she could say without hesitation or doubt was that Bella was the right woman for him. She took zero of his crap while understanding him as close to completely as anyone could get without a direct link to that brain of his. She was rounding out his edges without trying to change him.

"Kapu and kekoa," Lee murmured to herself. "The sacred soul and the warrior heart."

Alice's question interrupted Lee's musing. "How do you guys get anything done with all of you talking at once?"

Lee grinned, not really knowing the answer and not wanting life to be any other way. "You can watch to figure it out so long as you're invisible. Hold all questions until the end of the ride. Capishe?"

"Capishe," Alice promised with a nod.

Lee entered the office and got comfortable in her chair, letting Lizzy curl up on her lap. When she was settled, she checked to see if Alice had followed.

The girl was hugging the doorway like she was expecting a wave to sweep her out to sea at any moment.

Lee curled her finger and beckoned her over to the empty chair beside her.

Alice quickly scooted across the room, going completely unnoticed thanks to Gopher's shout of "penguins".

"We're not there yet," Masen responded, his focus on the whiteboard in front of him. "It's also irrelevant."

Gopher was not dissuaded. "Just because you think so doesn't mean it gets left out. The rule is everything is up for discussion until it's not by majority vote."

Masen huffed as he side-stepped and scratched "penguins" across the side of the board. "There. Now you can pay attention to the current topic."

"Thank you."

Masen flashed him a dirty look. "As I was saying … the condition of the water in our first two locations was almost an exact match to what we saw here on Galeos. This served to confirm the storm's path from our weather reports. It also gave us identical conditions which will be a boon for any theories we come up with to explain the behaviors we witnessed."

"The biggest being low counts of sharks and seals in the area," Whit contributed.

"Exactly," Masen said, pointing his marker at him before jotting his note down. "What else?"

"Slower movements and no breaches," Bella offered.

Gopher spoke up next. "There were fewer seals in the groups and they were swimming in a tighter formation."

"And they were all younger," Whit added. "I didn't see any that looked full grown."

"Typical teenagers," Bella said with a chuckle. "They figure if they can't see the shark then the shark can't see them."

"That's a possibility," Masen agreed as he turned to face them all. His eyes stayed on Alice the longest but he never once broke stride. "When we add the environmental conditions to our observations, we see what appears to be a strong link between low visibility and low activity. Now is this causation or correlation?"

"We can't know yet," Lee answered. "We can only make a base assumption without the rest of the day's info on the board."

"Right," Masen said, smiling proudly. "We have to keep looking to avoid making an unsubstantiated leap." He turned back to the board and started a new column. "Our third stop brought us in contact with the penguin carcasses."

Lee felt a tug on her sleeve and looked over at a wide-eyed Alice. "Something I can do for you?"

"You guys sound like big time scientist, not shark people."

Lee laughed as quietly as she could, knowing the hell she'd pay if she interrupted Masen while he was on one of his excited tears. "What did you think we were doing out here?"

Alice shrugged. "Trying to take pictures with those things."

Lee wasn't surprised by the answer but that didn't quell all of her annoyance either. "If you'd listened to us early on, you'd know differently."

"I'm sorry," Alice replied somberly.

As much as Lee wasn't quite ready to fully trust Alice, she also couldn't stand to see her looking so miserable. "We are researchers, Alice, not adventure seekers. Our goal is to prove sharks are vital to our ecosystem, and in order to do that, we have to fully understand the environments they inhabit and the behaviors they exhibit in those locations. The videos and photos we take, they're our backup, our proof of concept. They are our pathways to showing sharks as beautiful, important creatures and ending the movie monster stereotype plaguing them."

"You guys really believe this is important for the whole ocean, huh?"

Lee answered with a nod, "The ocean and the world and every creature on the planet, including us as humans—and _you_."

"Me? Why should a shark matter to me?"

"Good question." Lee ran through scenarios to find one that might work for Alice. "Do you like scallops?"

"Love them," she answered enthusiastically. "Especially when Bella and Uncle Carl sear them with garlic and olive oil. They are _so_ yummy."

"Sharks allow you to enjoy scallops."

Alice rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous. Sharks don't have anything to do with scallops."

"Not directly, but they have a lot to do with rays, a species that loves to eat scallops. There's a trickle-down effect that occurs naturally in every part of every ecosystem. A sudden lack of sharks in a previously populated area can allow the population of rays in that area to grow out of proportion. The surge in rays leads to an increase in the number of scallops being eaten. The more scallops the rays eat, the less the fisherman can pull out of the water and sell. If the fishermen can't sell scallops, they can't pay their bills or feed their families. If enough fishermen go out of business, a once prosperous water town becomes a ghost town. And you, Alice, you no longer get to enjoy scallops with your family."

"Could that really happen? A whole town gone because the sharks are gone?"

"It's already happening. A report came out recently from Charles Peterson, a marine ecologist and professor at the University of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences. Through his research he found that a reduction in shark numbers caused an area's ecology to completely change in a rather short amount of time. When the sharks had been numerous, they ate many of the rays before they could plunder scallops beds. As the sharks dwindled, the rays increased and the scallops began to disappear. With the rays released from their controls and allowed to have a population boom, other seafood began to disappear—shrimp, clams, oysters. The more the rays ate, the emptier the fishermen's nets became. Now they're scrambling to figure out how to revert things before the fishermen and the town go under.

"Alice, there is a real and delicate balance to nature. If any one part of it gets its natural flow altered, the balance of all the other systems will also alter until everything inevitably collapses. I'm not naïve. I know how hard it is for people to consider sharks as necessary. Sharks will probably always be a very scary creature for most people, but you don't have to like them in order to respect them and the balance they provide us. Think of it as one volleyball team respecting the opposing team."

Alice let out the breath she'd been holding. "I never … That's really …"

Lee chuckled. "The first time you realize sharks really are important is always the most mind-bending. Bella was pretty speechless too from what Masen told us."

Alice looked over at her sister, then Masen, and then to the sleeping dog in Lee's lap. "What is it about shiny things that brings danger?"

Lee paused to search for something in everyday life that might compare. "Have you ever seen a real diamond ring catch a ray of bright sunlight?"

"Yes," Alice answered excitedly. "It catches your eye right away and throws rainbows and you just want to take a closer look."

"Put a rhinestone under water and you get that same effect magnified, grabbing the attention and curiosity of whatever is around. Anything in the water that reflects light can be mistaken for fish scales."

"Dinner," Alice whispered. She looked down at Lizzy sleeping peacefully and gulped. "I am so lucky Masen was understanding."

Lee smirked. "He too is not a monster. He is protective and serious and often lacks a filter. But his heart is _always_ in the right place."

Alice shifted her eyes to Masen, watching him scrawl along the whiteboard, putting up all the things being shouted to him by Whit, Gopher, and Bella. "I think that's becoming really clear for me."

"That'll do, Thumper. At least until you really get to know us."

Alice grinned. "Then can I talk to you without a word restriction?"

"Not a chance," Lee answered with a laugh. "Now hush up and pay attention. I want to hear who wins this fight to mention the penguins in our daily report."

Alice remained quiet the rest of the time they were in the office, and Lee remained aware of Alice. There was no way that watching the team put together one daily report would completely alter Alice's perception of all of them and their work, but it was a damn good start—and a real start this time.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella ran her finger over the line she couldn't stop re-reading … _The choice to be with you with no lines, no barriers of any kind between us is the right one for us_. She'd assumed whatever he'd written would be about their crossing the line together but she'd never expected this—to be let so far into his head and heart. She really had been concerned for nothing. He was _sure_; so much that he had taken down all the barriers he'd put up between them, even strictly calling her Guppy when they worked. There wasn't a work them and a private them anymore—just an _us_. It made her feel so loved and lucky that she could barely hold it in and was starting to see double from the happy tears she was holding back.

"Bella, have you—"

Bella sniffled as she looked up and found Alice frozen in the doorway. "Hi. Need something?"

While her body seemed to be stuck, Alice's mouth had no such problem. "What's wrong? You're smiling but you also look ready to cry. What is that? You've never made that face before. What's going on? What's wrong?"

Bella chuckled and patted the spot beside her on the bed. "Sit. Let's chat."

Alice wasted no time in crossing the room and crawling up beside her. "Hi."

Bella chuckled. "Hi."

"So … How are you?"

"I'm lucky. Really incredibly lucky."

"What's making you feel lucky? Is it Masen? Did he say something really romantic? Or was he super nice while you were working today? Ooh! Was it both things?"

"He told me he's sure."

"Sure?" Alice looked completely confused. "And that gives you a dreamy smile with teary eyes _because_?"

"Because as much as he loves me, Edward has been struggling to let me in. He's been fighting to reconcile what he believes I deserve with what he's actually capable of giving me. For him to be sure of _us_ it's like…" Bella paused, searching for an analogy Alice would immediately understand. "It's like Whit planning your dream date for you and it happening as perfectly as you imagined it, and you just know that every time will be that way in the future."

"Now you're making me do it," Alice pouted as she wiped at her wet eyes.

Bella couldn't help laughing. "You asked."

"Yeah, but I didn't think—what I mean is that I thought maybe it was something you saw out there today since you have your journal out. But this is better. _Way_ better."

Bella grinned. "I think so too."

"He told me something and I didn't completely get it then but I think I'm starting to now. He said he was struggling to balance the personal and professional with you but that it was okay because it was worth it to call you—what's that word he uses for you?"

"Kapu," Bella shared, knowing the way she said it didn't even begin to do it justice. It only sounded right when it came from his lips, carrying his feelings with it.

"Right. He made it sound like he needs to be able to call you that, like if it doesn't happen then everything will be wrong. He's not just calling you a nickname, is he? He's telling you how much he loves you."

Bella smiled, picturing his handsome face and sweet smile. "He tells me everything he's feeling with that word."

Alice nudged her elbow into Bella's arm. "Pretty darn romantic, Sis."

Bella nodded in agreement.

"I didn't think Masen knew how to be romantic because he hadn't done any of the typical things I'm used to seeing," Alice admitted. "This is better. It's one of those things that's always honest, always means something real. I like that, and I can see where you would prefer that over some regular date night with flowers and flirty words."

"It's really nice to hear you talk this way about Edward, as if you actually like him."

"I'm still getting to know who he is, but so far I really like who he is with you." Alice's bright smile faltered slightly. "Which is why I have a question, and I don't mean to sound negative at all. I am just really, really curious. If he loves you so much, why is he so afraid to show you? Why is it such a big deal to wait for the internship to end?"

"Edward is incredibly loyal and honorable. I know you haven't really seen that side of him, but it's there and it's real. He wanted to protect me, Alice. He thought if we waited and could honestly say we were not intimate while I was his intern, then no one would ever question my accomplishments or assume I'd slept with him to get a good recommendation. He believed the truth would be the truth and that he was protecting me."

"Um … _Wanted_? _Thought_? _Believed_? Those are past tense words, Bella."

Even though she was smiling, Bella's face still flamed red. "Yes, those are past tense. Like I said, Edward's sure now."

Alice shook with excitement and reached over to clutch Bella's hands. "_Sure-_ly making love with his kapu apparently. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Unlike you, I don't feel the need to share every minuscule detail of my life."

Alice huffed and let go of her sister's hands. "Sharing yourself with a guy you are madly in love with is not a minuscule detail. That's life-altering. And for once I get to be the one saying I know from experience."

"It was …" Again she struggled to put it into terms Alice would understand. "It wasn't like your movies, where it's a slow and perfect moment that stretches out endlessly. It was—We were overeager and we couldn't take our time because we didn't really want to with how long we'd already waited. We definitely weren't perfect at it," she added, giggling and thinking of her head smacking into the headboard and Edward's shocked face. "But we were us and we were together and it was everything we needed."

Alice's eyes widened, filling Bella with hope that she was finally catching on to the truth about Edward. "So then he wasn't afraid of you at all. He just wanted to be sure it was right for you. He always wanted you, he just couldn't let himself have you until he knew it would be okay for you. It really was about protecting you."

Bella's smile filled her face as she nodded. "Loyal and honorable."

"And crazy in love with you, Bella. You can't leave. When the internship ends, you can't just leave. I know it's crazy to hear me say that because staying means you'll be around more sharks and without that big wall of glass in Atlanta, but you love him and he loves you and it's the forever kind, I know it is, so you can't just leave."

Bella chuckled. "I appreciate the advice, but I promise it's unnecessary."

"So you're staying with MMR and you just hadn't told me and Uncle Carl yet?"

"No, it's not for sure that I'm staying with the team. I have to earn a spot with them and I haven't yet. There's more I have to learn, more control I need to have. I can't just sit around watching everyone else work, and even if I could, Edward doesn't want that for me. Whatever happens, whatever decisions we make, Edward and I are clear about the part that matters—we're together no matter what."

Alice's smile was back and beaming. "Because he's sure."

It was so hard for Bella to not get teary-eyed as that same deep wave of emotion rolled over her. Edward was sure, there wouldn't be any back and forth this time, and the rigid separation between work and personal no longer existed. There was nothing holding them back from growing, from being a spectacular _us_ that truly made them the best versions of themselves. As soon as she was done enjoying this genuine and nice conversation with her sister, Bella planned to find Edward and thank him for the journal entry and for being sure.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen's focus centered on the papers in front of him so he didn't notice the arms around his neck right away but the three words whispered into his ear immediately had his full attention. He turned his head to see her, to watch her chocolate eyes turn to caramel like they did every time he called her name. "Kapu."

"I love you."

"So you said," he replied with a chuckle. "While I certainly don't mind hearing it twice like this, I am curious what brought you down here just to tell me what I already know."

She pressed her hands against his face, the edges of her palms pushing against his stubble. That would normally be enough to distract him but he somehow knew he needed to keep his focus and pay attention, that she had something important to tell him.

"You're sure and I love you." The last word had barely left her lips because she'd already sealed them against his, kissing him with so much feeling that he was instantly reminded of how it had felt that first time, both of them so eager to finally be together without having to hold back. There was no reason to hold back now either.

He pressed his hand against her lower back to keep her steady while he stood, letting him continue the kiss and not have to stop just to get over to the door to close and lock it. He kissed her back across the room to his desk and then past it to the little cot. He didn't have to think about turning off his brain or telling himself she was more important than his work right now. His body just knew it and it automatically shifted every bit of his focus to her, to what she needed from him.

As soon as he was sitting on the cot with her in his lap and her legs locked around his back, he tried to deepen the kiss but she beat him to it. He loved the taste of her on his tongue and the way her fingers tangled in his hair and pulled just enough for him to feel it. He liked the sensation of her heart rapidly beating against his chest and hearing the little moans coming from deep inside her, reactions that couldn't be faked and wouldn't be there if she wasn't sure about him, if she didn't love him with that same intensity he felt for her.

His hands lifted the back of her shirt and his fingertips pressed into her warm, soft skin. His touch made her pull away from their kiss as her back arched, needing more of his caress. When she straightened up and looked down at him, he could see the desire in her caramel eyes; the knowledge that it was his and his alone nearly knocked him over.

He carefully took down her hair, using his fingers to spread it out down her back and across her shoulders. His hands returned to the soft skin of her back, gliding upward and causing her eyes to flutter closed. For a moment he was immobilized by the way her face and neck flushed and her chest moved with her quick breaths—he could do nothing but stare and marvel at her beauty. He finally moved his hands again, his fingers reaching her shoulders and cupping them to pull as much of her body against his as possible. It put her pale, graceful neck right in front of him and he had to lean in and kiss it, dragging his chin along because she loved the scratch of his stubble and he loved feeling her shiver from it.

Clothes disappeared … bodies melded … sweat formed … breaths quickened … every sense becoming more aware the more they moved together. Gripping hands and needy kisses helped bring their passion to the edge and kept them anchored together as they fell into sated bliss.

He felt overheated with her sticky body clinging to his soaked skin yet he had zero desire to move. Not even the sight of his desk covered in papers gave him an incentive. He was perfectly content sitting here stroking her hair while her fingers traced his collarbone.

He turned his head just enough to press his lips to her temple. "I'm glad you liked what I wrote in your journal."

"Thank you for doing that, for being so open and honest with me. It feels like it's getting easier for you."

"I don't know about easier. Just that I'm not worried everything I say will be the wrong thing. And if it is the wrong thing, I think you'll let me try again."

"I will. Always."

He curled his finger and gently pressed it under her chin, lifting her face so he could give her a slow and gentle kiss of thanks for everything she brought into his world.

She rewarded him with a huge, happy smile and caramel eyes.

"What's that smile for?"

"I'm happy. I did great at work this morning and tonight with the report, I got to read your awesome journal entry, I had a great talk with my sister, and I'm ending my night right here in your arms."

He snorted. "Pretty sure you're night's not over. You need a shower and you are absolutely not sleeping on the cot tonight."

She pushed her lower lip out in a pout.

"Stop," he said, using his finger to push her lips together. "You don't sleep as good down here as you do upstairs and we have a big day planned tomorrow."

"But I love watching you work."

"You're not helping your case," he said with a laugh. "If I let you stay, you'll keep yourself awake watching and then be tired tomorrow."

"Can we compromise? Can you come upstairs with me until I fall asleep? I promise I won't talk or interrupt you while you work. And honestly, if I go up without you, I'll just lay there imagining what you're working on and if it's going okay for you."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why do I feel like I'm being played like Whit's guitar here?"

She smiled sweetly and traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips. "Please?"

"This isn't going to turn into a routine thing," he warned.

"I don't want it to. I'm just not ready to let you go tonight."

He could see it meant a lot to her even if he didn't understand her reasons for it. "If you promise to close your eyes and really try to go to sleep, then—"

"Yes! Promise!" she squealed, nearly knocking him over with the force of her hug.

They quickly dressed, often with him chuckling under his breath over the size of her smile. He originally grabbed enough work for a half hour, the usual time it took her to fall into a deep sleep. But the longer he stared at the desk, the more he felt like he should take a few other things to work on.

"Can I carry anything for you?"

"No but you can let me jump in the shower first so I can get back to work and not have to stop again."

"Okay, done," she said as she unlocked and opened the door. "Just don't use up all the hot water."

He couldn't help himself—he had to steal a kiss before teasing her. "You already heated me up, kapu. I'm looking forward to a cold shower."

She rolled her eyes while her cheeks went from pink to red. "Ass."

His laugh filled the stairwell as they climbed together to the sleeping quarters.

After setting his supplies on his nightstand, he dug fresh clothes out of his dresser. "You sure you don't mind me hopping in first?"

"No, go ahead. It'll give me a chance to peek at what you're working on."

He spun around so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. "They're in order."

"And?" she asked, having the nerve to smirk. "Did you think I planned to toss them into the air to see how they landed?"

"No." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unsure of how to explain his behavior. "It's not finished."

"I know that. And I know you're not used to anyone looking before you've finished the first couple of drafts. But the more you see me looking, the quicker you'll get used to it. Trust me."

He wasn't sure how to respond to that so he left without saying anything. But halfway down the hall he realized his phone was still in his pocket and he'd have to go back into his room.

"Forgot this," he said as he put the phone down on the bed in front of her. "If my mom calls, don't let her hang up."

"There's still a few hours before their plane is scheduled to land."

"I know but just in case."

Bella leaned forward and grabbed his hand, giving it a hard squeeze. "She's going to be fine."

"Yeah," he agreed, needing that to be true.

"If it would make you feel better if I left your work alone, I will. Just say the words."

"No, you're right. I have to get used to it, especially if everyone's going to start rotating their involvement like they said."

She gave his hand a tug and smiled sweetly. "I love you."

Her words eased some of the tension that had built up in his shoulders, making his smile genuine as he leaned down to kiss her. "I love you too, kapu. Be back in a few."

After speeding through his shower, he returned to his room to find her stretched out in the bed holding two sheets above her head with Lizzy asleep on her stomach and an open binder and stack of papers beside her.

"Where are my papers?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound anywhere near as nervous as he felt. No one ever asked to see his plan before it was finished and he certainly never let Lizzy so close to his work. As much as he loved having her around, he was well aware of her inability to understand why she shouldn't chew on his work.

"Fine," Bella mumbled, continuing to stare at the sheets she was holding up.

He came over to the bed and inspected the binder first. "This is our daily from today. What are you doing?"

"Lay down and look at this," she told him, her eyes never moving from her focal point.

"My papers?" He really couldn't help asking again.

"Still in order," she assured him. "Lay down."

He sighed as he reached for the binder and then he discovered the stack beside it was his papers and they were indeed all in order. Once he had them safely stored on top of his dresser, he climbed in bed and stretched out beside Bella. "What do you want me to look at?"

She passed him the sheet from her right hand. "Weather report."

"So I see. What about it?"

"It's the path of the storm that hit Gordon's Bay so hard."

He glanced at the sheet she was still holding. "And that's our current location."

"I got to thinking about what you said when we were putting the daily together, about how the conditions were fairly similar in all the locations we checked. We are here," she said as she tapped her fingernail against the "G" marking Galeos' location. "We're on the back side of Seal Island which puts us in proximity to Gordon's Bay. It also puts us on the edge of the path the storm took as it came across the bay."

"I'm with you so far," he encouraged, curious to see where she was leading him.

"Cape Point is over here on the far opposite end of the bay and completely out of the storm's path. Theoretically, the water should be clear. We know from your scouting reports that the sharks and seals do visit this stretch. If the water there is clear, then we could have a true compare and contrast day with real-time data collection. Same time same place versus separate filming on separate days—data will always weigh more when it's real-time."

Masen was shocked into silence, all at once in love with the idea and kicking himself for not having been the one to see it.

Bella seemed to have mistaken his silence for disinterest because she licked her lips and then flew into a more detailed explanation of her idea. "We're in the unique position of technically being in the same body of water with the same species of shark and seal and two distinct environmental conditions. We could have the chance to document major differences in shark and seal behavior between these two sections of the same bay at the same time. It would boost all of our theories about how murky water affects the sharks and their prey. We'd have to work in tandem, of course, two teams at the same time rather than the morning and afternoon shifts we've been doing so far."

Masen was enthralled with how much thought and care she'd put into this idea in a short amount of time. He wanted to know everything she was thinking before he made a single comment. "Suggestions for teams?"

She let out a breath and shifted her eyes to meet his. "That was a lot harder than I expected."

He shifted onto his side and rested his head in his hand, making it clear to her she had his full attention.

"I wanted to be fair to everyone but I also felt like abilities was a critical factor this time," she went on. "I think the skiff team should be Gopher, Whit, and you. It'll be completely unknown circumstances and that requires level heads and quick reactions. Gopher's the best driver and you have to have someone who won't hesitate to drive off. With pretty much everything being unknown, calm is key and nobody is better than Whit at staying calm and spreading it. And then there's you. You have the quickest reaction time and that unbelievable safety knowledgebase built into your brain. So as much as I know Lee would love to be there, and even I'm curious about what you'll see, I know it's best for us to stay on Galeos."

"What do you see Lee and you doing as the second team?"

"We'll monitor and document this area. We already know exactly what to look for from all the work we did today, and we are pretty darn good with the cameras."

He blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out what to address first.

"You hate it, don't you?" she asked, her disappointment written all over her expressive face.

He shifted closer and set his head down on her pillow, leaving just enough room for them to look at each other without their eyes trying to cross. "Kapu, the only thing I kind of hate about it is that I didn't come up with it. Your theory and your critique of our abilities, it's all solid. All we really need are the fine details worked out and written down so everyone is as close to prepared as possible for the unknown. That and for everyone to vote your plan is the one we'll pursue tomorrow."

"So I have your vote?" she asked with a tentative smile.

"My hand will be the first in the air."

Masen sealed his promise with a sweet, short kiss, and then jumped right into ironing out the small details with her. The excitement they felt as they worked out the specifics together eventually faded and made room for the long day they'd already had to seep in, making them yawn more and more until they very literally fell asleep talking.

Masen's next conscious moment was being woken by Alice whispering his name and shaking his shoulder. He sat up to wake himself fully.

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered. "But Whit needs you to take over so he can get some sleep. He said you'd be okay with it."

Masen nodded while scrubbing his face with hands. "No, it's alright. I need to be up. It's my turn to take over and anyway I've got some work to do."

"I'll go let Whit know you're awake and coming up," she said, already heading for the door.

After scrubbing his face once more, he looked down at Bella. She was sound asleep with Lizzy curled up in her arms; the sweet sight had him snorting. If things kept going this way, it wouldn't be long before Bella surpassed him in spoiling his puppy.

He gathered his papers from his dresser, stopped off in the office for a fresh paper pad and a pen, then followed the smell of coffee upstairs and into the kitchen. He made himself a cup, figuring the extra minute or two wouldn't matter since he was already going to get an earful of nudging for being late to take over for a reason other than lost in his work.

"Hey there, Sunshine," Whit said as soon as he saw Masen. "Glad you could join me."

Masen grinned and took a long sip of his coffee.

"Alice informed me how you were _not_ in your project room. It appears she found you asleep in your bed with nary a piece of paper in sight."

"I had to move my papers because Bella let Lizzy into the bed. Do you know she was actually looking through them with Lizzy sitting right there?"

Whit feigned shock and put his hands over his heart. "You mean other people work differently than you?"

Masen rolled his eyes. "I thought you were tired and wanted to go to bed?"

"I am and I do. In fact, goodnight and see you when I see you."

"You know I didn't mean to fall asleep." Masen's sudden sharing put a halt to Whit's retreat. "We were talking about work and accidentally fell asleep. Well mine was accidental anyway. I had every intention of finishing today's plan but I got out of the shower and she had my papers on the bed with Lizzy up there and when I was trying to ask which were mine and if they were still in order, she just kept looking at the papers in her hand."

Whit chuckled. "She Masen-ed you. Love it. And her. And we can talk about it in the morning. I need sleep."

"Yeah, okay," Masen replied, knowing Whit would need all the rest he could get if they did vote to change the plan at the morning meeting.

"We really will talk about it later," Whit assured him through a huge yawn. "Night."

"Night, bro."

Alone at the helm, Masen checked the latest current weather report and the newest forecast that had been issued. Both called for clear skies and warm temperatures, perfect weather for them.

With no weather to worry about, Masen was able to put his full focus into his work. As much as he was chomping to get at the empty pad and start writing up Bella's idea, he had a responsibility to finish the original plan first.

The team had decided yesterday to spend today taking turns in the cage to experience murky conditions first hand in this area. They would go in teams of two with Masen being the number two man for everyone. Everyone except Bella. She hadn't ruled out the cage entirely yet but she had damn sure vetoed a murky water dive for herself. The best part of her decision was seeing her not regret it or consider herself weak for it—not after hearing all of them say they couldn't be sure they'd keep cool if a massive Great White suddenly appeared right in front of them. Sure, they all wanted to think they'd just grin and enjoy, but the reality was that having a creature that big suddenly morph out of the shadows was enough to jolt anybody.

With the original plan finally finished, Masen reached for the blank pages of his new pad. He got as far as writing a title across the top, _Guppy's Two Team Proposal_, and then found himself stopping to marvel over a sudden realization. The personal and professional were in tandem. He had finished the first plan in its entirety, including rewrites, and he had three hours left to work on the new plan. All of that after having fallen asleep for a few hours with his kapu. Without trying or even knowing, both parts of his life had just seamlessly melded together without there being any dire consequences. He wasn't short on time or feeling rushed. He didn't feel like his work had suffered from the break he'd taken. In fact the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like the break had made it easier to come back and finish the original plan.

Whit's earlier comment suddenly came to mind ... _She Masen-ed you_.

Masen's first reaction was to snort, but as he sat there thinking of how Bella had been so hyper-focused and how quickly she'd built a list of pros and cons for her idea, his need to laugh turned into contemplative awe. Bella did not love sharks. She might never love sharks. Those were true facts. But there was another truth he was seeing for the first time and it had the potential to reshape their relationship all over again—Bella's love of marine life made her just as determined to protect the oceans as everyone else on this team. When he'd asked her if she would consider staying, he'd done so with the determination to make things work no matter what it took. Sitting here now, it didn't seem like it would take much more than trusting in her and letting it happen.

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket with every intention of using it but then just held it. He wished he knew what Esme was doing so he could know if it was okay to call her and get her advice. He flipped it open just to see the picture of them that was his background and found a text alert showing on the screen.

He ended up having four texts from his mom, each one making him smile wider.

_Landed safely. Exhausted and heading to bed. For sleep only. TTYL._

_Just found out half hour car ride. Miss you crazier than a clown on acid and it's only Day One._

_We'll be fine. We're Team Masen. I'll get all the goods on C and you'll be the best team leader that ever led and before we know it we'll be together._

_Finally home. Heading to bed. Sweet dreams, Kid. You have all the love in my heart and hugs in the world._

They were both fish out of water with this separation thing but she was right—they would be fine. They had each other no matter where they physically were in the world. And she had a good man in Carlisle while Masen had his kapu. Life was damn sure different now but it also had all the markings of being the best version they'd seen yet.

He smiled once more over the luck he was blessed with and then he set his phone down, picked up his pen, and began plotting Bella's brilliant idea.


	45. 45 Decisions Are Made

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 45 – Decisions Are Made**

**Wednesday, July 30th**

Edward winked at Bella across the table and then pulled himself up to sit on the top part of the booth. "Time to settle down," he announced.

They were all so busy with their conversations that they didn't hear him.

He stuck his fingers in his mouth and gave a whistle. That worked and all eyes focused on him. "Sorry for interrupting the fun but it's time to start the morning meeting. I'm going to need for everyone to clear the table for this. Let's get our dishes put away and get seated again quickly."

It took a few minutes for the dishes to disappear, the discussions to end a second time, and the laughter to fizzle out. As soon as that happened, everyone's focus returned to Edward. Bella smiled, loving how they all trusted and respected him. She hoped they'd feel the same way towards her when he turned the meeting over to her in a bit.

She'd gotten up earlier than usual this morning just to run upstairs and get a look at what he'd written up for her idea. She'd had a little nagging worry that detailing her idea would lead to the discovery of some kind of unsurmountable flaw that required it to be scrapped. She'd been relieved to find that his detailed analysis of the plan and break down of assignments squashed her worries completely. It had also ramped up her excitement to the point that she hadn't been able to sit still all morning. Edward had decided the best way for her to channel that energy was for her to be the one to present her idea to the rest of the team. As soon as Lee had taken over at the helm, he'd brought Bella up into the crow's nest for her to practice her presentation. She'd managed to hold his attention the entire time—even while wearing a chocolate milk mustache.

Bella shook her head to clear it so she could focus on the meeting again.

Edward was busy spreading one of his many maps across the table. "Before we delve into the details and assignments for today, there's a second plan that's been brought to the table." He set the salt and pepper shakers down on his end of the table and then stood up straight. "Not only do I believe it's a good plan, I believe it's a huge opportunity for MMR and for us as individuals. That's why it already has my vote."

"Oh la la," Whit joked. "Must be one hell of a Plan B."

Edward had a big grin on his handsome face as he climbed up to sit on the back of the booth again.

"Bro, what's up?" Whit pressed. "What's that grin for? And why are you sitting? You never sit when you present a plan. What are you up to?"

Edward set his eyes on Bella and gave her an encouraging smile. "Kapu."

She lit up at hearing her special nickname during work, loving the tangible proof that he was okay with their personal and professional lives intertwining.

She stood where he had been seconds ago and looked right into the curious faces of her teammates. "I was looking through the maps last night and I found something," she told them. "After discussing it with Edward and seeing his breakdown of how it would work, I'm incredibly excited to share it with all of you.

"Researching in the wild is not only unpredictable, it's a constant frustration searching for a solid control and an impressive variable to fit the theory you've set out to prove. It's the main reason we've gathered data first and then developed theories later while writing the dailies.

"I think we have a chance to flip things around today. The storm that separated us may have also given us a rare gift. There's the chance we can be in the same body of water with the same species of predator and prey under two distinct environmental conditions."

Bella picked up the salt shaker and set it down over the 'G' Edward had marked on the map for her this morning. "We know our current location holds murky water with heavily impaired visibility and low movements.

"We know these conditions are a result of being at the edge of the storm that swept in and swamped Gordon's Bay and the surrounding areas," she continued, sweeping her hands across the map to approximate the storm's path.

She grasped the pepper shaker and leaned across the table to place it over Cape Point on the map. "That's Cape Point. I believe there's a strong chance conditions at Cape Point are the exact opposite of what they are here right now. I think conditions there are the same as they were here last week, mostly clear with lots of shark and seal activity."

"Hole-lee shit," Whit blurted out. His wide eyes went from Bella to Edward and back again.

"Wait a minute …" Gopher's eyes shifted back and forth just as Whit's had. "Does that mean—" He leaned over the map to see Bella clearly. "_Really_?"

"You bet your sweet ass it's what she means." Lee's tone matched the pride in her eyes which she kept focused on Bella alone.

Bella grinned excitedly, happy that they understood already. "Documenting the major differences in behavior in both sections at the same time should boost all of our theories from last night on how murky water affects the sharks and seals. We'd be working in tandem, with a team on the skiff at Cape Point and another here on Galeos. We'll need as much video and photographic evidence as we can capture. That is, if you guys would rather this Plan B over the Plan A we created last night."

Lee pointed a finger at her. "First of all, shame on you for hijacking my turn as part of the planning duo." She slowly raised her hand high into the air while smiling wide. "Secondly, my vote is a giant hell yeah."

"Go for the goal," Whit exuberantly shared with both arms held up high.

Gopher's hand shot up next. "I'm in like Flint."

"Isn't it supposed to be 'Flynn'?" Alice questioned. "Like as in Errol Flynn, the actor that was the romantic swashbuckler from romance movies in the forties?"

Gopher shook his head furiously. "Why would I want to be in like that guy? He's an actor. He has no business around sharks. But Flint is a bad ass super heroine with near impenetrable skin and a healthy sense of adventure."

"Right," Alice replied with a giggle. "Comics is your thing. Though I'm surprised you picked a female."

He shrugged. "I pick whoever is the best for the mission. She's as strong physically as she is mentally, making her perfect for a mission full of the unknown."

Alice's attention immediately shifted to Bella. "Isn't it really dangerous for you guys to be in the unknown?"

"It's a higher rate of danger than our usual days," Bella allowed. "But it's not outside of the team's acceptable level of risk. Plus, the three team members best suited for working in the unknown will be on the skiff." Bella shifted her attention to Lee, "I went over each of our abilities so many times and although I truly believe you are amazing with the cameras, you've said yourself you've been intimidated by the Great Whites more than once this summer. It's why I nominated Gopher, Whit, and Edward to be the skiff team."

Lee smiled despite the sadness in her eyes. "No worries, Guppy. I would have picked them too. Masen's the least likely to be rattled and really is our best photographer. Whit's always calm, even when he's supremely agitated. And my Gopher is the only one I'd trust to drive my family out there and get them home safe again."

"Our work is no less important," Bella promised.

Lee's usual sarcastic smile and words returned immediately. "As if you need to tell _me_ that. They can get all the data they want out there but if we don't give them anything to compare it to, then they're just a bunch of goobers with photos and video."

"Then it's a unanimous decision," Edward declared. "We go with Plan B. Guppy and Lee will stay aboard Galeos to document the activity here with video and still footage. Lee, if you feel comfortable with just having Guppy here to help, I'd like you to get some water samples. Take them from the front and back of the boat. If not, Whit and I will help you with it before we leave this morning."

"I trust Guppy to have my back," Lee said as she offered her fist to Bella.

Bella was elated to press her fist to Lee's; having this woman's trust was an accomplishment and an honor.

"Okay," Edward said with a pleased smile. "Let's get a morning sample and an afternoon one then." He turned his attention to the guys. "We'll spend at least half the day at Cape Point. We'll need two video cameras and a still camera, with extra supplies for each piece of equipment. I want three pairs of binoculars on board. Let's also take my prototype lens hood with us. Oh, and let's make sure we have a supply of cleaning cloths. We'll be much more prone to cast-off spray aboard the skiff. We'll also need clipboards, paper pads, pens and pencils, and waterproof bags for each of us."

"We need personal gear, too," Whit declared. "We should have a minimum of five bottles of water each, snacks, two bottles of spray sunscreen, and the medium sized medical kit. Let's also bring hats and sweat towels."

"Should we put on the skiff's canopy shade?" Gopher asked, leaning forward to see Edward. "It shouldn't take us longer than a half hour to install it."

Edward shook his head. "No but only because it might mess up our lighting too much. It could block too much sun and make the video dark."

"So don't use the actual canopy. Stretch one of the white bed sheets over the canopy frame," Lee suggested. "You get some protection from the sun without blocking your light source."

Edward looked to Gopher who was already moving to stand. "On it," Gopher promised as he vaulted over the back of the seat.

Edward shifted his attention to Lee. "You know I'd take you with me if it was possible."

She gave him a sweet smile. "Yeah, I know. But since I'm staying, Bella and I get our pick of the cameras."

"Done."

"Said as if you had a choice, which you do not."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Can we just go divvy up the cameras please?"

"I suppose so," Lee replied as she slid out of the booth.

"I'll help Whit put together the personal gear, if that's okay," Alice offered.

"That's awesome of you," Whit told her. "Right, Mase?"

Edward nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Alice. We appreciate your help."

"Come on, Bella," Lee said, tugging her by the arm. "Let's get to the cameras before Mase decides he has a favorite he just _has_ to use."

Bella was happy to be pulled along. She was also curious and needed to make sure things really were good with her friend. "Lee, you believe me that it was solely about ability, right? Because I do believe you're an amazing researcher and better than the guys in so many areas."

Lee gave her a soft smile. "I asked you yesterday to be the consummate professional when it comes to our work. This is just you fulfilling that request."

"I want us to have a no harm, no foul day."

"I've got every confidence we will, and not only because we're amazing at what we do, but because you helped put the right people in the right roles. So stop the worrying and start being excited. You and I have the run of Galeos today."

"And our pick of cameras," Bella added, excitedly reaching for the T1 she had fallen in love with this summer.

Picking up the camera, she thought back to the first time she'd held it in her hands. She'd been so nervous, so worried she would make a fool of herself on The Submarine in front of Brent and his crew. Her fear of sharks had still been so raw and hard to control at the time. Now here she was voluntarily planning to spend her entire day waiting for them to appear so she could photograph them for her team. It was amazing to realize just how much progress she'd made so far this summer, and it increased her desire for more. More progress and more proof that she was the one in control of her life, not her fears.

She couldn't do it right now, not with her work day about to start and her team depending on her full attention and cooperation. But tonight, tonight after the daily was written and her journal lay open in her lap—tonight she would finally set aside the time to answer a question Edward had asked almost a week ago. She would ask herself if she could handle a cage dive.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Eight footer easy," Whit said while writing the length down on his pad. "On the small side for what we've seen today," he added, looking into the lens to make sure the video camera was still lined up with the shark slowly making her way toward them.

"She's a curious gal," Gopher commented. He had both of his hands wrapped tightly around a tagging pole, waiting in hopes this newest shark would come close enough to the skiff to allow for a tag.

"She has to be full with how she's ignoring the seals," Masen noted. He was stretched out on his stomach to take advantage of the skiff's low walls, allowing for photos that looked as though they were taken at the water's surface. He figured he might as well try to get some amazing photos since the stitches in his hand prevented him from being the one to attempt a tag.

Despite the canopy overhead, all three men were drenched with sweat and would have loved nothing more than air conditioned comfort and cold showers, but they weren't about to head back yet. They were determined to stay put until they had tagged a Great White. The original plan had been to only attempt a tag from the safety of a cage, but after seeing the action here at Cape Point, they'd gotten on the radio with Lee and Guppy, and the entire team had voted to try tagging from the skiff.

Bella's guess had been accurate and the activity here matched Zone Four on its best days. These Cape Point seals were of all ages and traveled in herds of varying sizes, daring to leave the safety of the beach and dive into the waters. With the beach so near there was also an increase in the number of birds flying overhead in search of leftovers—calling cards of sharks on the hunt.

Gopher shifted his feet forward and Masen immediately grabbed the man's ankle. "Hold. If your movement causes the boat to rock, the resulting wake could scare her off."

"Especially with nearly dead winds," Whit added.

"Shit. Right," Gopher spit out quickly. He took a deep breath and then slowly removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his face with the towel hanging around his neck. He took another deep breathe and then settled his hat on his head backwards. "Sorry, guys. No baseline means extreme caution and bare minimum of movements, I know that. I guess the adrenaline got to me."

"You're good, bro," Whit encouraged. "This is a first for all of us."

"I thought you guys did this at Farallon," Gopher mentioned.

"We weren't allowed because we were too green," Masen explained while checking the grip Gopher had on the pole. Satisfied that his hands were back where they should be, Masen continued. "And the sharks at Farallon weren't moving around like the ones here in South Africa."

"Boys, I do believe the lady has made up her mind," Whit announced. "She's coming over to investigate."

"Whit, safety position," Masen ordered. "Gopher, deep breathes and fluid movements. Aim for her body near the dorsal fin."

Gopher was already repeating the necessary steps to himself. "Near the fin but not on it. Hard thrust forward to penetrate the skin. Release immediately. Hold my balance."

Meanwhile Whit had been moving from behind the camera to stand behind Gopher. The big man was wearing a fishing harness with a length of climbing rope attached to the back. Whit took the ends of the rope and wrapped them twice around his forearms while pushing the front of his feet right up against the back of Gopher's. If his teammate lost his balance for any reason, Whit would lean his own body back as a counterweight to keep Gopher from falling into the water. This safety measure had been improvised on the fly but they had every confidence Masen's idea would work.

"Definitely eight," Masen confirmed as she lifted her body to the surface a good six feet from them.

"Come on, Girl. Just a little closer," Whit coaxed. "We're just going to tag you and then let you go on about your business."

Gopher continued his chanting. "Near the fin but not on it. Hard thrust forward to penetrate the skin. Release immediately. Hold my balance."

The shark dove under completely and the guys struggled to remain still, knowing to move was to risk scaring her off. It didn't take long for her dorsal fin to reappear and this time it was only two feet from the boat.

Masen could hear his heart pounding in his ears from the rush of adrenaline flooding his system. He really needed to get the sweat out of his eyes but he wasn't about to risk missing a shot of their first tagging no matter how much it stung.

The sound of a splash near the front of the skiff made it almost impossible to stay still and he wished he'd thought to mount a camera to the canopy frame to capture the front of the boat.

"She's here," Gopher whispered.

Masen had spotted her at the same time and he quickly switched the camera from single to burst mode, the shutter going off repeatedly as he moved the camera in time to the shark's slow glide along the side of the skiff.

In the next second he heard Gopher's sharp intake of breath, caught the glint of sunlight from the end of the pole, and then felt the spray from a giant splash.

"Did I get her?" Gopher asked, his face the definition of dazed yet excited.

"Look at the end of your pole," Whit said with a chuckle. "You still see a tag?"

Masen laughed happily, sitting up just as Gopher sat down. "How you feeling, Gopher?"

"I tagged a freakin Great White shark. How the hell do you think I feel?"

Masen decided to throw the man a comic book reference. "I'd guess something like Superman after a visit to the sun."

Gopher tilted his head back and shouted so loud he drowned out the squawking birds flying overhead. "I just tagged a Great White and now I'm going to Disneyland."

"Just ..." Masen couldn't find the words so he just shook his head while Whit was laughing so hard that he was doubled over.

Gopher's huge grin spread completely across his face as he made a fist and held it out to Masen.

Masen gave him a bump and then a compliment. "Good work."

"Ladies of Galeos, come in please," Whit spoke into the radio.

"Lee here," came back through the radio.

"Where's Guppy?"

"Right here but hang on a sec. She's adjusting the video camera's angle." It wasn't long before Lee announced they were both listening.

Whit handed the radio to Gopher. "Your news, you tell them."

Gopher's grin somehow managed to get wider as he spoke into the radio. "Superman, here. Just wanted to let you gals know my keen eyesight and super strength helped Team MMR tag its first ever Great White Shark."

Masen had expected an enthusiastic scream from Lee and he'd hoped Bella would be genuinely excited by the news. He'd never expected to hear the both of them yelling joyously into the radio with Alice's exuberant clapping accompanying the sounds. He had no doubt it was her doing it because he'd never seen or heard of anyone clap the way that girl did. She was this little thing with big exaggerated movements of her arms and hands—it was like watching a walrus on speed.

"Are you guys heading back now?" Lee questioned. "I can't wait to see the video on this!"

Gopher passed the radio to Masen to let him answer. "Not just yet. There's still plenty of daylight left and there are two more spots we want to check out."

"Just remember our agreement, Mase. You guys have until four no matter how much daylight is technically left."

"If not before then, we will head home directly at four," he assured her.

"Okay. You guys be safe. We're going to go ahead and turn the tracking program's record mode on and then get that afternoon water sample you wanted. We'll call if conditions here change at all."

"Sounds good. We'll call you if we hit any other milestones. Firefly over and out." Masen handed the radio back to Whit since he was in charge of it today.

Gopher's grin was still crazy wide. "That's some excited women we have waiting back at base for us."

Masen nodded in agreement. "We have a lot to celebrate and we're not even done with our day."

"Mase," Whit called.

He looked up at his best friend and immediately became suspicious of the glint in his eyes. "What?"

"Think that celebration could include a beer? Just one ice cold, amazingly good beer?"

"Oh man, an ice cold beer would be so damn good on a day like today," Gopher mused.

Masen wiped away the sweat from his face for the umpteenth time while contemplating Whit's request. Tomorrow would mostly be indoor work, collecting and reviewing the tagging data coming in from the shark they'd just tagged. There would be some outdoor work with reviewing conditions at Galeos and a few water samples, but that would be later in the day. A single beer per person would definitely have burned off by then.

He looked from Whit's pleading face to Gopher's hopeful one. "One beer each," he relented.

"I knew I liked you for some reason," Whit joked.

"Alright, slackers," Gopher said as he hauled himself to his feet. "What's next?"

Masen made sure his camera was secure in its bag before standing. "First we get the harness off you so you'll be a little cooler. Then we head over to where we spotted that big shark a couple hours ago. I want to see if she's come back for a second shot at the seals that got away from her."

"You told Lee there were two spots," Whit pointed out.

"I didn't want to say anything until we were sure, but I think we need to visit the beach before we leave the area," Masen explained.

Gopher crossed his arms and planted his feet in a wide, steady stance—he wasn't planning on moving anytime soon from the looks of it. "_Masen_ … What do you know?"

"Yeah," Whit said as he mimicked Gopher's positioning. "What do you know?"

Masen sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get them back to work unless he told them. "Remember how you and Guppy wanted to chase down the potential source of death for those penguins?"

Gopher nodded. "But I thought you said they would have floated to the beaches on the Gordon's Bay side."

"I still believe they would have. But something smaller from the same community may have washed up on this beach. I noticed it with the binoculars earlier but it's one of those things I can't be sure of unless I'm on the beach. And if I'm right, then what's on the beach will back up your theory about the man-of-war taking out those penguins."

"Okay, then," Whit said with a nod. "Harness off, try to track down the big girl, visit the beach, then head to base for a cold beer."

"Yeah, get me out of this thing," Gopher demanded while tugging at a buckle.

"Get your Superman arms out of the way and maybe we can get to the buckles," Whit joked.

Once Gopher was free of the harness, he put it away along with the rope. While he was busy doing that, Whit took the video camera off its tripod and laid the tripod on its side so it would be safe for travel. Masen made sure all their maps and pads were zipped up in the waterproof bags and then he gave the skiff a once over to make sure they were ready to leave.

"Gopher, start her up and take it slow," Masen directed. "We want to keep our wake as small as possible."

"Sneaky as I can make her be, Mase," Gopher promised.

"What do you think is up with the wind?" Whit asked as he passed Masen a fresh bottle of water.

He took a long swallow before answering. "Location mostly. The direction of the wind today is at just the right angle for the curve of this Cape to serve as a natural barrier. We get closer out toward Galeos and we should feel a difference pretty quickly."

"Makes sense." Whit stopped talking long enough to drain nearly half his water bottle. "I'm damn glad we got the tag but I also kind of wish we hadn't so we could come back out here tomorrow and do this again."

Masen grunted. "I'm glad you think you could do this two days in a row."

"The excitement getting to ya?" Whit asked. His grin told Masen he knew better and was just teasing.

"The unknown is getting to me. The extra vigilance and stress of being on the skiff is getting to me."

"Yeah, you're probably not liking being without Lee and Guppy either."

"No, I'm not. I've gotten so used to being at Guppy's side, teaching her and watching out for her. With Lee, I felt really shitty I was leaving her behind. Still do. Feels like I failed her because I know she wanted to be on the boat with us."

"You're not doing anything wrong," Whit said, gripping Masen's shoulder. "I get why it feels that way, this being the first time you're looking at the situation with your heart rather than just your head. But trust me, Mase, you are doing the right thing just like you always do. Lee knows this kind of work isn't her forte, just like she knows there isn't enough room on this boat for four of us to spread out like we need to get our work done. With Guppy, you've given her the tools she needs to be successful and this is her day to show you both just how capable she's become."

Masen turned his head so he could see Whit's face and gauge his reaction. "I asked her to consider taking a permanent position with MMR."

A slow grin spread across Whit's face while his eyebrow lifted up. "Did you now?"

"She said she'd consider it but only after the internship was over and she'd proved to herself she could do the work."

"I expect nothing less from her. What did you think about her giving herself that condition before you could lay it down?"

"In the moment I thought it was smart. But I was thinking about it again last night while I was detailing her idea and it helped me realize that she doesn't have to like sharks to help us protect the oceans. Her love for marine life in general and her dedication to a job well done is more than enough."

Whit grinned. "I'd say that's a mighty fine epiphany you've had, Mase. And I didn't even have to nudge this time."

"Frick and Frack," Gopher called out. "You two might want to get a load of this."

Whit and Masen turned their attention to the front of the boat and were greeted with the sight of a large herd of seals congregating in the water directly in front of them.

Masen had a big smile on his face as he laid a hand on Gopher's shoulder. "Good job finding them. Now cut the engine and give the wheel a twist so we back up to them."

"These guys have some major cojones," Gopher remarked.

"Probably just figure safety in numbers," Whit remarked while standing up the tripod for the video camera.

"What do you think, Mase?" Gopher asked.

He looked up from his camera to survey the seals for a moment before answering. "My guess is a combination of clear water and it being late enough in the day that most of the sharks in the area will have already found a food source."

"If you believe that, then how come you're expecting that big one to come back here?"

"It's what I would do," Masen answered simply. "Back off to regroup and allow a false sense of safety to build up. Let them grow into a herd like this one so when I attack again my odds for landing my prey are higher than their odds of getting away."

"You think a shark's brain is capable of that kind of logic?" Gopher questioned.

"It doesn't have to be. It's an instinctual reaction. Attacking a group you know you can overpower is an ingrained survival skill in every species. We know to try one on one first because it tends to be easier and we use up less energy that way. We can stay fuller after we consume our prey. But when one on one fails, then we look to increase our chances of survival. If there's a group we have the capability to overpower, then we round them up and attack. Sometimes their safety in numbers turns into our foolproof meal plan."

"And sometimes safety in numbers prevails," Whit added. "See how the seals on the edges of the group are swimming in a head-down position with only the tail and tip of the rear flippers showing? Those are the lookouts, scanning the water for sharks."

"Let's get our own eyes on the water," Masen directed. "I don't want the seals to be the only ones prepared for her to show up if she comes."

The guys set to work without another word. Whit set the video camera back up on the tripod, checking the battery and tape levels, and then centered the focus right on the raft the seals' bodies had created together.

Gopher pulled out the binoculars and started scanning the surface for any sign of a shark in the area.

Masen checked his camera's battery, the memory left on his card, and the cleanliness of his lens. After cleaning a few spots of spray from it, he decided to attach his prototype lens hood to the camera. While the explanation he'd given Gopher for their return to this area was completely true and logical, Masen also carried the feeling that he was just right—that this was the shark's territory and she did as she pleased in it. Great Whites her size didn't get that big through luck alone; they had to be as smart as they were vigilant.

Over the next half hour they watched the seals and scanned the waters, calling out to each other if they thought they saw signs of the shark. Masen also assigned himself the added task of trying to discern a pattern in the way the herd increased and decreased its size. He felt certain there was some kind of order to it even if he couldn't see it right now.

It was as the seals were breaking apart and reorganizing that the shark returned. She burst into the sky from under the left side of the herd, sending the seals scattering in every possible direction. The seal that had been in the center of her strike zone miraculously twisted its body enough to maneuver out of the way of the shark's mouth and dive into the water almost behind her back as she re-entered the water with a gigantic splash. Somehow she kept sight of the seal and twisted her body to follow after, slicing along the water's surface like a torpedo. She was almost close enough for her nose to touch the seal's rear flipper when she disappeared under the water. Within seconds she reappeared through another breach maneuver and this time she hit at just the right angle to line her mouth up with the tail of the seal, clamping her massive jaws down on his hind end and securing her meal.

"_That_ was fucking epic," Whit croaked, looking as breathless as Masen felt.

"She had to be thirteen feet, Mase," Gopher announced. "_Thirteen_."

"Fifteen hundred pounds of apex predator," Whit said with a chuckle. "Damn it's been a good day."

Masen sat up, smiling as wide as he ever had. "She was absolutely gorgeous."

Gopher chuckled. "Wait until Lee and Bella get a load of the footage from this."

"The sooner we check out the beach, the sooner we can head back to base," Masen commented. "Let's get the skiff ready to move and get going."

"Don't you want to stick around to see if she goes after another one?" Whit asked. "What if we leave and miss another great filming opportunity?"

"I'd rather not press our luck," Masen replied, having already weighed the pros and cons of staying only to find there were more cons. "Besides, we've had a long enough day. We could all use some shade and some real food."

"To the beach we go," Gopher said, taking the video camera from Whit for safe storage.

Masen helped the guys get the skiff ready for movement and then they were off to the beach to investigate the area he had spotted through the binoculars early this morning. If he was right, it would be a great cap to this amazing day—a day they all owed to Bella's brilliant idea. He couldn't wait to get her into his arms and show her just how appreciative he was feeling. Just as soon as they finished their research for the day.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"They're coming! I see them!" Alice excitedly shouted from the deck.

Bella looked over the railing of the crow's nest to see her sister jumping up and down and waving.

"Should we tell her they can't see her?" Lee asked with a snort.

Bella grinned. "Wouldn't do any good. She's far too excited to listen to reason."

"From that smile you're sporting, I'd guess you're pretty damn excited too." Lee finished putting the video camera into its bag and stood up with it. "Now that the work day is over, you have a question to answer from this morning."

Bella blushed, remembering all too well which question Lee had in mind. "It's true. We don't have a line anymore. What gave us away?"

Lee hooked her arm around Bella and drew her in for a hug. "I see all, I know all. Also, after you spend a few years with Masen and realize just how predictable he can be, you'll notice every single time he alters his behavior even a smidge."

"Okay, first of all, seeing and knowing all is Whit's thing. Secondly, I want to know what exactly it is about Edward's behavior that you think is different."

"Well there's the most obvious change—he's finally relaxed around you. He's not obsessing over his behavior and its potential impacts on both of your futures. That strict personal space he was keeping between you two during work hours is gone, along with his careful avoidance of using 'kapu' to address you."

Bella grinned. "I really love those changes. They backup his words that he's sure and I finally feel secure in believing he's not going to change his mind."

Lee laughed. "Oh, Bella. That man is so far past the point where he _could_ change his mind."

"What do you mean?"

"Monday night when you two were in the kitchen making dinner for everyone, Esme and I were watching. We honestly couldn't look away. We've seen you two work together in the kitchen before but never like this. You two were moving like magnets, always drawing the other to you in every move you made. You guys made an entire meal for eight without ever moving more than a foot away from each other. You two barely spoke and yet you guys didn't shut up—lingering looks, secret smiles, a touch here and there.

We could almost see the spark and hear the hum of the energy between you two. Hell, Esme said you two were the best romance movie she'd watched in a while."

"You can't ever tell him I said this, but he was right. He does fit the other definition of mano."

Loud laughter burst free from Lee and she had to hold on to Bella's shoulder to stay up right. "I can't believe—he's _such_ an asshat. Oh but I love him."

"Explain please," Bella said, chuckling at Lee's reaction.

"From the moment he learned about the 'passionate lover' definition, he's always wanted to try it out on someone. I've always been there to remind him why it would make him an asshat. I feel like I should apologize to you for not stopping him with you. How many times has he used it?"

Bella chuckled. "Only the once and it didn't work for him at all. Pretty sure I laughed in his face after hearing it." She blushed as she remembered the kiss he'd laid on her right after she'd laughed—a kiss he'd meant and never once regretted.

"Good. He needs to be put in his place every so often." Lee's smile didn't budge but the look in her eyes grew serious. "The way you guys are around each other, it's the real deal and you both know it. Whatever happens when the summer ends, I know you'll work it out together and find what works for you both, just like Gopher and I did."

"They're here! They're here!" Alice bellowed from below them.

"Come on, Guppy. Let's go greet our guys."

Bella grabbed Lee's forearm. "Thank you. I know it hasn't been easy to watch him change with me when he couldn't with you."

"He wasn't meant to change with me. I'm not the one capable of wrangling his warrior heart without altering who he is at his core. Only his kapu can do that for him and that's you, Bella."

"You know, it's really not fair how you make me love you a little more every day."

"Right back at you, Guppy. Now get your ass in gear because I've got a kiss that's in need of Gopher's lips."

The ladies made it down to the deck at the same time that Gopher made it up. He had duffel bags hanging from each shoulder but they didn't slow him down a bit in his hurry to get to Lee. As soon as he was near her, he dumped the bags and reached for her. He lifted her and easily spun around with her once and then dipped her over his arm and gave her such a solid kiss that Bella looked away to give them some privacy.

Bella's eyes immediately landed on Alice and she had to laugh at the way her sister was wrapped around Whit, her limbs looking like octopus tentacles around his neck and waist. Alice appeared to be trying to kiss every inch of visible skin on Whit's face and neck.

The navy blue of Edward's hat caught Bella's eye and she craned her neck to see him. He had a smirk on his face as he watched Whit and Alice together. Bella almost laughed but then Edward's eyes landed on her and laughing became the last thing she wanted to do.

He took his time walking around Whit and Alice and moving towards Bella, reminding her of nature films where the lion made deliberate slow movements to stealthily stalk its prey. Stopping about a foot away from her, he moved at what she considered a glacial pace, lowering his duffel bag to the ground and pushing his hat up just enough to reveal blue eyes and lips that twitched from a suppressed smile. He knew he was driving her nuts with his silence just like she knew he didn't realize how much he was giving away with his eyes and lips—he had loved his work today and the mission had been a success. She just stared right back at him, holding his gaze and smiling in the same sly way he was doing. She could play just as easily as him and she was determined not to make the first move.

He moved close enough to get his hands on her hips and then pulled her forward until their bodies were touching as much as possible. His blue eyes took in her face the way Alice's lips had covered Whit's, and his mouth curved from a barely-there grin to a smile that filled his handsome face.

"Hi," she whispered, at a loss to come up with anything better.

Edward's eyes locked on Bella's and he reached out, cupping the back of her neck in his large hand. The look of want he gave her had her pulling in a deep breath in anticipation of their kiss. As soon as their lips met, she felt a jolt travel all the way through her. Her hands disappeared into his hair, pulling him closer to deepen their kiss and knocking his hat off his head in the process.

They kissed until they were both completely out of breathe and then they kissed some more, getting them in between ragged breaths. When they finally really came up for air, they found they were the only two on deck.

"I think that may have been our best 'hello' yet," she joked, grinning up at him.

"That sounds like a challenge."

"_What_?" she cried out in shock. "No. No challenge." The last thing she needed was him spending hours devising new ways to make her breathless around him.

He chuckled while leaning into her. "Definitely a challenge, kapu." He gave her a sweet, slow kiss and then hugged her tight.

She hugged back just as hard, ignoring the sweat and focusing on that sun and sand smell that always came from him. "As nice as this is, we still have work to do."

"Yeah, we should probably get in there before they come after us."

Bella let go of Edward and leaned over to grab his bag while he snagged his hat.

"What are you doing?"

She patted his cheek with her free hand. "It's called taking your bag inside. The sun must have gotten to you if you really need this explained."

"You know who my mother is," he said as he reached for the bag.

Bella pulled it behind her. "And you know my uncle so deal."

"Fine, but I'm getting the door," he said, jogging over to open it.

"Thank you, Edward," she said in an overly sweet tone to tease him.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Smart ass."

Gopher was the first to notice them. "About time you two stopped face-battling and came inside to work."

Actually, Gopher was the only one to notice because Lee and Alice were completely enthralled with Whit's storytelling. Even Lizzy seemed mesmerized with the way she was lying still in Lee's arms. "… and then the whole group of them moved at once. It was like a brown wave cresting and then crashing, only they never separated. They just did it all over again."

After setting Edward's bag next to the pile by the sofa, Bella walked over to the table so she could catch Whit's gestures and facial expressions while he talked. She was too excited to sit down so she stood at the edge of the booth near Lee and Gopher. She expected Edward to plop down beside Whit like usual but he ended up standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. It amazed her that something so small made her feel so reassured in the changes they were going through together.

"Tell them about the one I tagged," Gopher urged.

Whit snorted. "He didn't even know he'd tagged her at first. He looked at me and asked me if he'd gotten her."

Gopher's smile was absolutely ear to ear. "She was a little on the small side but that was probably what made her so curious and allowed us to have our first tag."

"You guys keep using 'she' and 'her'. How do you tell if a shark is male or female?" Alice's sincere curiosity had Bella grinning. Her little sister had been back and forth all day, coming outside every half hour or so to ask if Bella and Lee needed anything. She'd stay long enough to ask about what they were seeing and if they'd heard from the guys, and then she'd head back inside to take care of Lizzy. Bella had found it adorable.

And she felt the same way now seeing her sister's attention fully focused on Lee and the explanation she was giving. "We can't tell unless we get close enough to look for the sex organs. We use the female pronoun because when researchers do come across a Great White they can get close to, nine out of ten times the shark ends up being a female."

"Okay, I get it now. Since female is the majority, you use the feminine pronouns," Alice replied. "But then, where are the males?" This time she looked to Edward for the answer.

"That's one of the many mysteries all shark researchers are hoping to one day solve," he relayed. "We have a lot more questions about sharks than we have answers. Being blind to their habits and needs makes it incredibly difficult to develop conservation plans for them. We can't take care of a species we don't understand."

Bella reached back and scratched his scruff in the way he liked as a 'thank you' for his willingness to indulge Alice's curiosity and answer her question.

"Break out the cameras, Mase," Lee ordered. "I want to see the photos."

"We'll look through all of the photos and video," Edward promised. "But first we need to get the TV room ready for our side-by-side comparison. Gopher can bring up the TV-VHS combo from your room while you grab the laptops from the office. Whit and I will unpack the cameras and collect the digital cards. Guppy will get all of the notepads together for us."

"And I'll take Lizzy down with me so we don't interrupt," Alice offered.

"You could listen in if you want," Bella suggested.

"Thanks but I'll just end up with a bunch of questions and I don't want to interrupt," Alice replied. "But I would really like to read the daily when it's finished if that's okay."

"It absolutely is," Bella assured her.

"If there aren't any other questions or work-related comments, then let's get to it," Edward directed.

Bella moved to pull away and handle her task but Edward wouldn't let her budge. "Did you not just say to 'get to it'?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"We will but first I want you to see what I brought back for you." He led her to his duffel bag and then he knelt down to reach into it. He pulled out a plastic container about the size of a shoe box and stood up with it before popping the top off.

Bella cautiously peered into the container and found white sand broken up by discs of cobalt blue topped with transparent sails. "Sea Rafts right?" she questioned, careful to only touch the sail on top since she knew the tentacles carried stingers.

"Correct. Also known as Velella Velella. They're part of the same specialized ocean surface community as the Portuguese Man-of-war."

"Free-floating hydrozoan that live on the ocean's surface and usually travel with or near the Portuguese Man-of-war. The wind pushes against the 'S' shaped sail on top and propels them across the water, and they use their tentacles and venom to feed on plankton."

"All correct," he confirmed. "And in this case, they also serve as evidence that the storm blew in some new marine life, which ultimately resulted in the demise of a few juvenile penguins."

Bella lifted her head to look at Edward. "I can't believe you took the time to collect these."

He shrugged. "I started off just taking pictures but I figured since these are so-far harmless to humans that you'd enjoy seeing them up close."

Careful not to bump the container, she stepped into him and braced her clean hand on his shoulder to help lift her lips to his for a sweet, thankful kiss.

He looked genuinely confused when she stepped away. "What was that for?"

She couldn't help giggling over how adorable she found his confused expression. "You brought me Sea Rafts. That basically equates to a dozen roses."

"Did you just—You turned a simple gesture into something romantic _and_ a math problem at the same time."

"It was the logical thing to do, Edward," she teased as she pressed the lid on tightly. "I definitely want to inspect these later but for right now we better wash our hands and get back to work."

After washing their hands and completing their assigned tasks, they joined the rest of the team in the TV room where they spent the next couple of hours comparing the video and photo footage from the two teams. Through it all, the researcher in Bella prevailed and she never once looked away from any of the footage. In fact, she kept going back to one image in particular that Edward had captured—the moment the seal had escaped the huge shark at the team's last location.

"You know, there was a time a photo like this would have turned you an appalling shade of green."

Bella smiled as she leaned to the side to push her weight against Whit's shoulder. "Stop making fun of me."

Whit chuckled. "Not a chance in hell, Guppy. You're family now and family gets teased. Now that we have that cleared up, why don't you tell me what's so fascinating about this photo?"

"It feels odd to say this, but it's a beautiful picture. The natural light, the contrast of the dark grey skin against the blue water, the hazy outline of the beach in the background, the way the spray is captured … this is truly a moment frozen in time. It's like Edward said about the picture I took at Seal Island—it's an image that will give a different takeaway to every single person who looks at it."

"It's definitely one of the best he's ever captured."

Bella looked around to make sure Edward was still busy going over today's marked-up map with Lee, and then leaned in to Whit so she could keep her voice low. "How do you think he'd feel about entering a photo competition?"

Whit shrugged. "He's never shown any interest in that kind of thing. Why are you asking?"

"We were looking through his marine magazines together and I noticed one was having a cover photo competition." She pointed at the laptop screen as she said, "I think this photo could win."

Whit considered her idea for a moment. "Honestly, I don't see it being his kind of thing. But that doesn't mean it's a bad idea. If he was entering the photo, he'd want to credit MMR as the source, which I'd usually agree was right. With this photo, though, he had the gut feeling the shark would be there, he captured it, and it was his prototype lens hood on the camera. It should be his credit alone. And if he were to win, then it could lead to some production and marketing contacts for the lens hood. Still, I don't see him submitting it."

Bella could see the wisdom in Whit's viewpoint, but she also had a deep sense that this photo was meant to be in the competition. "What do you think would happen if I submitted it for him?"

Whit's eyebrow lifted up high. "What do you think?"

She blew out a breath. "Either gratitude or anger. For all the complexities of his brain, he sometimes has the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Whit snorted. "That's a pretty succinct way of putting it, and thankfully only occasionally true. So if it's the first, you get all the glory. If it's the latter, then I'll take the hit."

"You'll do no such thing. It's my idea so I'll take it."

"Woman, I am infinitely more stubborn than you," Whit warned. "But fine. We'll both take it." From the twinkle in his eye, Bella didn't believe for a second that he'd allow her to have any part in things if they went south.

A shadow fell over them and they looked up into Edward's suspicious face. "What are you two whispering about?"

Whit grinned and put an arm around Bella's shoulders. "We're confessing our secret love and plotting to run away together. We can't fight the feeling anymore."

Edward smiled cockily. "Whit, don't make me beat your gimp ass."

"Are you saying you'd fight me for Bella? You'd fight your best friend and loyal nudger?"

Edward's blue eyes shifted to Bella. "For her, every damn day."

Whit snorted and then got to his feet. "You're getting smarter by the day, Mase." He clamped his hand on Edward's shoulder and gave it a shake. "Behave while I'm gone. And remember, rocking the boat is forbidden in every room of the ship except your own."

"Get the hell out," Edward ordered, trying to smack the back of Whit's head and just barely missing.

Whit laughed himself out of the room and down the hall.

Edward turned his attention back to Bella and he started chuckling at the sight of the huge smile covering her face. "Come here," he said as he reached for her hands. Once he had her on her feet and in his arms he asked, "What's the Cheshire cat smile for?"

"You," she said as she slipped her fingers into the hair at the nape of neck. "You've grown from being afraid to kiss me to pledging to beat up your best friend for me."

"When was I ever afraid to kiss you?" he asked, his eyes wandering to her lips for a second.

She gripped the back of his neck and drew him closer, purposefully stopping short of kissing him just so she could tease him. "Every moment you were trying not to fall for me."

He quickly tightened his arms around her and pressed his mouth to her skin, growling into the crook between her neck and collarbone. Surprised laughter shot out of her while she struggled to free herself. Bella's reaction had him laughing and distracted just enough that she was able to get away—almost. Edward caught her hand and used it to spin her around and into an enthusiastic kiss that they both thoroughly enjoyed.

When he finally released her lips, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

"I love—" was as far as she got because his cell phone started ringing and he immediately pulled away to fish it from his pocket. She would have laughed at his behavior if she hadn't known how anxious he was to hear his mom's voice and make sure she was okay.

_This may be perfect timing after all_, she thought as her eyes landed on the laptop. She picked it up and slipped out of the room with it, figuring he'd be distracted by the phone long enough for her to mark his photo and submit it for him. He'd worked hard to capture this image and he deserved recognition for it. And with all the ways winning the competition could benefit MMR, Bella reasoned that even if Edward was angry at first then he wouldn't stay that way for long. He trusted her now and he'd be able to see she had his best interest at heart—she trusted him to believe in her the same way she believed in him.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Each individual velella is a complete colony of hydrozoans," Masen explained to Bella. "It's basically a floating structure made of polyps with individual responsibilities. Some are in charge of feeding and some are in charge of reproduction, and they all need the others in order to survive."

"This is a pretty cool creature," she mused. "Not all polyps have tentacles but all velella need them to feed on plankton."

"Right. The tentacles have small stingers with enough force to immobilize very small creatures."

"The way they hang down, they look like a stinging chandelier."

He snorted. "That's a unique comparison."

"Masen, what the hell, bro?" Gopher barked.

Masen looked up to find his friend fuming with his arms crossed. "To what do I owe this tantrum?"

"We've had this talk too many times to count. No science experiments in the kitchen before meal time."

"It's not meal time."

"It's prep time if you want a meal."

Neither man noticed Alice approach, nor did they hear her voice. "Guys?"

"Relax, Gopher. There's plenty of time for us to do this and clean up after," Masen assured him.

"Not if you want dinner on the table at six," Gopher argued.

"Guys?" Alice tried again to get their attention and failed again.

"Trust me, Gopher, there's time. And the sooner you leave, the sooner we can get this done and get out of the kitchen."

"You are so damn hardheaded some—"

"Guys!" Alice yelled out. As soon as she realized she had their attention she apologized and then spewed out an explanation. "It's just that dinner is already in the oven because the team worked so hard today and it didn't seem right for you all to work like that and then have to make your own dinner on top. It's a casserole. Bella's recipe and I've made it before—well not without her help, but I have made it. I promise it'll taste great."

"What kind of a casserole?" Gopher asked, casting a suspicious glance toward the oven.

"Creamy chicken and broccoli. We usually make it with rotini noodles but you only had elbow pasta. But it should still taste great."

"That's really sweet of you, Alice," Bella told her sister. "I'm sure Gopher will appreciate the night off."

"Gopher will appreciate a full belly," Gopher announced, looking between the two sisters. "What are we going to do if this thing's not edible?"

"It'll taste fine," Bella promised him. "Alice is great at cooking dishes she knows."

"Gopher, I think the words you are searching for here are 'Thank you, Thumper'," Masen told him, only holding back some of his laughter.

"Come into my kitchen and find a mad scientist and then find out dinner's in the hands of an untested cook," Gopher grumbled. He raised his voice to say, "This food better be good."

Bella snorted. "Oh my god, you big baby. If you hate the casserole, I will personally make you whatever you want."

Gopher let his arms drop. "Fine. Deal. Whatever. Just make sure you two clean my kitchen before Thumper takes the food out of the oven."

"Dinner should be ready in fifty minutes," Alice informed him. "Possibly sixty if your oven temp is different from our oven at home."

"My oven is perfectly calibrated," Gopher stated proudly.

Masen snorted. "Go calibrate your personality and come back up for dinner in a better mood."

"Stop playing mad scientist in my kitchen and my mood would be great," Gopher countered.

"You two stop or I'll go get Lee," Bella threatened.

The two men stared at each other for a moment and then both nodded with the understanding that Lee being ticked at them was not something they wanted.

"I'll try to remember to warn you next time," Masen offered. "If there was another room with direct light like this kitchen, I'd do it there."

"Thank you. A little warning is all I want," Gopher replied.

Masen couldn't resist one last dig, especially with how easy Gopher was making it. "You'll get it. Now get out of my kitchen until I turn it back over to you."

Bella pushed her elbow into Masen's side. "Leave him alone and focus on the sea raft."

"But he makes it so easy."

Her lips turned up into a cocky grin. "Like you did when your mom called and you practically attacked your own body trying to get your phone out of your pocket?"

Masen immediately dropped his eyes to the creature in front of him. "The mouth is located in the middle of the underside for easy feeding."

Alice's giggle had him looking up again. She tried to fix her face but she couldn't control her smile at all. "I'll just be over there with my book," she said, pointing at the booth.

Masen let out a frustrated sigh while returning his focus to his work. "I think I liked her better when she was afraid of me."

"That's not even a little true," Bella stated confidently. "You're happy you finally see the Alice that I described and Whit loves."

"We need to finish up so we can clean the kitchen and I can shower."

"Okay. We can focus on work again, but don't for a second think this is the end of the conversation, or that I'll forget you promised to tell me how you're feeling after getting to talk with Esme."

He cracked a grin over her bossiness. "Wouldn't dream of it, kapu."

She kissed his cheek and then got serious. "Translucent sail—what do you think is the purpose of it?"

Masen leaned over to look at the page in his marine biology text and quickly scanned it. "No official theories yet on the translucent nature but I suspect it's some sort of camouflage device to keep from getting picked off the surface by birds."

"That's a great theory," Bella said enthusiastically. "I hadn't thought of the birds since the common predators are sea slugs and sunfish."

"If you look right here, you can see the remnants of the jelly that filled the middle before the sun dried it out."

"They spend their lives floating around with no worries until they wash up on a beach and disintegrate," she noted. "It's weird how their final resting places are pretty much chosen at birth by the direction of their sails. The ones with diagonal sails running from northwest to southeast end up in northeastern locals in the Pacific while the ones with sails that run northeast to southwest can travel to South America or Asia."

"A life determined by the water and the wind," Masen mused. "That's not a bad life."

"Is that what it feels like to be on a sailboat?"

He smiled at the mix of curiosity and concern in her pretty brown eyes; she knew sailing had been the big thing he'd shared with Elizabeth. The way she was always so careful and respectful when they discussed his mother was such a comfort that he found himself actually enjoying sharing his memories.

"I can remember us laying on the deck and soaking up the sun, listening to the sound of the water lapping against the sides of the boat," he confided.

"Do you have your own sailboat back home?"

Masen smiled at the sudden image of being on the small boat with his kapu and he promised himself he would make it a reality once they were back in Hawaii. "I have my mother's boat. Esme had it shipped for me."

"Maybe you can show it to me sometime."

His smile widened. "There's no maybe about it, kapu. In fact, we'll take it out together."

Bella returned his smile and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "That would be lovely."

They finished dissecting and investigating the velella and then worked together to make sure the kitchen island had been thoroughly disinfected. Bella went over to spend some time with her sister while Masen headed downstairs to take a shower and wash away the filth from a long day of hard work in the hot sun.

While in the shower he made a mental list of all the things he wanted to talk to Bella about later in the night, listing his mom as the last topic. While he didn't exactly mind talking about her with Bella, he was looking forward to finding out what Bella had been thinking about today while going through the footage. Not once had she paused or turned away—not even a flinch at the extraordinary photo he'd captured of the large female shark narrowly missing a seal. Bella's progress was tracking better than he'd hoped and seemed permanent; he hoped she'd prove him right when she shared her viewpoint on today.

Coming back up to the kitchen, he found Gopher in a much better mood—and sharing shark attack facts with Alice. "No joke, little sister. Cows take out about 22 people every year while at the most five deaths worldwide are caused by sharks. I'm telling you, you give me what you consider a cute creature and I'll give you an animal that kills more humans than a shark does."

She narrowed her eyes at him and planted both of her hands on her hips. "I'll take that challenge. How much harm does a hippo cause to humans?"

"Last hippo to human death count was around 3,000 people each year."

"That's not true. That can't be a real figure."

"We can go Google it right now if you doubt me."

"That just seems so … so _crazy_."

Gopher chuckled. "Lucky for you hippos aren't a big concern stateside. Now those cute little friends of Bambi, you really have to watch out for them. Deer kill 130 people annually."

"_Wow_," she said on a breathy exhale. "I never—And these are _verified_?"

"Yep. Right along with the over 650,000 deaths traced to mosquitos drinking up your blood and leaving behind malaria and other nasty diseases."

"This isn't going to like make me a-okay with sharks but I can concede they aren't the most dangerous thing in the world."

"That's all I'm asking for, little sister. Now how about we cut into this casserole and give it a taste test?"

Masen walked away shaking his head at those two and passed by the booth where Lee and Whit were loudly playing a round of battle and laying down as much smack talk as cards. He normally would have stayed to watch but tonight he was much more interested in what Bella might be up to at the moment.

He found her on the viewing deck just as he'd predicted, though he'd thought he'd find her writing in her journal rather than leaning over a laptop screen. He sat down on the floor beside her and leaned over to see what had her so transfixed that she hadn't noticed him yet. He was shocked to find it was video footage of his tiger shark dive with Whit.

He sat up slowly, wanting to be able to watch her while she was still unaware of him. She was nervous, that was clear from the way she rubbed at the beads of her bracelet. But she was also curious and her brown eyes never left the screen.

When the tiger shark began her approach toward Masen, Bella's hand stilled and her breath caught. Before he could reach out to comfort her, she got control and started to breathe again, a little faster than usual but by no means worrisome.

The tiger came right up to Masen, nearly bumping him with her snout before she finally turned and started to swim directly in front of him. His arm extended and he stuck the tag into her skin. Her reaction was instant and he just managed to duck under her thrashing tail. By the time he righted himself, she was swimming out of the frame.

Bella reached for a paper pad on side of her and furiously scribbled across the page. Masen was surprised she didn't rip right through the paper with the way she was rushing.

As hard as it was for him, he made himself wait until she stopped writing to speak up. "Kapu, what are you up to?"

She jumped and quickly turned her head in his direction, her eyes wide with surprise. "Hi."

Her reaction made him chuckle. "What are you doing, kapu?"

"Did you know tiger sharks lose their stripes as they age?" She reached for the laptop and minimized the video to reveal a website with tiger shark facts. "And because they fade and they have a similar shape to their head, mature tigers can be mistaken for young great whites. Oh and the way its dorsal fin sits on its back acts as a pivot so it can spin like on an axis and change direction like _that_." She snapped her fingers for extra emphasis.

Masen wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or take her downstairs to have her repeat this for the team to hear so they could know the mentoring was absolutely working.

He settled on encouraging her to continue sharing her thoughts. "What else did you learn?"

"They really enjoy hanging out in the Pacific region and they prefer hunting at night but for skipjacks they'll feed whenever they come across them. That's how you were able to tag one in the afternoon."

"I can tell you've learned a lot about tigers. So now the question is why."

She moved the laptop and her pad aside and twisted her entire body to face him. "I did great today. The best I've done in years. I was confident, I was excited, I was curious, and I was on-point the entire day. I knew what footage you guys were coming back with and I wanted to see it, every bit of it. And I don't want to wait for tomorrow afternoon for all the data to be in from the tag. I want it now so I can start sorting through it and figuring it out and relating it to the photos and videos from today."

She reached for his hand and gripped it tightly. "Edward, I want you to take me down for a cage dive. I know I can do it and even more I _want_ to do it. Now, the water has to be clear and it can't be Zone 4 because that's just too active an area for the novice that I am. But I want to dive with you. And not just get in the cage. I want a camera in my hands so I can take my own underwater shots and put the MMR stamp on them and show them to my uncle when he comes back. None of this means I want to be a shark researcher but I will when that's what the team is focused on because at the end of the day what I want to be more than anything is a marine researcher. I want to be on the water, learning and discovering about all of these amazing creatures in their own environments. And while I don't think I'll ever be unafraid of sharks, I have complete faith that I can control the fears I do have. I have the tools and the support I need right here with MMR and with you."

Her words had him rooted to the floor with a suddenly dry mouth and racing heart. "You sound like you've decided on more than a cage dive."

"If you're serious about a permanent place for me with MMR, then I want it. I have no idea how we'll make any of it work or what I'll do for housing or how I'll spend the off season, but with your logic and my determination, we're bound to figure it out. So I'm all in if you are."

He went with his heart first and his head second. He gripped the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his, kissing her until neither of them had a breath left to share and they had to separate.

"It's yours," he promised her. "You're permanently part of the team and we'll find the right work balance for you so that you're happy no matter what we're studying."

She let out a squeal and launched herself at him, nearly knocking him over with the force of her hug.

He laughed while hugging her and setting his chin on her head. "I'm going to take that as acceptance of the job offer. With the other stuff, I don't have any more idea than you do right now but I know we can figure it out together." He ran a hand through his hair while fighting to sort through all the scenarios running across his mind. "I don't know … maybe we could even see about getting a little place that's ours, something close to Esme's."

Bella chuckled against his chest. "Better not be too little or we'll find trouble pretty fast. You need your own space for your projects, and I need a room that's mine for journaling and reading and being as disorganized as I want."

He let out a groan, picturing the closet at the house in Gordon's Bay. "And your own closet. I can't share with you. I'm sorry, but I can't. It's painful to walk away without organizing your stuff."

"Perfectly understandable," she replied with a laugh. "I will not hold that against you at all."

"I'll at least try to learn to live with you letting Lizzy in the bed while you look over paperwork."

Bella sat up and took Masen's face into her hands, caressing his rough stubble with her soft palms. "We just decided our futures are working and living together. Are we crazy? It's been one summer and not even a whole summer, but still I don't have any doubt about this, about _us_. I love you and I just know that a life spent living and working with you will never be boring or unfulfilling. What do you think?"

"Kapu, life with you has been crazy from the moment you walked into the bar in that sundress." He smiled and turned his head enough to kiss her palm. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from walking out of my life."

"Our life," she corrected.

"You just have to have the last word, don't you?"

"No more than you do."

He smiled for a moment before growing serious again. "This isn't just you choosing a job. It's you changing your dream, your entire future. I don't see that as a crazy thing because of how quickly my own future changed when Whit was hurt. Just be sure. You're running on adrenaline right now so after you calm down and have time to think—I just want to be sure you're as happy about your new future as I am."

"Silly, Edward," she said as she used her hands to brush his long hair from his ears. "Too often hearing and not listening like a little sister we both know. I already told you it's _our_ life so that makes it _our_ future. And honestly, it's not that different of a dream. I wanted to work with a wider variety of marine life and now I'll get to do it in the wild instead of behind glass. And you're missing the biggest piece of this, which is that my new future has something my old one never could have given me."

"High adventure on the seas?" he joked, remembering how long it had taken her to get her sea legs.

"Yes. Nothing more special than that," she replied sarcastically. "Not even dry, steady land."

He chuckled while pulling her in so their chests were touching. "Us, right?"

"Wow I really expected a 'me' right there. This shows real progress, Edward."

"Smart ass," he said as he pinched said ass and made her squeal.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Serious time. I want _us_. If I sat here and tried hard enough, I'm sure there are plenty of facts my head could list about why Atlanta still makes sense. But my head can't quantify what's in my heart. It can't account for the love and the laughter you bring into my world. Which is probably a good thing for you because it also can't deduct for those times when you drive me crazy. I know what I want, Edward. I want us, and I have no doubt that loving you is going to be a one-of-a-kind adventure."

He leaned forward to kiss her lips, pausing just long enough to say, "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

While his logical brain scrambled to grasp the sheer number of possibilities with so much unknown, his heart was perfectly at peace with the decision he'd made with Bella. He had no doubt Esme would be proud of him. Even more, he knew Elizabeth would be proud and that she'd love Bella. Of course, both of his mothers would also never let him live down that they had been right all along about his heart one day bringing him more joy than his brain ever had.


	46. 46 Tshirts & Talks

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 46 – T-shirts and Talks**

**Saturday, August 2nd**

Masen was awoken by tugging on his ear and he popped one eye open to get a look at his attacker. Lizzy seemed to be smiling at him and he snorted as he reached above his head to grab hold of her and move her to his chest. She tried to wiggle her way to freedom but he had expected it and easily kept her in his hands. He hoped to calm her by stroking her back but she was not in the mood and nipped his finger while growling at him.

"You're supposed to be a sweet girl," he chastised as he hugged her, laying his head on her back. "Sweet girls don't bite."

Lizzy barked at him this time and left him no choice but to get up and get out of bed before she woke Bella. They had been up late, luxuriating in the ability to be alone and not have to get up early the next day for a full day of work.

He snagged his clothes and shoes from the floor on his way out, not trusting Lizzy to behave long enough for him to get dressed in the room. He managed to keep her quiet long enough for him to dress and use the restroom but once she was racing out the front door there was no stopping her happy barks. Actually, there was no stopping her in general and he had to skip his usual warm up pace so he could catch up to her.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" he asked as they passed the dune Bella liked to sit on.

Lizzy slowed down some but didn't halt her journey across the sand until she reached the dip where the bay water pooled just enough to be the perfect size pool for one small Boston Terrier. She dove into the water head first, managing to make a big splash with her little body.

Masen shook his head and laughed at her, always amazed by how her love of getting filthy was only ever dwarfed by her hatred of baths. "Lizzy, what am I gonna do with you?" he asked her.

She looked up and smiled at him for a moment and then proceeded to jump deeper into the make-shift pool.

He settled himself in the sand a little further up the beach where he could be close in case she got into trouble but far enough away to avoid the spray from her splashing.

While he waited for his puppy to tire herself out, he thought back on his conversation with Bella and to the big choices they'd made together. What he remembered most was the look of confidence and conviction in her beautiful brown eyes. It wasn't logical for her to want him more than she wanted Atlanta but he was damn sure glad she did. And her desire to continue with MMR was equally exciting; she pushed them all to be better teammates.

There was a lot to consider and even more details to hash out. He was itching to focus on figuring out all the answers since there were only three weeks left before the summer ended and they'd head back to Hawaii. It was damn hard to resist that impulse, especially with how instinctual it was to him. He had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't the right way. Talking things out with Bella was the right way. It helped to have her assuring him there would be time to focus on them once their work for MMR was done, but it didn't completely relieve the urge to chase down the answers.

Lizzy's bark drew him out of his head and he looked up to find her trying to follow a seagull that was not at all interested in becoming friends with a puppy.

"She has far too much energy for this time of the morning," Lee announced as she walked up with a thermos in each hand. "I figured if you had to suffer being dragged out of the house this early, then you should at least get coffee," she explained as she settled in beside Masen. "Two sugars and a fat drop of cream as per your exacting standards."

"Moments like these, I remember exactly why it is that I love you," Masen joked as he popped his thermos lid open.

She snorted. "As if I'd ever let you forget."

He hummed in satisfaction after swallowing a warm mouthful. "Thank you for this."

"Honest appreciation without dragging it out of you … What gives?"

Masen slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled their heads together. "I'm a lucky guy, Lee-lee. I was already blessed to have a family like no other and now I've got this woman in my life who loves me as much as I love her. She can be an absolute pain in my ass sometimes but even those times I find myself learning something from her."

Lee smiled knowingly. "When you tell her you love her, you don't say it out of habit. You say it to remind her that she's the best thing that has ever happened to you."

"Romantically," he amended. "In the friendship department, there's no beating you, just a hard fought tie."

"Damn straight," she agreed while giving his mess of hair a ruffle.

"Lizzy," Masen called out in warning, not liking how close she was getting to the surf. The tide was rough this early in the morning and it wouldn't take much for it to sweep a small dog out.

His puppy immediately twisted around and went back to the safety of her pool, splashing around in complete enjoyment.

"That dog is lucky on so many levels. She gets to lead a simple life of infinite pleasure under the watchful eye of her loyal Masen. And from what I've seen, she's been getting an extra dose of spoiling from Bella."

He opened his mouth planning to tell Lee all about how the spoiling would get worse once he and Lizzy were living with Bella but then he remembered he'd promised Bella they would tell Esme and Carlisle first. He played it off as a yawn and then quickly filled his mouth with coffee.

When he was sure Lee hadn't noticed, he asked about what she'd said earlier. "What you said about saying 'I love you', does that apply to you and Emmett?"

Lee whipped her head around so fast that her long hair smacked him in the ear. "You used his actual name!"

Masen was confused by her excitement. "So?"

"So you never use his real name. It's always 'Gopher this' and 'Gopher that'. I'm not stupid to your ways, Mase. That's your way of keeping him at a distance. Hearing you use his real name, it means you've really been letting him in this summer."

He shrugged. "It's never been that I don't like him. It's just hard to trust him knowing how much of a goofball he can be sometimes."

"He's never once been anything but professional during work hours."

"I know that. And you know it's hard for me to trust that he can really keep the overgrown kid in him locked up when it counts."

"Doesn't help that you and I are naturally slow to trust either."

"No. But I like to think we're getting better at it. I'm even going to trust you right now. I want to spring the surprise date on Bella tonight. I'd like you to distract her later today while I pull together a few things."

Lee smiled wide and rubbed her hands together. "What do you have planned?"

He leaned back and pointed to the mountain range behind them. "Sunset picnic at the top."

Lee smacked him on the shoulder. "Where the hell was your romantic bone when we were dating?"

He knew he shouldn't but he just couldn't resist since she'd set it up so perfectly for him. His lips pulled up into his shitty grin as he responded, "In my shorts."

Lee threw her weight against him and knocked him into the sand, sending Lizzy rushing over to protect him. While Masen laughed, Lee lifted up his puppy so they were nose to nose. "You are far too loyal to him, missy."

Lizzy smiled with her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

Lee snorted and set the puppy down, then gave her a good scratch behind the ears. "I know, I know. I'm the pot to your kettle."

Masen refrained from mentioning how lovable he was as he brushed sand from his hair and shirt. He did not however completely stop himself from teasing Lee. "When you open the door like that, how am I supposed to resist walking through it?" he asked.

"Whatever," Lee replied grumpily.

"_Lizzy_," he whined as his puppy made herself comfortable in his lap—every wet, sand-coated inch of her. He appreciated how much she loved him but he could have done without the wet lap.

"That's what you get for being a jerk," Lee told him. "And another thing, I was going to help with Bella for free but now you owe me something. Something _big_."

Masen had already had a return favor in mind and he was pretty sure it would meet her requirement of "big" and also show he cared for her relationship with Emmett. One of the many things Bella had shown him this summer was the importance of time alone to just be a couple together. Lee and Emmett didn't get much of that during MMR's work seasons and Masen wanted to change that for them.

"How about I get the others out of the house for a few hours today so you can be completely alone with Gopher?" he offered. "I figured I'd take Bella, Whit, and Alice over to Kleinmond for brunch or lunch depending on when they wake up."

Lee studied his face while responding, "Don't get me wrong because I am _so_ taking you up on this, but why?"

"My focus has always been on growing and protecting the bond we have as a family because that bond is one of the major reasons MMR is so successful. It reinforces our trust in each other. Now that I'm learning to look at things from a different perspective, I see where it's just as important for a couple to grow and protect their own bond, which means they need time away from the team." He paused to pick his words carefully, once again fighting the urge to tell Lee everything. "When we prep for our next season, I want you to help me work in time blocks for individual free time. A few here and there should be enough to make sure any couple relationships stay just as strong as the team and family."

Lee's smile had that predatory edge that came out whenever she knew she had backed him into a corner. "Guppy picked MMR over Atlanta, huh? Not that I'm surprised she picked us, just that she picked now rather than waiting until the end of the internship. I know it's important to her to feel like she's earned her place with us."

Masen was a complete floundering fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly over and over again until he finally squeaked out a high-pitched "How" that had Lee laughing and Lizzy barking.

"You can't say anything," Masen pleaded. "I made a promise to Bella."

"That's your problem," Lee replied, still chuckling. "Oh, Mase."

"Lee, seriously. You can't say anything. And nothing I'm saying confirms anything either. Just … Just please don't say anything, okay? Remember that you really do love me."

Lee laughed brightly and ruffled his hair. "Of course I love you, Mase. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't torture you for my own personal entertainment in a red hot second."

He let out a miserable groan and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I'm so fucked."

"Make you a deal," Lee offered. "I'll let it go for now if you promise to tell me everything as soon as you've fulfilled whatever your promise is to Bella."

"Done. Promise," he immediately responded. "Thank you."

Lee smiled wickedly. "No, thank _you_, Mase."

"Okay, we're done," Masen said as he tucked Lizzy under his arm and got to his feet. He wasn't so much annoyed with Lee's teasing as he was with himself for whatever he'd done to clue Lee into Bella's choice.

Lee hopped up laughing. "We are so far away from done, but I'll leave you alone for now. I'll even help you bathe Lizzy."

"What do you really want because we both know it's not to help with her bath?"

"Details about tonight," she said as she caught up to him and matched his pace.

Masen grinned. "Mountain. Sunset. Picnic. Kapu."

"What about the music? You need music for the mood."

He snorted. "Right because the ocean view from a mountain top isn't a mood setter all on its own."

"I've got the perfect mix CD for you."

"Don't need it."

Lee reached out and pinched his cheek. "It's not all about you, Masey."

He swatted her hand away but he also conceded. "Fine, I'll take your CD. And just for the record, I already know it's not all about me. That's why it's sunset and not sunrise."

Lee smiled genuinely as she hooked her arm around his. "Proud of you, Mase. Also, slightly jealous you're learning to be a couple faster than I did. Then again, you probably have a binder full of observations you've noted about her."

"I could fill a binder," he agreed. "But somehow I like learning from her more than studying her." He leaned in and pressed his head to Lee's. "I'm sorry." Their ridiculous attempt to be more than the great friends they were had been foolish. Lee had never really wanted him—she had wanted to be wanted and needed by someone. Gopher was her someone and he gave her everything she wanted and more. Still that didn't completely erase the sting of watching Masen give Bella everything he'd been incapable of even seeing Lee had needed.

"You're sweet to apologize but it's unnecessary since I was equally at fault."

"Yeah, but I'm supposed to look out for you and I flaked."

"You didn't flake. You just didn't know what to do. Neither did I. We were kids still. Now we're sure of who we are and want we want. Time to forget about the mess we made and focus on the bright side! Mine is that our friendship never suffered and we are now with the people we were truly meant to be with. Yours?"

"Everything you just said."

Her teasing smile popped out. "Such a copycat. First the surfing, now everything I'm saying."

Masen lifted his leg and used the side of his foot to kick her upper thigh. "I was surfing before I ever met you, you brat."

Lee laughed while shuffling a few steps away. "If that's what you want to call it. Race you home?"

He looked at her as if she'd suddenly gone crazy. He might struggle to best her in surfing but she was no match for him in running.

"Fine. Be afraid to lose to me. _Again_."

He stopped to tuck Lizzy closer to his chest and make sure his grip was firm.

"What are you doing?" Lee asked.

"Getting ready to beat you with a dog in tow."

"I've got two thermoses so that makes us even by my estimation," Lee said as she lined her feet up with his.

They shared a smile and then they gave their most impressive mean faces. They didn't bother counting, knowing it would just give the other a way to cheat. Instead they waited for a loud sound to release them—it was a short wait and the sound was the shrill cry of a bird flying overhead. There was no joking, no laughing, and no half-assing. They pushed themselves across the sand as fast as they could while holding tight to their loads.

Had it been a photo finish, it would have been Masen by half a shoe. But since there was no camera to definitively declare a winner, they agreed it was a fair tie and headed inside to give Lizzy a much needed bath.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"It just seems more probable that something is wrong with the tag," Whit replied as he followed Edward into the house.

"Why?" Edward asked. "Why can't the tag be right? You know it wasn't that long ago that we thought Great Whites only lived into their thirties. Now we know they live well into their seventies. Why can't we be wrong about their dive depth?"

"I'm not saying we can't be wrong. I'm saying we have _zero_ data to suggest we might be wrong."

"But _this_ could be that data."

"So much for agreeing _again_ that work would be left for tomorrow," Bella said, shaking her head as she shut the front door. Despite occasionally being annoyed with the guys for their continued work talk, she'd had a great outing with her sister. She'd even brought back a surprise for Lee and was excited to give it to her.

Lee came out of her room and nearly knocked right into Bella. "Woah. What's with Frick and Frack and their raised voices?"

"They're arguing about the tag data again," Alice explained.

"You would need a comparative sample," Whit continued, completely oblivious to the conversation the women were having.

Edward smiled. "Exactly. We need to tag another Great White. A bigger one this time. A large _male_."

Bella and Lee exchanged worried glances but before either could bring up their concerns, Gopher put an end to the conversation. "Not another word from either of you," he ordered, pointing at Edward first and then Whit. "Lee has been relaxed all morning but you two just got home and already she's got a stress crease running across the middle of her forehead. Save it for tomorrow's work day."

A moment of silence passed before Whit broke it. "Gopher's right. It's an off day and we shouldn't be talking about work. We made that deal with each other to make sure we didn't burn ourselves out and we need to stick to it, no matter how exciting the subject matter is to us."

"Masen's got a shitload of boxes on the table over there," Gopher told them. "There's bound to be something exciting in one of them."

Edward leaned to the side to see past Gopher. "What are you doing messing with my boxes?" he asked with a grin.

"If you'd rather them be outside, I can sure as hell put them back," Gopher offered.

"It's fine," Edward answered with laugh.

"Three … four … five. Damn, Mase. What did you order?" Whit questioned.

"Yeah, what's in them? What did you get?" Gopher pressed.

Edward chuckled. "You sound all of five right now."

Gopher ignored the comment. "Is one of them mine? Mine, mine, mine!"

"Bro, you imitate the birds from _Nemo_ far too well," Whit remarked with a snort.

"Well at least some_one_ has enough of their attention to stop the shark talk," Alice said to Lee and Bella. "We were no match."

"We had fun regardless," Bella pointed out. She turned to Lee and raised the bag in her hand. "And I brought you something."

Lee smiled wide while taking the bag from her. "Is it diamonds? Diamonds are supposed to be a girl's best friend."

"We aren't really the diamond types," Bella pointed out.

"Oh that's right," Lee agreed with a snap of her fingers. "That's in our next life. We'll even take it a step further and have diamond skin."

"Wouldn't that hurt?" Alice questioned.

"Nah, we'd just have the sparkle without the sharp edges," Lee explained.

"And extended lives," Bella added. "If we're going to have amazing skin, we should have it for a good long time."

"I'm on board," Lee replied. "Now let's see what my favorite Guppy has brought me." She pulled the sides of the bag apart and peered inside. "Holy—Oh this is so _perfect_!" she exclaimed, reaching in to pull out one of the items. "How did you know snow seals were my favorite?" she asked as she checked out the soft, snow white seal pillow with its fat head and flat back.

"You mentioned it once," Bella replied. "And I double-checked with Edward." Even if the snow seal hadn't been Lee's favorite, Bella was sure she would have enjoyed the pillows regardless. Lee had made it perfectly clear she was a huge fan of sleeping in and what better way to do that than on some comfy new pillows.

Lee reached into the bag again and this time pulled out a fuzzy blue pillow with a seal's face embroidered on it. She set her her two new snow seal pillows between her shoulder and cheek and let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "So soft!" Just as quickly she stood up straight with a mischievous smile curling her lips. "Let's go try them out on the bed!"

Her plan was thwarted by Edward. "Wait a minute. I need you ladies over here first," he announced.

"Seal pillows, Mase," Lee replied. "This is the holy grail of sleep supplies and I must test them posthaste."

Edward was not swayed by her argument. "Your haste can wait until I'm finished with you."

Lee begrudgingly took a step towards him and a chuckling Bella followed her.

"Which of these boxes is mine, Mase?" Gopher questioned.

Edward glanced up from the box he was opening. "Why would one of them be yours?"

"You owe me for ruining my Green Lantern shirt by bleeding all over it."

"I didn't tell you to take it off and put it on my hand."

"No, you just made it medically necessary."

Whit snorted. "He's got a point, bro."

"The boxes are all mine," Edward said, looking specifically at Gopher. "But a few of the contents might belong to others."

Gopher responded with a loud and exaggerated "sweet" while smiling wide and rubbing his hands together eagerly.

Edward popped the first box open and reached inside. After peeking under the packing material, he pushed the entire box away. He did the same with the next two boxes. It wasn't until he got to the third box that he actually took something out. He unfolded the black shirt and turned the short sleeve tee around for everyone to see.

The black t-shirt was emblazoned with white text and a cartoon shark jumping out of an old fashioned TV set. The words read: _Shark Week. You're gonna need a bigger TV_.

"In honor of our yearly tradition of watching Shark Week piled up on Esme's couch, I ordered all of us this tee," Edward explained. "I even grabbed ones for Alice and Carlisle so they can join in on the fun."

Alice looked as though she'd just swallowed a bug. "Thoughtful," she croaked as she struggled to smile.

"Maybe you can bedazzle it and it won't be so bad," Bella suggested in a teasing tone.

"Brat," Alice huffed while pushing on Bella's shoulder.

"Bro, these are sweet," Gopher said as he held up his own shirt in front of his broad chest. "Do I have to wait until we start the viewing fest to wear it?"

"It's your shirt so wear it whenever you want," Edward answered. "Just make sure you still have it for the marathon."

Lee took the shirt Edward was holding out to her. "While I love the idea, did you really have to get black? It's so hot in the sun."

"It only came in black or white, and the white didn't look right." Bella gasped at her blunder and turned her wide eyes on her sister. She had agreed with Edward that it was best if she not reveal her part in ordering the shirts to avoid any sibling conflict.

"You were in on it! You really are a brat!" Alice cried.

Everyone but Alice laughed in response, although Bella did catch her sister's little smirk.

"Mase, what about the other boxes? Huh? What's in those?" Gopher pressed. "Can I look?" he asked, already reaching for a box.

Edward grabbed the flap of the box and pulled it in front of him. "Patience, my large friend. Patience."

Bella watched as Edward opened the smallest of the five boxes and she knew right away what it was—his iPad. She was so glad it had come today. Esme's had arrived yesterday and he'd been itching to get his hands on his own so they could video chat and see each other's faces.

"Fancy iPad you got there, Masen," Gopher remarked. "What, oh what, made you think to get one of those?"

Edward's lips turned up in a smirk and he slid the box he'd taken away earlier over to Gopher. "Shut up and look in there."

Gopher quickly and enthusiastically tossed away the packing material to find the treasure inside of the box. "No fucking way!" He not only sounded stunned, he looked it as he showed his prize to the others. His exuberance burst forth along with his joyous smile. "_Jawesome_. Simple yet sophisticated. And totally me. Babe, look!"

"I see," Lee replied with a laugh. "Thank you, Masen."

Edward favored her with his shitty grin and then put the other two boxes in front of Gopher. "This makes us even, Gopher."

"We'll see," he said as he peeled the flaps back on the next box. "Oh, yeah! I'm wearing this today!" And he meant every word because he pulled his shirt off and put his brand new one on. "See what it says? True words, bro. True words."

Bella giggled as she stared at the shirt and the man in it. The red t-shirt was emblazoned with the words _I'd flex but I like this shirt_.

"Done," Lee said with a groan. "So done with these men in my life egging each other on."

"Told you to be careful what you wished for," Edward told her.

"Heaven!" Gopher yelled. "I'm in t-shirt heaven. I don't know which to wear first. Technically, I guess I already did but all the _options_." He finally showed off his last two treasures to the gang. The first was a black t-shirt that proclaimed _Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman_. It even had the bat logo at the bottom of it. The final shirt was grey with Spider-Man's face in the center and it gave the following advice: _Keep calm and be amazing_.

"Mase, bro, thank you a thousand times. This is above and beyond and I appreciate it," Gopher sincerely said as he forced a hug onto Edward.

Edward extracted himself from the hug and then suddenly looked very puzzled with his eyebrows drawn in and his lips turned down. "Lee, where is my puppy?"

Now that he'd mentioned it, Bella wanted to know Lizzy's whereabouts too. It was odd that they hadn't even heard her bark for Edward when they'd come home, much less with all the noise they'd been making this whole time.

"Your _monster_ is in time-out in the baby pen downstairs," Lee answered, looking far too happy about it.

"Oh damn!" Whit exclaimed. "Lee put Baby in the corner! Shit went down while we were out."

"Which of your shoes has gone to Sole Heaven?" Edward asked, struggling to hold back his smile.

"You're not cute," Lee warned him.

He chuckled while backing away toward the stairs. "Nope. I'm fucking adorable."

Bella struggled to hold in her own laughter over Lee and Edward's behavior. "So did you really lose a shoe?"

Lee nodded. "My penguin slippers are no more. She chewed the nose off one and the back foot off the other."

Gopher joined their conversation. "To be honest, babe, those slippers were on their way out anyway. Maybe we can find you some seal ones to go with your new pillows."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Lee relented.

"So … um … why is there a baby playpen downstairs?" Alice asked, looking very puzzled and troubled.

Whit snorted while Lee and Gopher chuckled.

In between her laughing, Lee explained about the playpen. "Her highness, the princess puppy of Masen-land, is far too fragile to be put in a dog crate so she has a top of the line playpen."

"Yeah, Lizzy's the only proof we've ever had that Masen can be illogical just like the rest of us," Gopher added.

"He has gone to some pretty interesting lengths to pamper that dog," Whit allowed. "But then again, I can point out things he's done for all of us that go above and beyond."

"That's not illogical," Bella told them. "That's a man with a lot of love for his family."

Whit slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "You know just because you have sexy times with him now doesn't mean you have to be all mushy about him. You can still make fun of him just like the rest of us."

"Oh, I plan to," she assured him. "But I'll stick with doing it when he deserves it. You and Lee have every other moment covered nicely." Her comment had them all laughing.

"Look, Lee," Edward called out as he came back into the room with Lizzy nestled in his arms. "See how sorry my sweet girl is? Look at her big, sad eyes. She loves you." He lifted Lizzy and pushed his lower lip out. "You can't stay mad with a little puppy this sweet."

Lee stared at him straight-faced. "You owe me slippers."

Edward must have seen something Bella was missing because he responded as if Lee had said she'd forgiven Lizzy. He puckered his lips at Lee and told her, "Love you, Lee-lee."

Lee groaned and rolled her eyes at him. "Come on, Bella," she said as she took hold of her friend's arm. "Let's go before I decide to punish him for his _sweet_ puppy's bad behavior."

Bella couldn't help her giggle this time. The relationship Edward shared with Lee was so lovable and funny, even when they were supposed to be annoyed with each other. It was exactly what a great sibling bond should be.

Alice followed them into Lee's room and asked, "How long do you think before they start talking about that tag again?"

"I think they're really done for today," Bella told her.

Lee smirked. "Sweet, sweet, innocent little learner fish. I love your optimism. But I've known these guys a smidge longer and despite Gopher's declaration to leave work for work, his own curiosity will probably be the spark that reignites the conversation. They'll just be careful to shut up around us for the rest of the night."

"They really are some strange numbers," Bella allowed.

"Yeah, but it's work and work comes tomorrow. Right now, we are testing my pillows." With that, Lee hugged her pillows to her chest and tossed herself onto her bed.

For the next hour, Lee enjoyed her pillows, Alice enjoyed Lee's stash of fashion clothing magazines, and Bella enjoyed talking about music with Lee. She hadn't realized she'd been sharing a boat with a music lover of such wonderfully varied taste but now that she knew she couldn't wait for them to compare their collections. She had even been seriously considering grabbing her laptop but then Edward had come to get her to video chat with Esme and Carlisle.

"So how do we do this?" Edward asked as they settled on the end of the bed.

"Do you want to tell them? Or should we do it together?"

He knocked her back onto the bed and growled against her neck. "We always do it together, kapu."

"How can you be so serious with work and such a goofball with me?"

"Considering that it didn't happen until you forced me to fall in love with you, that makes it all your fault."

"Forced you?" she cried indignantly. "I was fully prepared to keep things professional. _You_ couldn't keep your lips to yourself."

"Yes, a reaction I didn't have before you came into my world. So again, all your fault."

She couldn't help laughing at his ridiculousness. "Which of us is going to share our news with Esme and Carlisle?"

He lifted her arm and kissed her wrist just above her bracelet. "I guess both of us. You can tell them you're staying with MMR and me, and I'll tell them we'll figure out the small details as soon as we get back to Hawaii."

She snorted. "You call where I'll live and what I'll do in the off season small details?"

"Not small as in they don't matter—just not as huge of a decision as choosing me and MMR over Atlanta. And it's where _we_ will live, kapu."

Her hands slid over his stubble and she loved the way he closed his eyes at the feel. "We'll live and love and argue and makeup."

His eyes popped open—a stark green compared to the soft blue they'd been earlier. "I love you."

She smiled and pulled his face to hers, kissing him softly. His hands slid under her shirt and gripped her sides, giving him the positioning he needed to deepen the kiss. And then the iPad beside them started to ring with an incoming video call.

Edward groaned but didn't make any attempt to move so Bella had to push him off. "Behave," she warned as she sat up and he reached for the iPad.

Esme squealed with delight once they could see each other. "Look at that handsome devil! My kid!"

"Mom," Edward replied while laughing. "You're ridiculous."

"It's damn good to see you."

"You too, Mom. I miss you."

Esme's eyes watered even as she smiled. "Only sixteen more days. That ain't nothin'."

He laughed and nodded in agreement. "No time at all."

Esme looked a little confused. "Kid, you're way more chipper than I expected you would be after our texts. What's up?"

"Is Carlisle there?" he asked.

She twisted with her iPad and a newspaper came into view. "Carlisle, are you here?"

"Always for you, my love," he responded from behind the paper.

"What about for our kiddos? They seem like they have something to share with us."

Carlisle immediately put the paper down and scooted closer to Esme. "Bug, is she right? Do you have something to share?"

Bella slid her fingers between Edward's and gave his hand a tight squeeze. She loved the fact that his smile was just as big as her own. She turned her focus back on the iPad and to the curious couple looking back at them. "Edward and I have been talking about our relationship and my career options. We've decided we're going to continue our relationship when we get back to Hawaii. And I've decided my future job is with MMR, not in Atlanta."

"We don't have any specifics nailed down yet, but we fully intend to do that once we're back in Hawaii," Edward contributed. "Bella's position with MMR is one she's earned with hard work and dedication to a job well done. It's not a give-away to keep her with me."

"And I wouldn't take it if I thought for a moment that I couldn't do the job as well as any other team member," Bella added. "It'll be hard when we study sharks, I know that, but it'll be worth it for all the times when we study other species. Before my dad—working on the water was my original dream and to finally be able to live it is what I really want."

"Bella, you know that my wish for you is always what makes you happy," Carlisle told her. "If you truly believe continuing to work with MMR is your path, then I support your choice. My only concern is the intensity of living with and working with the person you love. Have you thought about the strain that could put on you both?"

"I have and I even have a couple ideas on what I might do in the off season to give us a break from each other."

Carlisle smiled wide. "Then I wish you both love and happiness, and the best of luck with MMR."

"Mom, you okay?" Edward asked. "You're never this quiet."

"Edward, sweetheart, you know I want nothing more than for you to share your life with someone, but are you sure you're ready to do that all day every day? Living with Bella will come with a whole new host of responsibilities, many that overwhelmed you when you tried to have your own place once before. If you're going to live with Bella, you're going to have to work less, focus more on your personal life, and share in all the daily household responsibilities. Those are all non-negotiable, especially the working less.

"I'm sorry if I sound harsh or like I don't want you to do this. I very much want this for you—for both of you. But as your Mom, I'm not going to lie and tell you this is going to be easy. It will more difficult than you can imagine right now when every possibility seems available to you both, when it's easy to say 'of course I'll work less'."

Bella looked up at Edward, trying to guess what he was thinking and feeling. She was troubled to hear he'd failed at living on his own—she'd never expected such a thing could happen with him being so organized and regimented. He really had to have gotten incredibly lost in his work for him to fail at it. She wanted to believe it couldn't happen again, that things were different now because they were together, but then she thought of how he and Whit had kept talking about work this morning and she wasn't so sure.

Edward raked his hand through his hair and then slowly began to respond to his mom's comments. "I don't think it's going to be easy … I think I'm going to screw up a lot in the beginning. I'll forget to pay bills and that it's my night to cook. I'll have to be dragged away from my projects because I lost track of time and I'm late for dinner or leaving to go somewhere."

He turned his green eyes on Bella and smiled while gently squeezing her fingers. "I know for sure that we are going to get on each other's nerves. She'll complain when I forget she's sleeping and I get too loud with my experiments, and I'll make snarky comments about her sloppy closet and offer too many times to organize it for her."

He looked directly into the iPad for the last part of what he shared. "It'll never be easy, Mom. But I don't want easy. I want Bella. I want her ridiculous giggle and her goofy behavior. I want her to argue with me until she's either satisfied with my explanation or she's convinced me to change my stance. I want to keep feeling this frustrating mix of needing to be with her and wanting to be alone to work at the same time. I want to be a better man, the one she deserves. And what I want most of all is to never let her go."

"Then go for it, Kid," Esme said between sniffles. "Go for it with my blessing and my support and all of my love for you both. It will be worth it, worth every ounce of frustration because you have a future full of promise ahead of you as long as you never let go of each other."

Edward's smile was comically large and far too wide for kissing but he tried it anyway and Bella found herself laughing with relief and pure joy. All of Esme's concerns had been completely valid but so were all of Edward's answers. Hard for sure, but possible and worth it to share the love they'd built together. And while they were adults and they didn't need anyone to agree with them, it meant a lot to have Esme and Carlisle's support.

"So, Mom, what's Carlisle's homestead like? How's it stack up to our place?" Edward asked.

She laughed and glanced up at Carlisle. "His kitchen appliances are slightly better but we definitely have the better view."

"Even with the backyard?" Carlisle questioned. "I thought you loved the gazebo."

"The gazebo is wonderful," Esme agreed. "Especially with the beautiful flowers Bella and Alice chose to grow around it. But I'm afraid nothing beats the sand and the sea for me."

Edward's lips pulled up into his shitty grin. "What about Bella's room? Any embarrassing posters of celebrities on her wall?"

"Let's go look," Esme said as she stood with the iPad.

"_What_?" Bella shrieked. "No! You can't do that. Uncle Carl, stop her!"

Carlisle's snickering came through loud and clear. "Sorry, Bug. My hands are tied."

"Hey, you've seen both of my rooms so it's only right that I see your one room," Edward pointed out.

Bella covered her face with her hands and mumbled into them. "Oh please kill me now."

From the way both Edward and Esme were laughing, she was sure they'd heard her.

It wasn't that she felt her room was embarrassing or boring. It was just really, _really_ feminine. She'd let Alice do most all of the decorating and she knew Edward would know right away whose idea it was to have a lilac comforter and pastel flowered wallpaper.

"I like the rug. I want a rug like this for my room," Esme said.

Bella peeked through her fingers and saw the fluffy white rug that rested under her bed and nightstands. Both stands were covered in haphazardly stacked books—Edward was sure to _love_ more evidence of her messiness.

"Kid, if I only looked at the nightstands and bookcase, I'd think I was in your room," Esme commented.

"His books are so neat, though," Bella pointed out.

Esme snorted. "That's because I made him clean his room before you arrived. He's famous for leaving books lying all around the house."

"I once found a book of Bella's in the freezer," Carlisle confided. "She had to put it down to grab a bag of frozen vegetables and completely forgot it was in there."

"Oh, I've got that beat," Esme said with a wave of her hand. "One summer night, when he was about thirteen, I decided to trust Edward to be home alone while I went to visit my friends for a few hours. He was sketching when I left and I honestly thought that would be how I found him when I got home. Little did I know that soon after I left, he got himself into a tizzy over not being able to fully recall a motor design he'd seen in a book. He also couldn't remember which book so he went through every book in the house. When I got home, there was a trail of books showing me every room he'd been in. It took him and Whit the entire next day to put my house back in order."

"How did you convince Whit to help you?" Bella asked. She would have guessed that he'd have teased Edward about the mess rather than help clean it up.

"He wasn't as much of a help as an annoyance," Edward admitted. "He spent most of the time teasing me until I'd yell at him and then Esme would yell at me to calm down and get back to work. That's why it took a whole day to put everything back."

"This vision—it's so beautiful," Bella teased, pretending to wipe away a tear.

"Yuck it up, Guppy," Edward warned. "Mom, what's that over on the end of her bed?"

Rather than fill with a blush like usual, Bella's face went white. She knew what was there—Alice's magazine. Alice's special issue magazine with all of the sex articles!

"Look, Edward! It's your favorite—_Cosmo_," Esme announced as she picked up the magazine and held it closer to the iPad.

"That's not mine!" Bella blurted out.

"It's in your room," Edward replied with a chuckle. "Fess up, kapu. Do you read it cover to cover or do you complete the surveys first? I bet you read the big articles, then do the survey, and then go cover to cover."

"What? No!"

"No reason to be embarrassed, Bella," Esme told her. "We all have our guilty pleasure reads.

"But it really isn't mine. It's Alice's," Bella protested.

"Hey that's the one with the bucket list survey for sex," Edward commented. He smirked and turned his attention to Bella. "Not to brag, but I checked off quite a few of those. How many did you check off, Bella?"

A coughing and red-faced Carlisle jumped in at that moment. "Maybe that's a question best answered in private."

"Just having a little fun at Bella's expense," Edward assured him.

"You will regret it," Bella threatened as she poked Edward in the chest. "I don't know how or when, but you'll regret it."

Amazingly, his payback happened immediately after and was brought to him by his own mom. "Oh, Carlisle, look at this one," Esme chirped. "Nine ways to improve sex in under a minute."

Under his tan skin, Bella could see Edward had a blush of his own. "Mom, you're not funny."

Her eyebrows arched up. "Did I sound like I was joking?" To prove she wasn't, she hugged the magazine to her chest and left Bella's room with it. "Shall I show you Carlisle's room? He has a wildly impressive bed in it. Plenty of room for us to explore the twenty-four sex tips article headlining the cover of this _Cosmo_."

"Okay, so I'm gonna go now," Edward said, standing and passing the iPad off to Bella. "Mom, you have yourself a great afternoon or night or whatever it is there and I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear all of what you just said. Carlisle, good luck, man."

"Where are you going?" Bella called after him.

"Somewhere. Anywhere," he yelled back from the other room.

Esme's chuckle had Bella looking back at the iPad in her hand. "Guess I teased my kid a little too much this time."

"No, that was perfect. Absolutely perfect," Bella promised.

"So, Bug," Carlisle began. "I now have _two_ very important reasons to spend as much time as possible in Hawaii."

She smiled wide. "Not anywhere near where we thought this summer would lead, huh?"

Carlisle put an arm around Esme and kissed her temple. "Sometimes the best things are the ones we didn't plan to happen."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Masen grabbed the doorway and poked his head into Lee's room. He saw right away that the person he was looking for wasn't in there. "Where's Bella?"

Lee didn't look up from the magazine she was flipping through—thankfully not _Cosmo_—but he could tell from the smirk on her face that her eyes were dancing. "What's it worth to ya?"

"I already paid you in alone time."

"That was before your puppy ate my slippers."

He snorted and came all the way into the room. "You know those raggedy things didn't have much life left in them."

Lee lifted her head and smiled at him. "Your kapu's in the bathroom freshening up."

Masen narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"Of course not, you dork," she answered as she rolled her eyes at him. "She's taking out her ponytail and brushing her hair."

"Thank you." He turned to go but she stopped him with a question.

"You're not wearing that, are you?"

"What's wrong with it?" He glanced down at his white t-shirt and khaki shorts; they were a little rumpled but there weren't any stains on them.

"Go change. Green polo with your dark jeans."

"We're just going to be sitting on the tailgate," he pointed out.

Lee smiled and repeated her clothing choice. "Green polo. Dark jeans."

Masen shrugged, figuring it wouldn't hurt to follow her advice. He headed into his room and opened the closet—and immediately grimaced at Bella's side. He murmured the words Esme had said to him when he'd complained to her about the state of the closet, "Leave it alone. She has a right to be messy just like you get to be organized."

Once he had on the clothes Lee had picked for him, he realized he was no longer going to be able to get away with wearing flip flops. He almost put his original outfit back on but then he thought about what Bella might like and figured she'd expect a little effort in his outfit on an official date.

After putting on a pair of socks and his black Converse sneakers, Masen went in search of Bella again. He found the bathroom door still closed so he decided to sit on the arm of the couch to wait for her.

His mind went straight to the conversation they'd had with Esme and Carlisle early this afternoon. If he ignored the part where his mom had told him way more than he ever needed to know, it had been a great talk. He'd known Esme would question his ability to keep from getting lost in his work, and despite not being able to come up with anything solid to say when he'd practiced beforehand, the answers had come to him fairly easily once he'd been sitting there with Bella at his side. Now he just had to back up his words and make an effort at not over-working.

The sound of the bathroom door opening had him up on his feet. He had a clear line of sight into the hall and as soon as Bella stepped into it, he found himself needing to sit back down. The only clear word in his foggy brain was "_mine_" which did him zero good because he was still baffled by how much she wanted to be his.

"What?" she asked while looking down at her dress—the very same dress she'd been wearing the night she'd walked into his life. "Is it too much?"

Masen tried to tell her the dress was perfect but nothing came out.

She sighed and her shoulders slumped. "It's too much. I'll go change."

Before she could take a single step he was standing in front of her. "You look gorgeous, kapu."

"Are you sure? I can change."

He cupped her chin and lifted her eyes up to his, wanting her to see his smile and his sincerity. "Gorgeous."

She relaxed and smiled back. She also teased him. "Gorgeous, huh? How many steps above 'lovely' is that?"

"Enough to make me honestly speechless," he admitted. But no sooner than the words left his mouth, he realized there actually was a problem with her dress. "Bella, how did you know to change?"

"Lee suggested I might want to brush out my hair and put on something flirty but comfortable. She didn't give any details, so don't worry about that. Are you sure this is okay though? I'm not sure I own anything flirty so I went with the dress from the night you and I first met. I figured if it got your attention then, then maybe it would now."

Masen took her hands and held her arms out to the side, getting another full glimpse of her in her devilish dress. He said only one word but he knew she understood all it meant from the blush in her cheeks. "Gorgeous."

He leaned in to kiss her but the alarm on his watch stopped him in his tracks. They had to leave now or they wouldn't have enough time to get the top before the sun set.

"What's the alarm for?" Bella asked as he led her towards the front door. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

She let out a loud huff. "That's what Lee said. She's such a sneaky nudger—Whit usually tells me exactly why he wants me to do stuff. She just laughs."

Masen chuckled. "It could also be because she knows I'd toss her ass overboard for telling you anything."

"Now that you know she didn't, you can tell me all about it," Bella suggested.

He helped her up into the Bronco and then leaned into the doorway. "Are you really that curious?"

It took her a second to stop staring at his mouth and answer. "Yes."

He leaned in further as if he was going to kiss her and then pulled away at the last second. "Let's keep it that way a little longer," he teased as he shut her door.

He climbed in and immediately felt the chill she was sending his way with her arms crossed and her body completely on the passenger side instead of right up against his like usual. He let her sulk for a little, mostly because he was trying not to speed while still getting them where they needed to be on time. But eventually he had to get her talking and smooth things over with her—and hopefully before they reached their destination.

He was smart enough to know from her body language that she had zero interest in speaking to him right now so anything he said would aggravate her. He might as well be brazen and put the issue right out there the way he saw it. "Are you going to get mad at me every time I try to do something nice for you?"

"No, just those times when you're being a jerk about it."

"I barely teased you. I could have started days ago when I figured out exactly what I wanted to surprise you with."

"That sounds like an amazingly sound plan. I can't imagine how it could ever fail."

He reacted to her sarcasm with complete calm. "Hey, if you never want to be surprised, that's fine with me. Sounds boring as hell, but whatever you want."

She sighed and finally uncrossed her arms but she didn't answer right away. "I'm not saying that at all." She turned her body toward his a little and he knew she was finally calm enough for an actual conversation. "Look, I'm bad with surprises. I usually can control the urge to be a complete brat about it, but sometimes I get irritated when I'm teased. I guess that's something I'll have to work on since you seem to enjoy surprising people so much."

"How about I offer you a compromise? I'll only surprise you for big events and I'll let you know ahead of time I'm going to tease you so you're not surprised by it."

"How is that a compromise?" she asked with a surprised laugh. "You just stated exactly what you were going to do. I didn't hear anything that resembled a plus for me."

"Of course you did. Big events only rather than any event where I feel the urge to surprise you. That's a huge plus for you."

She gripped his upper arm and gave it a shake. "You are so frustrating." Then she smiled and kissed his cheek. "But lucky for you, you're also sweet and cute. Thank you for wanting to do something nice for me, and I'm sorry I was a brat about it."

"There's my normally sweet kapu," he teased as he put his arm around her. "You disappeared for a little while there."

"What is this road we're on?" she asked, looking wary of the rise in the road ahead of them.

"It's a shortcut. It's fine, I promise."

She didn't look convinced.

He slid his fingers along her arm and smiled at her. "Do you trust me?"

She immediately smiled back and relaxed. "Always."

They made it to their destination with just enough time for Masen to get the back of the Bronco setup. It would have probably gone faster if Bella hadn't been making him laugh by tossing out ridiculous ideas on what he was doing that required her to stay seated up front without peeking at him. Still, he'd prefer her being goofy than her being annoyed with him any day.

When he finally felt the blanket was spread out perfectly, the pillows were stacked high enough, and the food arranged impeccably, he went to her door and opened it, offering her his hand. She held tight, using his weight to help her keep her balance on the uneven ground.

As soon as she saw the back of the truck, she let out a little gasp and tightened her grip on his hand. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad reaction.

The silence spinning out had him nervous that she was disappointed after the way he'd built up the surprise idea with his secrecy. "I know it's kind of homemade but I wanted something you'd find relaxing," he explained.

She turned her head to get another look at the view of the ocean and sky laid out before them and then focused on the truck again. "I don't know what to say."

His shoulders slumped and he felt awful for having guessed so wrong about what she might like. Even though it was a simple plan, he'd put a lot of thought into it, considering all of the things he knew she liked and disliked so far. "It's early still. We can go to Cape Town if you want," he offered. "We can even go to that restaurant here down by the marina."

She looked up at him, appearing honestly puzzled. "Why would we leave? I thought we were here to watch the sunset together. Or did I guess wrong?"

"No, that was my intent but—" He raked his hand through his hair, struggling to speak and control his disappointment at the same time.

She took his face into her hands and tilted his chin down so she was sure his attention was on her. "You're doing it again. You're trying to make things perfect when all I want is to be with you. It wouldn't matter to me if you'd forgotten the food or if it suddenly started pouring raining so hard we couldn't see anything. All I need for this to be an amazing night is for you to be here with me. Perfection still doesn't exist and never will, and honestly even if it did, I wouldn't want it. I'd give up perfection to seeing the love you put into things any day. All I want is you, Edward."

"I'm yours, kapu," he promised. He backed it up with a kiss that made her knees go weak and gave him the opportunity to scoop her up and set her down on the blanket.

She waited until he was settled against the pillows and then she leaned up against him and pulled his arms around her. "This is definitely the best official first date I've ever had."

Masen's smile was comically big for the second time today. "Me too, kapu," he said as he hugged her tighter.

The sunset came quick but it was just the start of their date. Once the last of the colors faded from the sky, he slipped away to put on the music Lee had insisted he take along. He set the volume low so they could hear it but still hear each other while they talked and ate.

By the time he made it back to the tailgate, Bella had tossed off her shoes and popped open the food containers. The little brat had even started eating without him, munching on the biggest of the calamari strips he'd made for them. There was also his self-proclaimed world famous creamy bacon and egg potato salad, the last of Esme's sweet tea, and a local dessert he'd picked up special at the marina's restaurant just for tonight. It was known as a milk tart and was made with simple ingredients like milk, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Something about the way it all came together made it a dessert he couldn't resist. In fact, he grabbed a fork and made that the first thing he ate for the night.

When his food was all gone, he relaxed against the pillows while Bella continued to enjoy her meal and tell him all about her favorite restaurant in Orlando. He loved the way her skin looked in the moonlight. Since it was nearly full tonight it was bright enough that he didn't need to turn on the camping lantern he'd brought along. Its yellowish light would have blocked out the moon's silvery glow against her skin.

Bella suddenly scooted across the blanket and hopped off the tailgate. She spun to face him, the bottom of her dress flaring out slightly. "Come here," she said as she held her hand out to him.

Masen shook his head. "I'm comfortable. Don't make me move."

She smirked at him. "You can relax later. Right now I want to dance."

"I don't dance."

"Not even when I'm wearing a gorgeous dress?" Her sad tone mixed with her pouty lower lip was stronger than his resistance and he found himself joining her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"For the record, I never said the dress was gorgeous," he told her. "I said _you_ are gorgeous."

She laughed softly. "So long as you're dancing with me, you can think whatever you want."

"Swaying, not dancing," he corrected. To him dancing was actually moving around but all they were doing was holding each other and swaying their hips in time to the slow music coming from the truck's speakers.

Her smile widened while her eyes lightened to that caramel shade he loved. "Dancing and you love it."

He brought his lips down to hers but didn't kiss her—not yet. He had something important to say first. "You make it so easy to tease you, and usually fun too, but I hope you know that when it comes down to it, I'd do anything with you anywhere. Sunsets on mountain tops, moonlight dances, even something land-locked. I love you that damn much, kapu."

She smiled at him with so much love in her eyes that when they kissed this time, her knees weren't the only ones having trouble keeping them upright.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"I'm not saying that at all," Bella argued as she opened the front door while carrying in the lantern and picnic basket. She knew he was purposefully being obtuse and twisting her words. He'd been doing it all night, making a game out of getting her riled up just so he could kiss her until he was forgiven. He thought he was so slick but he had no idea she'd just been pretending to argue with him just to keep those kisses coming—she'd known since the second time he'd done it thanks to his inability to completely cover up his laugh.

Like right now for instance. Edward was right behind her chuckling away with his arms full of pillows and the blanket, completely convinced she couldn't hear him. "Then what are you saying?" he goaded.

"Scary movies have a time and a place. It's called October. Outside of that, I don't see any reason to scare the beejeebus out of myself."

"They're home!" Alice announced at what had to be the very top of her lungs.

With Edward behind her and Lizzy and Alice charging at her, Bella was frozen where she stood waiting for the impact. Just before she was bowled over, two saviors appeared out of thin air—Whit pulled Alice back and Lee scooped Lizzy up.

The breath Bella had been holding whooshed out of her. She heard Edward once again laughing behind her and turned to shoot him a glare. "_That_ is why I don't need scary movies. I have a highly unpredictable sister."

"Don't forget an affectionate puppy," Lee said, laughing while doing her best to keep Lizzy from squirming right out of her arms.

"Kapu, as much as I enjoy staring at your backside, I'm going to need you to move it. Kitchen or living room, doesn't matter so long as you get out of the hall."

Rather than move out of Edward's way, Bella backed up into him until she felt him losing control of the giant pile in his arms. She managed to get out of the impact zone and joined Lee in laughing at him standing there and staring in disbelief with his mouth hanging open.

"I told you I'd get you back for all that teasing," Bella remarked. Her smile turned into a puzzled frown. "Alice, what are you doing?" she asked, unable to believe she was really seeing her sister helping Edward clean up.

"The quicker we put this stuff away, the quicker I can show you," Alice explained.

"She's been wanting to show you for two hours," Lee confided. "Two long hours of her constantly moving around and yammering. She nearly got duct-taped to a chair at one point."

"Lee, that's wrong," Bella admonished. And then she could no longer hold back her grin. "Funny, but wrong."

"Bella, put that stuff away," Alice ordered as she passed by with the blanket.

Lee snorted. "Better get on it, Guppy. Thumper sounds like she means business."

Bella shook her head. "It's my day off. I'm not taking orders from anyone."

"Said as you walk into the kitchen to put away the stuff," Lee taunted. "Tell me again how you're not taking orders?"

"Okay, everybody come here," Alice ordered, her voice bellowing from the living room.

"No one's deaf, Alice. You can bring it down a few hundred decibels," Edward told her.

"I'm just _really_ excited," she replied, her entire body vibrating from the effort it was taking her to stand still.

Edward turned to Whit. "Whit, you remember those tops we had where you wound the rip cord around it and then when you pulled it away the top spun like crazy?"

"Yeah, I remember," Whit said, looking suspicious of his friend. "What about them?"

Edward grinned and jerked his thumb at Alice. "Human one right there."

"Any-_way_!" Alice called out while glaring at Edward. "I know it was hard for all of you to give me another chance and I want you all to know how much I appreciate it. I'm not that scared, mean girl that first greeted all of you. I was just really afraid for my sister and afraid of losing her. But I know now that there's no other team I'd trust to keep her safe." Alice leaned over the couch and when she stood up straight she was holding a shopping bag in her hands. "To show my appreciation, I picked a little something up for each of you."

Whit stepped up to hold the bag and allow Alice to pull something from it while keeping her back to everyone. She fussed with whatever it was for a bit and then turned with it stretched out in her hands. "It seemed fitting."

Looking at the navy blue shirt with the white lettering, Bella couldn't agree more. The shirt advertised _White Shark Cafe – Seal Island, South Africa_.

"This is a sweet shirt," Gopher complimented as Alice's handed him his shirt.

"I'm really glad you like it. I'd hoped you wouldn't feel burnt out on t-shirts after all the ones you got this morning."

"That probably won't ever happen," Lee shared while delivering a wriggling Lizzy into Bella's waiting arms.

Once Alice was done passing out the shirts, Bella noticed something odd. "Alice, where's _your_ shirt?"

"I really wanted it to be a team shirt so I just got it for you guys. But I did find a different one I liked," she shared. "Let me get it."

While she rushed off to her room Whit let out a groan and covered his face with his hand. "You guys aren't going to believe this one."

"Unflappable Whit is flapped," Edward mused. "What in the hell has this woman done now?"

"With my sister, there's honestly no telling," Bella remarked as she gently stroked Lizzy's back. The puppy had finally calmed and stopped trying to both give kisses and get down at the same time.

"Ta-da!" Alice announced as she hopped over and threw her arms wide open. She'd traded her feminine cream sleeveless top for a black t-shirt with the outline of a shark in yellow and the words _Caution – Does not play well with others_. Seeing Alice in a t-shirt wasn't the weirdest thing, though. No, that honor belonged to the big pink rhinestone bow she'd added to the shark's dorsal fin.

Edward opened and closed his mouth a few times but all he ever managed to get out was a very confused and loud "_What_?"

"Told you, bro," Whit said, shaking his head.

"Did you even try to stop this insanity?" Edward asked.

Alice giggled while wrapping herself around Whit. "It's so cute how you think he could."

"Why? Why did it have to be this one?" Edward asked Whit.

He snorted and nodded his head toward Bella. "Same reason it had to be her for you. She's the one I need for balance."

"Oh! I have something else," Alice chirped. She untangled herself from Whit and ran off to her room once again.

When she returned this time, she carried a few sheets of paper and she delivered them all to Edward.

"What's this?" he asked.

Alice's smile was once again beaming. "Tomorrow's blog post and a receipt."

Bella and Lee looked to each other with identical wide eyes and Lizzy perked up in Bella's arms, her little ears rising fully.

"Just look through it," Alice encouraged. "I promise you won't be disappointed." She paused and then added, "Actually Whit promised and I trust his judgment."

While Edward read over the papers, Lee signed to Whit asking him what was going on and what the post was about. Whit only smiled and shrugged.

"He's not gonna give it up, is he?" Gopher whispered.

"That little shit will get his," Lee promised. "Just you wait."

It didn't take Edward long to read through everything and when he looked up from the pages Alice stopped rocking on her heels and stood completely still.

"You did this on your own?" Edward questioned.

Alice nodded. "Of course I told Whit about my idea beforehand, and Gopher helped me edit it after, but the words are all mine."

Gopher started to turn red the longer Lee and Bella stared at him; he was big time busted for fooling them. He gave a sheepish smile and then looked away, pretending to be fully absorbed in Alice and Edward.

Edward flipped through the pages once more and then looked to Whit for confirmation, getting a nod in response.

"So?" Alice pressed, already back to rocking on her heels. "What do you think? Good enough for the MMR blog?"

"I have a very important question for you and I need you to be completely honest," Edward told her. "And we both know Whit will tell me if you hold anything back."

Alice's gaze shifted to Whit and his smile set her at ease, getting her to stand still without the vibrations this time. "I'll be honest."

Edward held the papers up between them. "Do you mean everything you say in here? I'm not asking if you trust the statistics and facts. I'm asking if you mean your viewpoint, if you believe in what you wrote."

Alice struggled to speak and when she finally did, it seemed an awkward way to respond to Bella. "I don't want to for some of it, but I do for all of it. Does that make sense to you?"

Edward shocked everyone—especially Alice—by hugging her. "It's a good post." He let her go and smiled his shitty grin while teasing her. "Definitely not professional writing but we can't all be genius researchers."

Alice bantered right back. "I think you're getting genius confused with arrogant."

"Brat's got jokes," Edward replied while pushing her into Whit's arms. "Do something with her, will ya?"

"Plan to," Whit assured him while Alice laughed.

"What the hell did we just witness?" Lee asked Bella.

"I'll let you know once I figure it out," Bella responded. She wanted her sister to get along with Edward; she just hadn't expected it to start happening this soon.

Edward walked over and handed off the pages to Lee. "Let her know if anything needs to be fixed before she emails you the file to post."

Lee and Bella put their heads together and quickly scanned over the document. Bella wasn't surprised the post felt like a friendly chat—relating to others had always been a skill of Alice's. But the personal touches, the mention of their father—Alice's earlier comment made perfect sense now. She didn't want to need sharks in her world but she believed they were necessary.

"It's good," Lee said as she scanned through the pages a second time. "A couple grammar things I want to go over with her, but certainly good enough for the blog."

"So Alice, huh?" Bella asked, looking to Edward.

"Alice," he agreed with a nod.

She shook her head, knowing full well she shouldn't be surprised he'd been vague since she'd been that way first.

"When she's honest, there's no question she's your sister." Edward reached out and scratched behind Lizzy's ear before finally lifting his eyes to meet Bella's.

"Or that she's still hurting too. That's why you hugged her, isn't it?"

Rather than answer, Edward tugged at his shirt and looked down at his shoes. "I'm sweltering in this. I'm going to change real quick."

Bella caught his arm and stepped into him, hugging him the best she could while still holding on to Lizzy. "You have a beautiful heart and I love you."

He quickly kissed her cheek and then disappeared into their room. She left him alone, figuring he'd more than earned some space to himself. She also trusted he'd talk to her later if she asked—and she would ask.

He came back out a few minutes later in his white t-shirt from earlier and a pair of his basketball shorts with Lizzy's leash dangling from his hand. He didn't say anything as Bella handed him his puppy but he really didn't need to. His steel blue eyes spoke volumes about his level of agitation. She did the only thing she could think of at that moment—she kissed his cheek and told him he was loved.

When Edward finally returned home after being gone for nearly an hour, Bella was in their room in her pajamas, sitting on the bed and spreading a special lotion on her ray scar to help make it less visible.

"What's that?" he asked as he closed the door.

"It's a lotion that makes my scar less noticeable."

"I didn't think it was unless you were really looking."

"It wasn't at first but now that I've gotten a darker tan from all our outside work, it's more evident. I had the tube in my stuff so I figured why not give it a try." She could no longer see any of the white film from the lotion so she capped the tube and put it away in her trunk. After closing the closet door, she leaned back on it and studied Edward.

He stood at the window, looking out to the water she could hear lapping at the beach. She could only see the corner of his mouth but it was enough to know he was frowning. With one foot straight and the other pointed toward the bedroom door, he looked the epitome of a man who couldn't decide if he wanted to stay or go. Since his alone time had clearly not done much to improve his mood, she decided it was time for him to talk about what was bothering him.

Before she could say anything, he turned to face her. "It's my fault you have that scar."

"Excuse me?"

"The ray scar. I didn't protect you. I promised you it would be safe."

She went to him and pressed right up against him, sharing his personal space and resting her arms on his shoulders. "You promised fun and I had loads of that. I was the one who lost focus chasing a fish and ended up scaring a ray. It's true that I walked away with a scar, but I also realized that day just how much I was letting my fear control my life. If I hadn't been so focused on the rare possibility of a dangerous shark appearing, I would have been watching for the very real dangers of snorkeling."

"Bright side." He paused long enough to wind his arms tightly around her and then explained his comment. "When things don't turn out the way we planned, Lee makes me find a bright side. She thinks it helps us find perspective outside of our immediate disappointment. Sometimes it helps I guess."

"So what's your bright side for our snorkeling fiasco?"

His answer was immediate and firm. "You lived."

Bella didn't know what to say to that so she just hugged him.

"The other bright side is that I realized I loved you," Edward continued.

She smiled as she remembered his face the first time she'd said those three words to him. He'd looked petrified but then he'd kissed her and she'd known he felt the exact same even if he hadn't been able to say it to her yet.

"I had been trying to figure out how to tell you, how to make it a moment you'd always want to remember but you were still pretty weak from the ray venom. And then you were saying it to me and I had to tell you, to make sure you knew I felt the same."

"It's one of my favorite memories," she assured him.

"Yeah, well, we both know that wasn't the first time you heard me say it."

She lifted her head and smiled up at him, wanting him to see she was serious. "And that makes it even better. Edward, at that point you were so busy overanalyzing every single thing about us … I think if I hadn't heard you then, I wouldn't have known how you really felt for a long time after. Besides, hearing you talk to Lizzy about me, I knew I was really hearing what was in your heart and not your head."

He brought his forehead down to rest against hers. "More and more, I'm running out of ways to argue with your logic. I don't like it."

She chuckled and kissed him softly. "You're just gonna have to get used to it."

He finally smiled. "Smart ass."

As much as she didn't want to see his smile go away, she knew they had to talk about his earlier behavior. "What was it about Alice that upset you so much?"

Just as she'd guessed, his smile disappeared, right along with his arms so his hands could sink into his hair. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "Fine. Let's sit though." They ended up resting against the pile of pillows and each other. "It wasn't really Alice, not directly … Her face, that look in her eyes … All of a sudden I couldn't stand missing Esme anymore and I didn't want to feel that way so I pushed it down like usual. And it was starting to work but then you said what you did and that feeling was back stronger. I guess I got pissed off that I can't just turn things off anymore."

"I'm sure that was very convenient for you, ignoring any thoughts or feelings you didn't want to have by throwing your focus into something else. But you can't hold on to that ability and grow as a person. You have to feel things, you have to _face_ them. There's nothing wrong with missing your mom, Edward. It's completely expected with everything you both have been through."

Edward growled under his breath and got out of the bed, going back to the window. She could see the chords standing out in his neck and the thick ropes of muscle covering his arms down to his fisted hands. She expected to hear that visible anger in his voice and she was right, though he did try to rein it in at first by speaking slowly. "I'm twenty-seven years old … I shouldn't miss her to the degree that I'm angry I can't go into her room and talk with her and hug her."

"You absolutely should," she argued. "Edward, most men don't realize until it's far too late that they should have hugged their mom more, listened to her advice more, and let her know she was loved and appreciated. You are lucky to already know how important it is to do those things with your mom. Many, many, many years from now when you look back on your life and the time you spent with her, you are not going to be that guy regretting all the things he should have said and done with his mom. You know now is the time to show her and tell her, and you do so often that of course it feels unnatural not to have that."

His only response was a half-hearted grunt.

She got up from the bed and went to him, laying her head on his broad chest and wrapping her arms around his back. "Your anger is because you're worried something is wrong with you, but I promise there's not. I can't begin to quantify how many times a day I want to call my uncle to tell him something, something trivial and something big and something that only he will understand and appreciate with me. Many times I can't stop right then to share so I keep a list in my head and every night I send him an email to share with him."

"You really do that?" he questioned while folding her into his arms.

She smiled at the feel of his body relaxing against hers. "It's true. It's also true that most moms and dads aren't as involved as Esme and Carlisle are, but I say that's a shame for those other kids. You and me, we're lucky, Edward."

"Once again making too much damn sense for me to argue."

Having heard the smile in his voice, she looked up and traced his grin with her thumb. "I really don't want to see this smile go away but there's one last thing we need to talk about tonight."

"What?"

"What happened when you lived on your own?"

He shrugged. "It didn't work out. I tried it for a while and then I moved back home with Esme."

"Why didn't it work?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I was a nineteen year old kid at the time. Maybe it was the fact that I had only moved out because I thought that it what I was supposed to do. I thought I was supposed to be on my own to have the complete college experience, only I was never interested in that. It didn't take me long to realize I hated living alone. I constantly missed Esme and I never truly felt comfortable in the place. But I didn't want to give up and I damn sure didn't want to fail so I threw myself into my classes and my night-time projects. The more I worked, the less I thought about how much I hated being on my own. Unfortunately, it also caused me to overlook the small things, like buying groceries and paying bills.

"But you don't need to worry about that happening with us, Bella. I'll have you and Lizzy and I want to be present in your lives. I want to find a balance between focusing on you and focusing on work. I _will_ find that balance. I just might need your help sometimes, and your understanding when I screw up."

"Always," she promised. "As long as you're really trying."

"So are we done with the serious stuff now?"

She couldn't help laughing at his ridiculously hopeful expression. "Yes, we are done with the serious stuff."

"Good because I've been dying to tell you how damn sexy you look in these pajamas."

Bella smiled, glad she'd chosen this pale pink tank top and sleep shorts set over one of the more revealing options Alice had suggested. "I'm happy to hear it, especially knowing how partial you are to my Dr. Seuss t-shirts."

He smiled slyly at her and then he leaned her back over one of his arms and hooked the other under her legs, lifting her up and causing her to squeal in surprise. He brought her over to the bed and then tossed her down on to it, climbing over her before she had a chance to move away.

He leaned in to kiss her but she grabbed his cheeks to stop him. "You're ridiculous and a mess and a ridiculous mess. You know that, right?"

"What I know for sure without a single doubt is that I love you, kapu."

She laughed as she thwarted another of his attempts to kiss her. "I love you too without a doubt but you're still a ridiculous mess."

He pulled her hands from his face and held them against his chest. "How dare you impugn my character like this! And after all I've done for you."

"All you've done for me? Is this in reference to purposefully annoying me on our date earlier so you could kiss your way to forgiveness over and over?"

He kept a tight hold on her squirming hands and dove in for the kill, growling against her neck and making her shriek with laughter. She finally got her hands free and used them to push against his chest. He surprised her by actually allowing her to push him off and she wasted no time in knocking him onto his back and climbing on top.

"Gotcha!" she proclaimed as she smiled down at him.

He chuckled, seeming happy to pretend she had his hands trapped against the mattress. "What are you going to do with me now that you've caught me?"

"Love you."

"Show me."

She happily obliged, sinking her hands into his hair and kissing him with every bit of passion and want she felt for him. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, leaving no doubt in her mind that a pleasurable end of the night was on the way for both of them.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:** Greetings, Lovely Readers! We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We would also like to wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And if you celebrate a different type of holiday during this time, we hope you spend it with those who make you feel happy and loved.

We've put pictures of all the shirts up on the blog, along with Lee's pillows and Alice's blog post. Alice's post is worth the read :)

Happiness and Love to all of you from My-Bella and EternallyAddicted!


	47. 47 Say Cheese

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 47 – Say Cheese!**

**Wednesday, August 13th**

Bella pushed away the loose tendrils of her sweaty hair that the warm breeze had blown into her face. It would have been more comfortable to read over the materials indoors in the air conditioning rather than this heat as she sat on the patio table but she doubted there would have been much reading happening with the current noise level in there. They'd gotten back to Gordon's Bay early and they were off tomorrow so everyone was letting loose and unwinding—everyone but her.

Day after tomorrow, she would be taking the biggest risk of her life. She would be entering the waters of False Bay with nothing between her and the Great Whites but a metal cage. And Edward. Always Edward.

He'd begun planning for this dive pretty much from the moment she'd told him she wanted to do it. Days of research had gone into predicting the optimum day for the optimum weather and the optimum sight range. When he wasn't researching for the dive, he was preparing her for it with statistics, photos, videos, and personal accounts from each team member of what it was like to face a Great White in its lair.

After taking everything he'd shared into consideration, she'd still decided the dive was the next step for her, both personally and professionally. A small part of her hoped it would put an end to her nightmares but she wasn't counting on it. What she hoped to really gain was control and experience. She had no illusions that she would have a perfect dive and never be afraid at any point. In fact, she was betting on the exact opposite, but she was also sure she could control her anxiety and complete the mission.

The patio door opening seeped into her consciousness but in a "that's a noise" way rather than a fully aware "who's coming out here" awareness.

"Bella, can we talk?" Edward asked.

"Almost done." Although she'd heard and answered the question, she had not given her full attention or she would have noticed Edward's antsy movements in the patio doorway. She wasn't being inattentive on purpose; she just couldn't pull her attention away from the detailed plan she was going over. It was the most important plan of her life so far—her entire future weighed on this event.

"Lizzy needs to go out so now would be a good time to get away and talk. We can't do it inside because of the noise and I don't want to do it out here with such a big chance of getting interrupted."

"The next walk. Promise."

"What?"

"I'll go on the next walk. I need to finish this."

"Fine but when I get back we're talking."

"Yeah, okay. Sounds good," she responded as she flipped to the next page.

She kept on reading until she reached the end and then she flipped back to the beginning to start over. She was trying to look at it from every angle the way that Edward always did, hoping it would bolster her confidence in herself.

She was in the middle of the breakdown for entering the water when she heard Edward's voice. "Bella, we need to talk."

"I thought you were taking Lizzy for a walk?" In her absorbed state what had actually been close to fifteen minutes had felt like a few seconds.

"I did that and now we need to talk."

"Can it wait a few more minutes?"

"No. I _need_ to know."

The audible stress in his voice had her head jerking up and her eyes and attention focusing solely on him. "What do you need to know?"

He took a step toward her but then backtracked, deciding instead to stay put and sink his hands into his hair. "I don't … Things won't go wrong. I know they won't. The plan is solid. You're ready. The team is ready. But _if_—if something went wrong, I need to know you … Fuck, this is hard to say right!"

He looked away from her and out to the water, a behavior she'd come to know as one of self-comfort. If only she knew what he was trying to say, then she could help calm him down.

She thought humor might work now as it had in the past so she quoted _Finding Nemo_ to him. "Look, you're really cute, but I can't understand what you're saying."

He reacted by growing tenser, his hands rolling into tight fists and making his arms look like impenetrable slabs of marble.

Since humor had failed so miserably, she went for complete honesty. "Edward, I want to answer your question but I don't know what it is yet. Could you please ask me again?"

"When we were with Colossus, and I … when I got hit, you—" He turned to face her, his misery covering his face and his words. "You were leaving. I still don't know why you didn't but you were going to leave. I need to know if things go wrong on Friday that you'll stay. I need to know you won't leave me."

She leaned forward enough to grab his fisted hand and give his arm a tug. "Come here."

He didn't budge. "I want you to execute the dive. You're ready and you'll do great and nothing will go wrong. I know that. I believe that with everything in me and I don't want anything about this conversation to wreck your confidence. I feel bad enough having this talk at all because I'm the mentor and it's my job to reassure you but that doesn't stop me from needing to know."

"If you want to know, then come here," she said, tugging at his arm again.

She got him to stand between her legs and then she hooked her legs around his and put his hands on her hips, hopefully removing any urge he might get to walk away. At the very least, it would slow him down.

"First of all, you don't have a single thing to feel bad about," she assured him. "We are more than mentor and mentee so things can't be one-sided between us. We have to be here for each other on every level.

"Secondly, my confidence is fine. In fact, it's been bolstered by this talk because I know we would not be having this conversation if you weren't still going over every single detail in your head."

She paused, having found the first two answers incredibly easy to come by. But this third had to be handled delicately because it was the big one, the one that would either put his mind at ease or set him further into his tailspin of apprehension.

"Edward, we are not the people we were when we worked with Colossus. The girl I was then, she had every intention of leaving. She was terrified of the sharks, afraid of what she felt for you, and all but certain she'd never know your true feelings for her. The reason she stayed was because you didn't want to let her go. Leaving wasn't truly what she'd wanted, just the only option she'd thought she had until you admitted your feelings."

His fingers twitched and then tightened against her hips in response to her words.

"The people we are today, Edward and Kapu, we have grown so much. We've grown together and individually, and we are far from done. I'm still afraid of some species of shark but I won't let that fear stop me. I love everything I feel for you and every feeling you inspire in me. And that oddly enough includes when you annoy me because it means you're more comfortable with me, less afraid to make some fatal mistake around me. I know your true feelings. I know you're sure. I know I'm your kapu. I know you love me so much that you will _never_ let me go.

"Having said all that, there's something I need you to know … Edward, you are loved with that same fierceness and no bad day on the boat or in life in general will ever be strong enough to make me let go of you." Bella not only saw the release of tension in his body, she felt it everywhere they touched. It was followed by the biggest, heaviest sigh she'd ever witnessed and then a very shy smile graced his face.

"Whit must be seriously slacking," she teased. "Your conversations with him may not calm you but you're usually much more coherent."

His lips turned up in a real smile. "I didn't talk to Whit first this time. I came straight to you, even though you kept trying to ignore me."

She shrugged in response to his teasing. "You shouldn't have written such a riveting plan."

Instead of the laugh she'd expected, he reacted with a deep frown and creased forehead. "I had to make sure it was the best plan for your needs and challenges. I want this dive to be a success for you."

"It will be," she assured him. She rubbed her hands along his arms, hoping the rhythmic movement would help calm him. "Whether our dive is issue-free or something unexpected happens, it's an experience that will help me to grow. You've prepared me for this moment, Edward. We've discussed the pros and cons of doing the dive at all. We've watched videos of both clean and bad dives. We've talked about the risks physically and emotionally if the cage is battered or bitten. We've even jokingly argued about who will leave the cage with the best pictures.

"Because of your diligence, I am well aware of what can happen both good and bad, and if I wasn't a thousand percent sure I'm ready for all of the eventualities facing me, then I wouldn't even consider the dive. But I am prepared. You have given me all the knowledge I need to make an informed decision and I choose to further my career by completing this dive."

He let out another heavy sigh and then braced his hands on the table top so he could rest his forehead against hers. "Just so I know that you are completely clear about this, I'm going to say it one more time. You don't have to cage dive as a requirement of MMR. Sharks are not our sole focus and there will be other chances to join us in the water."

She softly stroked his stubble while answering him. "Just so you know and are completely clear about this, I'm going to remind us both that no matter what marine life we are studying, the fact is that sharks are everywhere in the oceans. However harmless the dolphins or sea turtles may be, there will always the possibility of a shark joining our expedition. Therefore, learning to remain composed in the water is important in all environments we enter."

"You're doing it again. Being too logical for me to argue."

She smiled and teased him by saying, "You're in a relationship now, Edward. You have to share everything with me, including the logic."

He smirked and slowly slid his eyes along her body. "What about what you share? Do I get to pick? I've got plenty of ideas."

She smacked his shoulder. "Behave. And no. You can't be trusted with so much power."

He grew serious once more. "You're really okay with me needing your assurance?"

"Yes because I know this isn't about trusting me. This is about loving me so deeply that you can't help but want to protect what we have above all else. You had a legitimate concern based on my past behavior and you brought it to my attention so we could talk it out together. That's exactly what you're supposed to do in a balanced relationship."

The patio door slid open and Whit stumbled out of it laughing and cursing at Gopher. He took one look at Bella and Edward's position and smirked. "Maybe my job won't be that hard after all. I was sent out here with the very formidable task of getting you two to stop working and come spend time with the family. Do a little dance, make a little love—in your own room later—get down tonight. What do you say?"

Bella snorted. "With a tempting offer like that, how could we refuse?"

"Like this—_No_," Edward said as he pressed down on Bella's hips to keep her on the table top.

"Mase, your lady love wants to have some fun. Who are you to deny her that?"

"Her boyfriend. Now go away. We'll be in when we finish talking."

Whit looked between them a few times before fixing his focus on Bella. "Please tell me his overprotective ass is talking to you about his concerns."

Bella gasped and then smacked Edward in the chest. "You told me you didn't talk to him."

"I didn't," Edward defended. "He just knows shit." He leaned to the side and tried to punch Whit's shoulder but he was just out of reach. Whit's laughter for the miss nearly drowned out Edward's words. "He _always_ knows."

"I see all, I know all," Whit promised. "And I know you two need to enjoy some quality family time and give your brains and bodies some relief and time to recuperate before the big dive."

Bella tugged at Edward's shirt to get him to look at her. "He's got a point."

Edward sighed and gave in. "Give us a few minutes to finish our discussion," he said to Whit.

"You get five and then Gopher and I are coming out to haul you in." Whit headed back inside, closing the door behind him.

"What else did you want to talk about?" Bella questioned.

Edward's response was further proof he was looking at all sides of this because it was about feelings and not logic. "Actually, I wanted to know if there was anything you needed to hear from me."

She smiled and caressed his stubble with her palms. "Two things. That you'll be right there with me and that you love me."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, Kapu. I'll be with you every single step of the dive and do everything in my power to make it a good experience."

She pulled his lips to hers to seal his promise with a kiss and he did not disappoint, diving right in and quickly rendering her senseless with the intensity of his passion. The warmth of his hands on her lower back felt so good and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to feel those hands in other places on her body.

"Time's up," Gopher bellowed from right beside them, making them both jump.

"You. Are. Dead," Edward said in a scary calm tone.

"Oh, shit!" Gopher cried, already turning tail and running toward the doorway.

Edward was faster and grabbed him by the shoulders before he could get a foot inside. Gopher shrieked like a pre-pubescent boy and they basically fell into the house in a heap. Bella jumped up from the table and ran after them, finding them rolling around on the floor with Whit yelling out wrestling moves for them to try.

Bella took her binder inside and tucked into a shelf for safe keeping, and then quickly crossed to the safe zone of the kitchen where Lee had her music turned up while she prepped dinner. "Is this really what they consider _quality_ family time?" Bella questioned.

Lee snorted. "This is how they let off steam. Another half hour of that and then they'll be docile, sweet boyfriends who only want to cuddle with us while watching a movie."

"So the human equivalent to a whale buffet for sharks. Interesting."

Lee stopped what she was doing and stared at Bella in disbelief. "You made a shark joke."

Bella shrugged. "It seemed more like an accurate comparison to me, but I'm good with you taking it as a joke."

"Oh, Guppy," Lee said with a laugh. "I'm so damn glad you're sticking around permanently."

"Me too."

"Bella, we need an impartial referee," Whit beckoned from the living room.

"Hey!" Alice cried. "I'm standing right here."

"And you'll vote White even as he's being counted out," Edward told her.

"Alice, you can help by tapping that foot of yours to keep count," Gopher offered.

"There's still time, you know," Lee murmured to Bella. "You can decide to run from all this crazy instead of embracing it."

Bella grinned. "I'd be crazy to even try leaving all this."

"Good answer, Guppy. Damn good answer," Lee said as she hooked an arm around Bella's shoulders and gave her a quick hug.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Thursday, August 14th**

Masen initially believed the ringing sound was coming from his dream of losing another phone to the ocean. But the feel of Bella's knee in his back and her mumbled yell of "Make it stop" convinced him it was very real and coming from his actual phone.

He reached out blindly and managed to snag the device on the second try. He popped one eye open to check the caller ID; Esme's name had him sitting up in a hurry and fighting to untangle his foot from the twisted bed sheet, a reminder of his long and satisfying night with his kapu—and the reason for him sleeping so hard this morning.

Finally out of the bed, Masen hurried over to the door, planning to take the call outside on the patio so Bella could sleep and he could talk to his mom without interruption.

He flung the door open and was stunned into stillness.

Esme lifted a finger and placed it over her huge self-satisfied grin. She took hold of his arm and led him out to the patio where Carlisle was sitting in the dawn's soft light with Lizzy perched in his lap and three cups of steaming coffee sitting on the table.

Masen finally came out of his stupor and grabbed hold of his mom, hugging her so fiercely that her feet completely lost contact with the ground.

"Woah, Kid. Don't squish the merchandise so hard," she cautioned while laughing.

"You're home," was all he said as he eased up enough to set her feet down.

She now had the ability to get her arms around his neck and she did just that, hugging hard and whispering "missed you" to him. She kissed his cheek and then released her hold but his held just as tight as ever. "Sweetheart, you can let go. I'm home for the rest of the expedition."

His hold remained but he did release what was going through his mind. "I didn't know how much I needed you to be here until I was hugging you."

"Lucky for you my mom senses were tingling," she joked. She then gave him another hard hug. "I'll always be here for you when you need me."

They hugged for a little while longer and then joined Carlisle at the table. Masen had to wrap both of his hands around his coffee cup to fight the need he felt to hold his mom's hand.

Esme either picked up on his tension or felt some of her own because she pried one of his hands loose and kept it in hers on the table top.

He gave her a grateful smile in response. He also remembered his manners—and what Esme would do to him for forgetting. "Carlisle, it's good to see you. I know Bella and Alice will be happy to have you here."

Carlisle smiled while looking to Esme. "There's nowhere more important for us to be."

It dawned on Masen that Carlisle was here for Bella the same as Esme was for him. "Carlisle, I promise no one pressured Bella into this choice. In fact, I think I did a better job at discouraging her than Alice and that's saying a lot."

Carlisle chuckled. "Oh, I'm well aware of what Bella has been told by everyone here. I received a full briefing, two rants, and five requests to give my blessing under the condition that I truly meant it."

Masen winced. "Was I a rant?"

"Oh, you were most definitely a rant," Esme answered with a laugh.

"But not for the reason you might be imagining," Carlisle cautioned. "Bella greatly appreciates the way you've presented her both sides of the coin—or dive as it were. It was being locked out of your project room that had her displeased."

Masen honestly couldn't stop himself from snorting. "I'm going to guess she didn't tell you why she got locked out."

"No, no," Carlisle replied with a chuckle. "She admitted her folly. She had no choice once I asked for her thoughts on what had caused your reaction. I may also have reminded her that I've spent enough time with you to know your choices are rarely split second decisions."

"Such a rookie mistake," Esme mused. "Asking questions during the creation of the rough draft is absolutely poking the shark with a spear."

"Her curiosity has often gotten her into trouble," Carlisle shared.

Masen nodded in agreement. "Her need to know completely overrules everything else."

"Answer me honestly, Edward. Is that happening now with this dive?" Carlisle questioned.

"Not at all," Masen assured him. "She doesn't want to dive just to know what it's like. She wants to step out of her comfort zone, test all of the skills and controls she's learned this summer. I think more than anything, this about conquering her fear in a way that lets her finally have what she's always wanted—to work in the ocean."

"I noticed in the plan that you have an entire section devoted to instinctual anxiety-driven reactions. I'm curious as to why the suggested way to handle it is the same for all instances—to surface immediately."

Masen licked his lips, trying to pick alternate words to speak to a concerned father and not an informed teammate. "In any area of life it's always more dangerous to have a reaction completely outside of your control. When you add in a rush of adrenaline, the danger increases ten-fold because the rush can mask other sensations, such as pain from an injury or stress to a heart. While I have seen remarkable progress from Bella on controlling her anxieties, I don't believe it's safe to test her control during her first cage dive. I would rather have us surface and remove her from the situation than risk any emotional or physical harm coming to her. She was angry with me for placing this condition at first, but after I explained how a bad reaction could lead to a complete set-back, she agreed with my decision."

"Sounds like Bella's head is in the right place," Esme said as she gave Carlisle a reassuring smile.

"It was never that I doubted you, my love," he replied while slipping his hand around hers.

"Of course not," she agreed. "We all need a little reassurance with our loved ones about to embark on such a huge adventure." She then turned her attention to Masen. "What about you, Kid? Where is your head?"

Masen ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. "I'm trying. It's hard to balance safety and protection this time. But I'm doing my best and Bella and I talked about what happens if things go wrong." He shrugged and said the part that felt truest at the moment. "I'm trying."

"What's troubling you the most?"

He took a moment to organize his thoughts. "The possibility that she has a severe enough setback that she wants to leave. She promises she won't and I trust her, I do, but at the same time I've seen how unforeseen circumstances change people."

"No, sweetheart. You've seen circumstances _reveal_ people and that is a very big and very real distinction," Esme corrected, giving his hand a calming squeeze.

"Masen, you know our Bella well enough to have seen the depth of her conviction in all of her choices. What do you imagine the multiplier to be when you consider your role in her life is much more than a choice?" Carlisle questioned.

"Think about it, Kid," Esme encouraged. "You aren't with her simply because you made a choice. You made a _commitment_ and that holds enough power to ward off all kinds of mishaps and mistakes."

"But this isn't a simple dive, Mom. It's facing her past, furthering her future, testing her resolve, putting her self-confidence at risk—It's a fifty-fifty shot either way."

He felt Bella's hand on his shoulder a second before he heard her voice. "It's not fifty-fifty, though." After greeting her uncle and Esme—and taking Lizzy into her arms—Bella sat with Masen in his chair and directed her comments to all of them. "Nothing's ever so cut and dry that it can easily be split down the middle. While the pros and cons might measure up on paper, the final results never fall so squarely.

"So let's just say that we have our worst case scenario and a shark rams the cage. We're going to surface. That's been non-negotiable from the start for Edward. I can't imagine I wouldn't be upset but I also know I'll have my team and my family right there to help me calm down.

"I'll be able to say I braved shark infested waters, which Gopher has assured me is a very prestigious statement to make." She paused just to let Masen see her smile. "I'll also have had an experience that many people spend their whole lives dreaming of and wishing they could have. Most of all, I'll know that if I could do it once and survive it, then I can do it again. Not right away. Probably not within the same year. But one day, when I feel ready again, I'll know I can trust myself to do it."

"Bug, it sounds as though you are sure this is the right course of action for you to take," Carlisle said, looking very much a proud father in that moment.

"I am. I'm sure it's what I want and I believe it's going to be worthwhile for me and my team."

"Well then," Carlisle said as he stood. "You're going to need your favorite wetsuit for this."

Bella's eyes widened. "You brought it?"

Carlisle chuckled at her exuberance while nodding. "Along with your flippers and mask. I know there's plenty of equipment on the boat but I thought having your own might be good luck."

Bella handed off Lizzy and hopped up from Masen's lap to go to her uncle, throwing her arms around his neck and nearly knocking them both over with the force of her hug.

"Careful, Bella. I still need him for a while yet," Esme joked.

"And you'll have me, my love," Carlisle promised her. "Come on, Bug. Let's go unpack your things."

No sooner than the patio door closed, Esme was leaning on the arm of her chair and putting her face right in Masen's. "You were _sleeping_."

Masen snorted. "Yes, it's a required function of being human."

"Pffft! It's never been more than a guideline for you. So you sleeping can only mean one of two things … that you had a night worth remembering with your kapu or you wore yourself out with your worrying. Which is it?" Esme forced her eyebrows to raise and lower in quick succession. "Did you rock her body all night long?"

"Did you—" Masen threw his hands up in the air out of a mix of shock and frustration. "Why? Why would you quote a Justin Timberlake song to me?"

"Why would you know a Justin Timberlake song?" she countered.

"I have Lee in my life. I don't have a choice once she decides I have to listen to something."

"This is true," Esme conceded. And then she jumped right back to her original question. "So about that reason for your sleeping?"

He couldn't help his cocky smile, not while remembering his hands on Bella's tan skin and the breathy way she'd said his name. "We made some memories. That's all I'm going to say."

"I can tell from that smirk they were good ones. I personally made quite a few myself. In fact, I'd say I exercised plenty on my excursion to Florida."

He smirked and shook his head at her love of sharing with him. "Does Carlisle know you so freely share news of your sex life?"

Esme chuckled. "Yes and he blushes the most adorable shade of petal pink I have ever seen. Of course, he also stands a little taller too so I feel no qualms in being my normal over-sharing self."

"Beth did always say the right guy would overlook your embarrassing ways," Masen teased.

Esme hugged his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. "She also said her special boy would find someone who could love him for his perfection as much as his flaws. I don't know about you, but I'm really fucking glad she was right."

He snorted at her cursing and then kissed the top of her head. "I'm really fucking glad too."

"She'll be watching over you and Bella tomorrow when you dive."

For once, Masen didn't let the comment pass in silence. "I think she's going to be really proud of me."

"Always, Edward. Beth and I are always proud of you."

"One of us has to make her proud since you have the market cornered on embarrassed," he teased.

"You know I can still whip your ass, right?"

He laid his head on hers, smiling with a heart full of love for her. "Thanks for coming home, Mom."

"No place else I'd rather be, Kid."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Friday, August 15th**

**Esme's POV**

It was an early and busy morning aboard Galeos. Edward, Whit, and Lee were going over the plan, Gopher was rigging up a last minute idea of Edward's, Bella was making coffee, and Alice was sleeping in while Esme and Carlisle watched over all of the action from their seats at the kitchen island.

"Lizzy, _no_!" Gopher admonished, leaning down to put his face near hers. "No means no, young lady. Stop it or you'll end up downstairs."

Lizzy licked his cheek and then sat down beside him. Esme could tell from the look on her face that the puppy wanted another go at the thick rope, but she stayed put and watched Gopher continue his check of the knots in the rope.

"Again." Edward's voice had Esme focusing her attention on him. He was still pacing in front of the booth where Lee and Whit were sitting. She doubted he'd sit down, much less sit still, until sometime late tonight.

"First task is to verify the conditions," Whit relayed. "Gopher and I check our gear and tanks, suit up, and go in the cage. We take note of visibility, drag, and temperature. We surface, get our gear off, pull the cage out, and report our findings."

"Meanwhile I go over the current weather conditions and pull the latest forecast reports and compare them all to last night's projections," Lee added. "Any deviations are immediately reported."

"And once we know the weather is cooperating, Masen and I re-check the cage and re-verify every nut and bolt is in place and tightened to its maximum capacity," Whit shared.

Edward stated his task while continuing his pacing. "After that, Gopher and I will be checking the air in the tanks and inspecting the scuba gear. Bella's going to use her own gear this time and I want to make sure it's all up to our standards."

Carlisle lowered his newspaper and leaned in to ask Esme a question. "How many times do you think Masen will ask them to repeat themselves?"

"This will probably be the last since no one has missed a word of their task. With so many personalities on the team, Edward had to find a way to prepare that worked for everyone. For this team it turned out to be 'repeat it until you remember it'."

Bella approached the booth at that moment with a tray of coffee mugs. "Do you want me to repeat mine again?" she asked as she settled in beside Whit and Lee.

Edward nodded while taking a big gulp from his mug. He suddenly came to a complete stop and then proceeded to spit the coffee back into the cup. "I thought you said you were making coffee? This crap is not coffee. Where's my caffeine? I need my caffeine."

Bella was unfazed by his behavior. "You need to drink up because that's all you're getting."

"This is bullshit," he muttered as he set the cup down on the table.

Bella gave him a smile that was equal parts amusement and kiss-my-ass. "The words you're searching for are 'Thank you, Bella, for looking out for me like the loving, supportive, awesome girlfriend that you are'."

Whit and Lee finally lost their hold on their laughter and cackled gleefully. Gopher only smirked from his spot by the sofa, knowing this was not one of those safe times to jump into the fray. Esme kept her lips pressed together, fully aware that her laughter in the mix would only make her son more stubborn and agitated. Carlisle looked completely confused on how to react and ended up settling on laughing behind his newspaper.

While all of that was going on, Edward and Bella were locked in a stare, him fuming and her smiling. She lifted her eyebrows and widened her smile, daring him to continue his stubborn behavior. Esme worried for a moment that he might but then she saw his shoulders relax.

Bella nudged his coffee cup toward him. "You know full well that Whit changes the coffee on the days when you are ramped up."

"I know," he relented. And then in a purposeful mumble he added, "Didn't think _you_ knew it."

"You're not the only one capable of making and cataloguing observations," she replied. She nudged the cup closer to him and when he still didn't take it, she told him, "It's gonna be worse cold."

Wearing the saddest puppy dog face Esme had ever seen him make, Edward picked up his mug and drank some of his coffee.

Carlisle chuckled beside her. "Those two living together is going to be quite the experience for them."

"Oh, that's putting it _so_ mildly," Esme replied, keeping her laughter quiet.

"Is this his usual behavior on a day when they're diving?" Carlisle asked.

Alice was the one to answer. "No only when it's a new situation or Bella dives." The poor girl's eyes were red and she looked like she hadn't had much sleep at all. While she was outwardly supporting her sister, she was very clearly struggling on the inside.

Esme put her arms around Alice and gave her a tight squeeze. "Perfect timing, sweetheart. You can help me convince your uncle we need his omelet making skills this morning."

Alice perked up slightly. "Did he make you his cheesy bacon omelet with sweet potato hash?"

Carlisle snorted. "She had three helpings."

"Two helpings," Esme refuted. In that same mumbling tone Edward had used earlier, Esme made an admission. "And not quite half of his."

"You must have two stomachs to have eaten all of that," Alice joked. "I usually have to eat one or the other and save the rest for later."

"In my defense, it had been a long time since we'd last eaten and I was famished," Esme shared.

Alice looked between Esme and Carlisle and then grinned cockily. "I get it. Refueling. And you probably burned away at least half the calories right after."

"Oh at least," Esme agreed, giving a conspiratorial wink to Carlisle.

He immediately turned that adorable shade of petal pink she loved and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, shouldn't we be listening to the preparations going on?"

"Why? You can just read about it if you really want to know," Alice told him as she fixed herself a cup of coffee. "That big expanding file folder over there will tell you everything."

"How do you know that?" he questioned.

Alice had just swallowed her coffee and was in the middle of reconciling the taste she'd expected with the one she got. "Decaff. Masen must be wired for sound this morning."

Esme couldn't hold in her laughter at that. Her son, her beautiful, brilliant, confident son thought he was such an enigma and yet these Cullen women had him pegged so perfectly.

"Are you okay, my love?" Carlisle asked, looking truly concerned.

Esme nodded. "Fine. Fine. Just got my funny bone tickled is all."

"Was it something I said?" Alice asked.

"Errant thought," Esme assured her. "You were explaining the folder to your uncle," she said, hoping to redirect their attention. Edward would have an absolute fit if he caught them laughing at his expense this morning. His usual ability to laugh at himself disappeared completely whenever he was severely stressed. While she believed he had the utmost confidence in his plan and in Bella, he was also well aware of how quickly plans went astray and it was that small chance of something happening to his kapu that had him so stressed.

"Oh, yeah, so there's one for every day, though they usually aren't so thick," Alice relayed. "There's the plan for the day, at least two backup plans, a list of pros and cons of all the assignments, and then stuff like weather reports and current maps and some other stuff I'm not too sure about. Today's plan has a bunch of extras though because he's been planning this dive for like two weeks."

Carlisle studied Edward for a moment and then shifted his attention to Esme. "It appears the only thing left to chance is the behavior of the sharks."

"Not quite. He has those requirements for surfacing as an attempt at an off-set for their unpredictability," Esme reminded him.

"He truly is a brilliant young man, Esme. You've done a remarkable job raising him."

"That's not his brilliance so much as his need to protect. We are his world and he will be damned if he lets anything take us out of it without a fight."

Alice snorted. "Then those sharks better play nice because when Masen fights for what he believes is right, there's no off switch for that guy."

"Why, Alice, I believe that's the most complimentary statement I've heard you make about Masen," Carlisle told her. "Are you two finally friends?"

"More like frienemies," she answered with a chuckle. Her eyes landed on Edward and after a few seconds of silence she said, "But if I ever need him to have my back when I'm in the right, he'll be there. That's pretty cool."

Esme grinned. "Now do you believe how very loved you are?"

Alice smirked. "Uncle Carl, you better hang on to her. She's pretty awesome."

Carlisle put an arm around Esme and hugged her close. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I have every intention of not letting her get away."

"Pffft," Esme replied. "As if I'd try. That ain't happening."

Alice laughed. "Then just get married already."

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Carlisle replied. "But perhaps it can wait until I've had a chance to ask her properly."

This time Alice snorted loudly. "If you're gonna be proper about it, you'll need to ask Masen for his blessing. Just promise I can be there for the show 'cause I know it's going to be entertaining."

"Now, Alice, what makes you think my son would be difficult?" Esme asked jokingly.

She waved her hands in Edward's direction, indicating all of him.

"Yeah, but we still love him," Esme replied.

"Yeah," Alice agreed. "I don't know what kind of voodoo that is, but it's damn powerful stuff."

Carlisle cracked up at that comment.

Esme looked over at her son, watching him drink the decaf coffee Bella had given him and seeing his secret smile as he listened to Bella flawlessly relay her duties. Elizabeth really would be so proud of him—and his father too. Esme was sure of that even though she'd only known him for a short time. But since they couldn't be here to see the wonderful man their son had become, Esme would just have to be proud for all three of them. "We're lucky to have him."

"And each other," Carlisle added, giving Esme another hug and adding a kiss to her cheek.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

With the full scuba gear on, Bella could only hear her breathing and she focused on keeping it even and regular while waiting for her turn to enter the water. This moment was it—her last chance to back out. If she stayed aboard Galeos, she was assured that nothing would happen. She would not come face to face with a shark. She would not be at risk for an injury from a shark. She could pick either of the back up plans and her day could be just like many she'd had already—her day could be predictable.

But she didn't want predictable. Not today. Today she was ready in her head and her heart. Today she was confident. There was no guarantee these feelings would follow into tomorrow or be nearly as strong. There was only this moment and the knowledge that Edward would support her no matter what she chose.

Edward's gloved hand took hold of hers and his voice came through the headset she was wearing. "Kapu, it's time."

She appreciated so much that he hadn't phrased it as a question or asked if she was sure. He had done all that earlier after the morning meeting when they'd reassured each other that this was their path for today. Now he was following her lead and expecting her to do a good job.

"Together," was all she said as she squeezed down on his hand.

He nodded and then they stepped up to the edge of the platform together.

Whit and Gopher were already in the water, waiting to escort them to the cage. They'd do the same later when it was time for them to surface—if they weren't forced to surface early for some reason.

Edward released her hand, turned his back to the water, and then launched himself backwards and into the water with a huge spray. He surfaced quickly and joined Whit and Gopher, waiting for her at the boat's edge.

Bella turned herself around and was just about to jump in when her father's face suddenly filled her mind. He wore his proud smile, a smile she'd earned so many times with good grades and great marine sightings and interesting journal entries. Her opinion on Esme's earlier comment immediately changed and she believed it without a doubt now—her father was watching over her today. And he had good company because Elizabeth was too.

"Guppy, everything okay?" Whit asked into the radio.

She wasn't sure how to answer that so she asked her own question. "Count me down, please?"

"Three. Two. One."

On the one Bella dropped into the water, watching through her mask as she traded light blue sky for greenish-blue water. She came back up and slowly turned until she was facing her teammates and then she swam towards them. Together they dove down and made their way to the metal cage that would be her protection for the next hour.

Edward entered first, as they'd discussed, and then she lowered herself inside, his hand on her hip the entire time until she was beside him. She heard the clack of the metal on metal as Whit and Gopher latched the cage door closed above them. The guys would head back to the boat straight away and then it would just be Bella and Edward in the water for the rest of the time.

"Steady breaths, kapu," Edward directed as he passed her camera to her.

She hadn't realized her breathing had quickened and she immediately forced it to even out. "Which direction should we watch?"

"All until we hear from Gopher. Ten second intervals and always opposite from me so we cover each other's backs."

Gopher would be in charge of Edward's latest invention—a giant tug-of-war rope for a shark that Gopher would wield from the deck of Galeos. Edward had gotten the idea night before last from one of Lizzy's chew toys. He'd outfitted an extra boat tie-off rope with inflatable balls and huge knots. The way it would work was that Whit and Lee would search for sharks from the crow's nest. Once one was spotted, Gopher would deploy the rope and try to use it to lead a shark toward the cage. No chumming, no items harmful to the water or the sharks, and light enough to be moved all around without Gopher getting fatigued or needing to be in the water.

In addition to the cameras, Edward had also brought along a tag. He hoped to get a third tag today to give them enough data to be able to make a firm conclusion on what he'd noticed with the very first tag—the sharks were diving down far deeper than what anyone had previously recorded. If this dive hadn't been taking up so much of his time and attention, she was sure Edward would be talking non-stop about the potential ramifications of such a huge discovery.

"Shadow will appear on your left in max thirty seconds," Lee announced.

"Three seals. Look to be heading straight for the island so they shouldn't come any closer," Whit added.

Bella counted silently and at the twenty-eight mark she saw the water darken on her left side. She didn't care for the way the shadow was completely indistinguishable to her eyes. She had really thought it would be easy to tell a pack of seals from a shark; she would have to admit to Edward how right he had been about shapes losing their definition in this water. Thank goodness for Whit and Lee's sharp eyes and the excellent range on their binoculars.

"Ready to admit I was right?" Edward asked. She didn't need to see him to know he was smirking, proud of being proven right with the first sighting.

"I _may_ have over-estimated my ability to adjust to the distance," she allowed.

"Shark coming in from behind you," Whit informed them. "Too small to be a white. Probably a dusky."

"You feel up to being on point for this one?" Edward asked her.

Bella nodded and lifted her camera into position while Edward moved to stand directly behind her. He would literally have watch over her back and sides while she waited for the shark and attempted to photograph it.

It took nearly ten minutes for the shark to finally meander its way close enough to the cage to be photographed. It had a short, pointed snout and a very distinct tail with a large top and short bottom. Its pectoral fins seemed disproportionate to the body, hanging down low and looking more like flappers than fins. The shark also had a deceptive mouth, looking small and not very scary but Bella knew that if it wanted, it could unhinge that jaw and dig into prey with razor sharp teeth. The teeth appeared smooth and falsely led you to believe the only point was at the tip. The truth was that little serrations covered each side of the tooth, a useful design for tearing and rending flesh from bone.

She shivered at that last observation and decided she had captured enough pictures of the shark. "Your turn, Edward."

"On three, we switch. One. Two. Three."

They smoothly transitioned so that Edward studied the shark while Bella watched the open water.

Right away Edward began dissecting what he was seeing. "Estimated to be six-and-a-half feet long. No visible scars or hook marks. Typical bullet-shaped pupil for this species." Edward paused for a long moment. "I take back the earlier scar notation. There's a thick scar running across the lower lobe of the caudal fin. May have been a bad hook by a fisherman. Could also be from having gotten caught in netting and tearing itself free. Overall, beautiful specimen of a dusky."

Edward grew quiet again and after some time passed without him speaking or the shark swimming past her, Bella took a quick peek over her shoulder—and could not believe what she was seeing. Edward had his arm outside of the cage and was brushing his gloved hand along the side of the shark as it swam parallel to the cage.

She opened her mouth to scream at him and ask him what the hell he was doing but she stopped herself and pushed her lips closed. She wanted to close her eyes too but she had to keep watch, especially now that her shark loving boyfriend was freaking petting a shark in the wild. _He is not in danger_, she told herself._ He is not technically doing anything dangerous. He would be doing this with anyone else in the cage with him. This is a good thing. This means his work isn't being impacted by my presence and—_

"Coming around to your side, kapu," Edward warned.

The shark stuck around long enough to circle the cage twice and then swam off into the distance.

"The dusky is gone," Edward informed the rest of the team. "Anything else spotted yet?"

"Possibly but still a little far out to tell," Lee replied. "Give us a few minutes for it to get in range."

"Kapu, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She winced at the squeak in her voice. She felt his tap on her shoulder and turned her head to see him.

He set his camera on the cage floor and used his hands to sign, "If you're done, that's fine. You did great and have a lot to be proud of."

She shook her head "no". She was determined to stay long enough to at least see a Great White.

He gave her a thumbs-up then picked up his camera and went back to watching over his side of the cage.

She appreciated him asking privately and not over the radio for everyone to hear. She didn't want to call him out on petting the shark and have him know she'd stopped her watch for those seconds. On the boat, he'd be completely understanding of why she'd done it. Down here, he might take it as inattention and call for them to surface.

Whit's voice came through the radio and Bella was pretty sure the crack in his voice wasn't a reception issue. "Uh … Masen?"

She couldn't see him, but she certainly felt the water around her move from Edward switching to full-alert mode. "How big?" he asked.

"She's an adult for sure. Lee and I—Masen, she's at least sixteen feet."

Edward gripped Bella's arm at the elbow and turned her to face him. "Your call."

"So she's big. So what?" Bella sounded far more confident than she felt but that didn't change her surety that this was the right choice.

"She'll be the width of the cage," Edward warned. "If she so much as nudges the cage, we are damn sure going to feel it."

"I have a good feeling about this," Bella assured him. And she meant it too.

"Alright," he agreed with a nod. "We stay. Whit and Lee, I want constant updates on her location and direction. Gopher, get ready with the rope just in case."

"I'm ready," Gopher responded. "Bella?"

"Yeah, Gopher?"

"You've got this."

She smiled at having his full support behind her. "I'll give her your regards."

"I appreciate the sentiment here but with a shark this large, we need to keep the radio clear for updates," Edward announced.

Bella gave him a thumbs-up for now but as soon as they were on the boat, she would let him know exactly how proud she was of him for phrasing that so nicely rather than just ordering everyone off the radio like he would have done in the past. His people skills had improved so much in the last few weeks.

"Closing in at a slow, measured speed," Whit shared. "She'll be coming up on your right."

"Make that your right-front," Lee corrected. "She seems like she's just out for a stroll, not really staying on a steady course."

"How long?" Edward questioned.

"Two minutes tops at her current speed. You should see her shadow in less than half of that," Lee reported.

Bella's body tensed, ignoring her commands to remain calm. She set her camera down and shook out her hands, hoping it might force her limbs to relax. _I have to get it together and it has to be now—right now—because if I'm this tense before we can even see the shadow then Edward is going to call this off and I'll miss my chance to see this shark._

The words "too late" flashed in her mind at the feel of Edward's hand on her shoulder. As she turned her head to meet his gaze, she was all but sure he was going to call for them to surface.

"Go past the immediate thoughts and think about the reasons you want this dive. Find your center," he instructed. "Use your skills," he added, pointing at the camera resting on her flipper covered feet.

Bella nodded and picked up her camera, taking her time to look over the readout and check her settings. When she was done with that, she aimed the camera in the direction the shark would be coming from and watched for it through the viewfinder. _I am a researcher. I am here to photograph my subject. I _will _photograph my subject._

The shadow popped up on her screen and Bella came to a complete stop for a split second. She quickly and calmly recovered, even taking a moment to look straight at the shadow and watch it approach without the aid of the camera.

"She's turning slightly so she may come head-on at you two," Whit cautioned. "It's like she knows you're there and just wants to see what you are."

"She's slowing," Lee informed them. "Could be closer to the two minute mark before she's close enough for her outline to appear defined to you."

It was a little after the two minute mark when the shark turned from a shadow blob to the familiar shape Bella knew from all of her work this summer. Another thirty seconds after that, the shark was close enough to make out its snout and fins. _Holy shit! If she's this big blurry, what the hell is she going to be like up close?_ Bella wondered. _I have to get a picture of her. Jacob and Leah will never believe I was in the water with her without a picture. Hell, I'm not going to believe it!_

Bella began snapping photos while Edward relayed what they were seeing to the team. "She's approaching us head-on at the moment. She's moving slow, being cautious. From the look of her snout and her pectoral fins, the sixteen foot estimation looks spot on."

"She's beautiful." Bella didn't realize she'd spoken until Edward agreed with her.

"No visible scars at this point but she's not letting me see much of her body," Edward continued. "Hopefully she'll turn once she's at the cage."

"She's slowing again," Lee announced.

"She's watching us," Edward replied. "She's just gliding along and watching us."

In the back of Bella's mind, she was screaming at herself, asking what she thought she was doing, but the rest of her ignored that hysterical voice and moved right up to the bars of the cage to get a better photo.

The longer Bella stood there, the more it seemed the shark was swimming straight towards her. When the shark was almost close enough for Bella to reach out and touch its snout, it opened its mouth just enough to appear to be smiling.

"Fucking unbelievable," Edward shared with laughing. "I swear she's smiling at us. I can't wait for you guys to see these photos. She's gorgeous."

"On your right, your right," Whit yelled. "Came out of nowhere and moving fast."

The shark in front of them turned its head to the right for a moment and then jerked its entire body around, its tail smacking the corner of the cage in its haste to turn and run. Bella gripped the bar to steady herself while waiting for the cage to stop moving.

"Thirty seconds," Whit warned. "It's not slowing, Mase."

Bella swiveled to face the incoming shark, flicked her camera into burst mode, and pressed down on the shutter button.

"Bella, get behind me," Edward ordered.

"I've got this," she argued, shrugging his hand off and re-centering her camera. The blob in front of her was quickly gaining shape and she was not going to miss capturing it on film.

"We've got plenty of photos."

"Not of this shark."

"Fuck you're hard-headed." He hooked one arm around her waist, his camera dangling down against her leg, and used his other arm to grip the bar of the cage.

Gopher's voice was suddenly filling their ears and he did not sound the least bit happy. "Come on you, fucker. See the rope. See it you, angry bastard."

Right as Bella registered what her teammate was saying, she saw the end of the rope dangling to the side of the cage.

"Gopher, back down. Back down _now_," Edward ordered. "It's too risky. If it grabs that rope, you could go in."

"He's anchored, Mase. Whit and I have him," Lee promised. "Gopher, don't you dare stop."

Bella wasn't sure Gopher had heard any of that exchange because he was still cursing at the shark. "That's it, you little fucker. Follow the rope. Get your angry ass away from that cage. Get away from my family."

The shark missed the cage by a hair, rocking it just with its wake. Bella and Edward watched it chase and bite at Gopher's rope a few times and then the rope suddenly disappeared. The shark circled the spot it had last been, twisting its body back and forth to see all directions at once. Suddenly the shark straightened out and darted toward Galeos, going under the boat and heading for the opposite side.

"Ha ha! I've got this fucker. You two get them out," Gopher commanded.

"We're not leaving you alone," Whit argued.

"I've got this. Get them out before this fucker decides he'd rather go after the cage."

"That's not—"

Whit's voice was replaced by Carlisle's. "I'll stay with Gopher. You two get Bella and Masen out of there."

"What's going on up there? _Report_," Edward demanded.

Lee's breathless voice answered. "Carlisle's got Gopher's back. We're starting the winch now. Hold on tight and we'll have you right out."

"Take both cameras," Edward directed Bella. As soon as she had them clutched in her hands, he locked his legs around hers and pulled her against his body, locking them both against the back of the cage. "We're ready, Lee."

There was a slight jerk and then the cage began to smoothly rise toward the water's surface. Bella counted down the seconds just to keep her mind occupied; she wasn't ready to process what was going on and it would be safer to do it on the boat anyway.

The cage was halfway out of the water when the angry shark returned. It rammed its snout against the bottom of the cage, right where Bella and Edward's feet had been moments ago. Now she understood why he had them anchored so high up the cage wall.

"Make sure the bumper is in place and tied tight," Edward instructed. "This last bit is going to be a bumpy ride."

"Sorry, Mase. I just couldn't keep him interested," Gopher told him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Gopher," Edward replied. "You did everything you could and it's thanks to you that only this last bit will be rough."

"Guppy, how are you doing?" Lee asked.

Bella answered honestly. "All I know for sure is I'm ready to be on the boat."

The cage hit the bumpers more than once and even after it was out of the water the shark tried to grasp the cage in its jaws. It even stupidly rammed the side of the boat! It must have stunned itself that time because it bobbed along the surface a couple seconds and then slowly dove under. Bella watched it all happen through the bottom of the cage while waiting for the top to be opened.

The loud clang of metal on metal had her looking up, her view filled by a large, familiar arm. She had to pass Gopher the cameras first and he made quick work of passing those on.

"Squeeze as hard as you can," Gopher told her as he clamped his hand just below her elbow. "On three. One. Two. _Three_." He pulled her up while Edward boosted her from below and within seconds she was out of the cage and being passed to Whit and Carlisle.

They both tried to ask her questions and get her gear off but she pushed them away to get to the railing. She _had_ to make sure Edward got out okay.

There was no way Gopher could pull Edward out with the weight of his gear so Edward had to get his gloves, mask, headset, flippers, and tank off all on his own and pass them up one by one. With the gear gone, Gopher was able to pull Edward up and out of the cage. Edward waved everyone back and then he jumped to the deck with Gopher following right behind him.

"Get it off," Bella demanded, pulling at her mask. Her gloved hands slipped right off and she growled in frustration.

Edward's chuckle filled her ears and she looked up to see him using Gopher's headset. "Calm down, kapu. The hard part is over."

Gopher and Whit removed her tank, Carlisle popped off her flippers, Lee and Esme worked on her gloves, and Edward got her mask and headset off of her. Once she was free of her gear, Bella attacked Edward with a fierce hug, wrapping as much of her body around him as she could.

He brushed his lips along her cheek until he reached her ear. "We're fine, kapu. No harm, no foul. Everyone is fine."

She hardly got a chance to enjoy their hug before it became a family hug; Esme and Lee piled on first and were quickly followed by everyone else on deck.

Bella extracted herself from the pile in hopes of getting a moment alone with Edward but she ended up in Esme's arms instead. "I am so damn proud of you, sweetheart. You did such an amazing job and held your own all throughout."

Bella nodded in response, hoping Esme was right about that but not having a clear picture of all that had happened in the last few minutes. Her brain wasn't processing at its usual speed and she figured it was probably some kind of internal panic-prevention mechanism her mind had decided was necessary.

"Bug, are you sure you're okay?" Carlisle asked, getting hold of her and hugging her fiercely.

She wanted to reassure him but she also wanted to be truthful. "I'm alive and uninjured."

"You nearly gave me a heart-attack, you know."

"Pretty sure I nearly gave myself one too."

"No more diving for a year, right? That's what you said?"

"Diving with the intention of seeing a shark," she corrected.

"If my hair turns gray—"

Esme interrupted at that moment. "You'll look debonair and it will be even harder to keep the looky-loos away from you."

Before they all headed inside, there were more separate hugs for Bella from Lee, Gopher, and Whit, and then another group hug with just the MMR team, and one more hug just between Bella and Edward.

Lizzy met them at the door; she went after Edward first and once she got a couple good licks in to his face, she deserted him to give her affection to Bella. Bella couldn't help laughing at Edward's pout, knowing it was easily a fifty-fifty mix of teasing and seriousness.

With Lizzy settled in her arms, Bella noticed Alice waiting for them. Her little sister was vibrating in place with tears streaming down her face—she must have been listening to the radio chatter. Bella braced herself for one hell of a hug and found it was only half the force it usually was because Alice was hugging Edward as well.

"Towels!" Alice loudly announced through her sniffles. "I have towels for you two." She grabbed them from the back of the booth and passed them over. Bella tried to get it around her but Lizzy thought it was a game and kept tugging it off until Esme stepped in and took the puppy.

"Should we sit?" Carlisle asked, adjusting Bella's towel on her shoulders. "Can you sit? Is there something else that's supposed to be going on?"

"A breather is in order after all of that," Edward responded. "Sit, stand, whatever makes you feel comfortable."

Carlisle dropped down onto the sofa and let out a long breath. "What a day."

Lee snorted. "We're just getting started. We've got another dive planned for after lunch."

"Do you want to sit?" Edward asked Bella.

"Do you?" she countered.

"Hell no," he said with a laugh. "Too much adrenaline."

"Same here." Bella blew out a breath and as she did, it really hit her that she'd photographed that angry shark instead of bracing for impact—and Edward had let her. "What is wrong with you?" she yelled, trying to slap his chest and instead having her hand slip off his wetsuit.

He laughed at her. "What did I do?"

"You let me keep taking pictures of that crazy shark."

"Let you? Kapu, do you need me to play the audio back for you? 'Let you' wasn't even an option. And besides, you didn't do anything any other team member wouldn't have done."

"Not me," Lee piped up. "My ass would have been hiding behind you, Mase."

"I'd have stood my ground but I can't guarantee I wouldn't have soiled my wetsuit," Whit admitted.

"What about you?" Edward asked Gopher.

Gopher grinned. "Pleading the fifth."

"Say what you want," Edward encouraged. "No repercussions on this one."

Gopher's smile widened. "I know we don't advocate the attempt of it, but I would have put my fist in the path of that little bastard."

Edward and Whit looked at each as if asking the other to confirm they'd really just heard those words. "This guy," Whit said, chuckling as he pointed his thumb at Gopher.

"I have no words." Edward looked to Gopher and then chuckled. "As entertaining as it would be to watch you try it, I feel it's my responsibility to tell you that you'd most likely do more damage to your hand than the shark at the speed he was moving."

While Bella was giggling at the image of Gopher punching a shark, the weird calm that had been surrounding her all this time suddenly evaporated and the enormity of all that had happened crashed down on her, causing her to become light-headed and sway on her feet.

"There's the crash I was waiting for," Edward said as he lowered her onto the sofa next to her uncle.

"Those sharks—that one was so big and could have done anything it wanted. And the other! The other was psychotic! What if it hadn't followed Gopher's rope? Why was it acting like that at all? What if it hadn't let us get the cage out of the water?" Bella could feel her eyes were too wide and her voice too high but each time she almost had control of herself, a new scary thought hit her and knocked it away.

"Breathe, Bella," Edward ordered, kneeling in front of her and rubbing her hands between his. "Just breathe and listen to my voice. Try to understand what I'm saying. The big female could technically have done anything but she didn't. She was respectful of us, just like we were respectful of her. The smaller male—pretty sure it was a male with that much aggression—it was probably being territorial. He wasn't very big so he probably goes for a big flashy show to protect his turf. I know the shark seemed capable of doing a lot of damage but I promise the cage could have taken it. As far as getting out of the water, it would have happened one way or another. If we'd had trouble getting the cage completely out, we would have gotten up high enough to climb out the top."

"Don't focus on the scary part," Lee said, laying her hand on Bella's arm. "Focus on the outcome. You had a successful shark dive. You completed all of your researcher duties and then some. You worked side-by-side with Masen and neither of you were distracted even for a moment."

"I did." The first time she said it, Bella didn't completely believe it. But as parts of the dive replayed in her head, her belief and her confidence began to grow. "I did," she said again, this time in a strong voice and looking directly at Edward. "I was successful. _We_ were successful."

"We were," he agreed, gifting her with that same proud smile he'd given her the day she'd touched Bruce.

"I'm freaking out a little," she admitted.

"I think it's just your brain catching up with everything that happened. Either way, it's not a panic attack."

"No, it's definitely not." She felt the smile forming on her face and felt the urge to pinch herself to make sure all of this was real and not a dream. "I did a cage dive with _three_ sharks."

"Hell yeah, you did," Edward agreed with a chuckle. "High five right here," he added, holding his hand out to her.

Bella managed a pretty good high-five for having shaky limbs.

"Oh I want some of this!" Gopher exclaimed, putting his big hand right in front of Bella. "Give me a good one, Guppy."

She did just as he asked, laughing at the noodle feel of her arm as she smacked her hand against his.

"Guppy, I'm jealous," Whit announced. "Your first cage dive and first shark dive and the damn girl poses and smiles for you. Fess up! How'd you do it? Did you tell her to say 'cheese'?"

Gopher chuckled and said, "That was just her way of letting Guppy know sharks are friends, not food."

"A shark smiling for my sister," Alice said, looking as completely outdone with the situation as she sounded. "I can't even begin—just … whatever."

"Why are you so shocked?" Lee asked her. "Of course Bella's first dive would include a friendly, smiling shark. How the hell else could we convince her to do it again? And again. And again. And—"

Alice actually had the balls to toss a throw pillow at Lee. "You're kind of an ass sometimes, you know."

Lee snorted and tossed the pillow back to Alice. "That's all charm, little sister."

"This is either really good or really bad. I can't tell," Bella said as she looked from Lee to Alice and back again.

"Forget them," Edward told her, gently holding her face in his large hands. "How are _you_?"

"There's so much in my head—I don't know where to start," she admitted.

"I'm listening whenever you're ready," he promised.

"I know, I just—" She set her elbows on her knees and hid her face behind her hands, hoping a little isolation might calm her enough to explain herself.

"Masen, might I make a suggestion?" Carlisle questioned.

"Of course," Edward answered.

"Distraction often helps to refocus her mind. Asking her what she liked about the first two sharks will help alleviate her anxiety over the third and give her perspective."

"Kapu," Edward called, coaxing her hands apart so he could see her face. "What do you think about sharing your thoughts on the dusky shark and the female Great White?"

"I'd rather talk about you petting the dusky," she countered.

He grinned and there was actually a little guilt lurking in the corners. "Saw that, huh?"

"Did you feel that was an acceptable risk because it was on the small side?"

"That entered into the choice but it was more the calmness of the shark. Had it jerked away at the first touch, I would have left it alone. But it seemed like it actually enjoyed it since it passed against my hand twice before moving on."

"I don't like how deceptive it looked. It seemed almost innocent with its small mouth, like the kind of shark most swimmers and divers wouldn't fear because they wouldn't know about those serrated teeth it has."

Edward took a moment to consider her point of view. "I understand your view but it also doesn't make much sense to me. Maybe because I know there's no such thing as a safe shark?"

"Maybe. I appreciate you trying to see it from another viewpoint."

"That's thanks to you, kapu. You reminded us that not everyone sees sharks the way we do."

Bella looked around at all of her teammates before centering her focus on Edward again. "And you all taught me that I don't have to and I can still be just as good of a researcher."

"I just love it when a master plan of mine comes together," Esme announced, smiling wide.

Edward snorted. "You _would_ take the credit."

Esme smiled the same shitty grin Edward often did. "My misfits, my props."

Edward shook his head at her and then got to his feet. "So who's ready to review camera footage?"

Everyone—even Alice—replied with a resounding "me" and they all moved into the TV room where the laptop was hooked to the television, ready and waiting to share Edward and Bella's photos with the team.

She had taken pictures of three sharks, one of which she was convinced had been psychotic. Had anyone told her that was in her future, she would have sworn they were crazy. To be honest, she wasn't certain she wasn't a little crazy herself to want all of this. But she did. She wanted all of this and more. And the man currently holding her hand would help her achieve it and so many other dreams. Being less afraid of sharks was an absolute blessing but sharing the love she had with Edward truly made her the luckiest woman alive.

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A/N: Hello, you lovely readers! We hope you all were able to picture yourselves beneath the surface with Guppy for her first cage dive! It didn't go exactly according to Masen's plan, but everyone survived and Gopher got to save the day for his team. We hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it! Pictures of the sharks are on our blog for those interested.

Thank you all for your continued support of this story and us. We truly appreciate all of you.


	48. 48 The Iceman Cometh

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 48 – The Iceman Cometh**

**Friday, August 15th**

Masen reached behind the file cabinet, searching with his fingers for the little magnetic case that held the cabinet's key. As soon as he unlocked the cabinet, he put the key back in its hiding spot.

Sitting on the floor beside the open bottom drawer, he removed the battered converse shoe box that took up most of the drawer's space. He flipped the lid off and his eyes went to the beautiful wooden music box that Elizabeth had loved and he'd accidentally destroyed. He had always wanted to fix it for her but he hadn't been able to figure out how in time. Without her, it had never made sense to fix it.

Beside the music box was a much smaller box—velvet green where it hadn't been rubbed raw from being held. He set his fingertips over the indentations, already knowing it would be the same as last time; his fingers were now larger than his father's had been we'd he'd purchased this box.

The lid creaked loudly in the stillness of his project room. Nestled in the cushiony fabric sat his mother's ring—her final gift to him. Masen pulled the ring out, snorting at the way it hardly fit on his finger. And then he drew in and let out a deep breath, allowing memories of his mother to wash over him, times when she'd been happy and smiling and laughing with him. Times that he missed to the very core of his being.

"Kid, I know today's photos are exciting but dinner is—Oh! Oh _wow_!"

Masen winced before looking at Esme. "Do not freak out," he pleaded.

"No. _No_ freaking out. No freaking _out_. No _freaking_ at all." If he listened only to his mom's words and ignored her squeaky pitch and wide eyes, then he would be able to believe she was not freaking out.

"I'm only looking," he said as he palmed the ring. He hoped removing it from her line of sight might calm her.

Esme covered her mouth with one hand. Then uncovered it. Then covered it again. When she uncovered it this time, she also figured out the words she wanted to say. "You don't look. You _never_ look. You carry it everywhere we go, but you don't look. I'm not freaking out. I'm truly not. I'm just shocked. Because you're looking. And you never—"

"I never look. I know." His eyes met hers and with his stare he willed her to both completely understand him and explain it to him. He'd been gripped with the need to look for weeks now and had finally caved to the urge.

Esme came into the room and sat down beside him. "May I?"

He set the ring gently into the palm of her hand.

Esme held it between two fingers, bouncing the overhead light off of the three square cut diamonds on top. "Your father did good when he picked this ring out."

Masen nodded, unsure of what else to do in response.

"Did Elizabeth ever tell you how he proposed?"

He sifted through all of his memories but he couldn't find any that were specifically about the proposal. "Just that he gave it to her and couldn't wait to marry her."

Esme smiled and bumped his shoulder with hers. "Your father was smooth. He knew how to talk to a lady and make her feel like she was the only woman who mattered in the world. But that was when he was being playful and flirty. Not unlike you, Kid.

"When it was time to be serious, though, he often struggled to find the words, especially when he was talking to Elizabeth. He was so worried about screwing up the proposal that he wrote it all down and practiced it and planned to read it to your mother.

"Unfortunately, he forgot the paper in his hotel room and didn't realize until he was patting his shirt and pants pockets and looking like he was slapping invisible bugs off himself. Elizabeth had such a giggling fit over that."

"How do you know about it?"

Esme blushed. "I _may_ have been watching from the stairs and having my own laughing fit."

Masen snorted.

"But I swear most of what I know your mom told me later on."

He grinned, picturing Esme clutching the stair railings and peeking over the top at his parents. "What else happened, Sneaky Pete?"

"Your father was so upset that he didn't have his paper and he couldn't remember everything he'd written even though he swore he'd practiced at least ten times. Elizabeth took his hands into hers and asked him to try."

Masen rolled his eyes. "And he remembered it all and it was perfect and they kissed happily ever after until—"

Esme shut him up with a slap to his shoulder. "Your flippancy has always been the defense mechanism I despise the most. I get that you have very mixed feelings when it comes to hearing about your parents but that doesn't excuse your behavior. If you don't want to hear about it, just say that. Don't be a jackass to me."

"I'm sorry. I really am. I just—It's frustrating as hell to finally know what I want but not how to get it. She deserves something amazing and I want to give it to her. I just don't know how."

"Maybe hearing how your father did it might help," Esme suggested.

He couldn't argue with that logic, especially when he had nothing else to go on. "Would you please tell me?"

"I don't remember it word for word but I think it went something like this …" She pointed at the smaller stone on the left. "This is the past. Behind us. We're gonna make the best peace with it we can and leave it there."

Now she pointed to the stone on the right. "The present. Borrowing your phrase, 'it won't all be sunshine and roses'. But every second I get to love you and have you love me will be worth it."

Finally she pointed to the large stone in the middle. "The future. Our future will be this big and bright with room for every dream, even the ones we haven't dreamt yet.

"Then he made a joke about how she had to kiss him a lot because that was why he really wanted to marry her. 'Except for your laugh, and the way your eyes light up, and your kindness, and everything that makes me fall a little more in love with you every moment of every day'. I remember that part clearly because it seemed like something from a book and not real life, and I thought he should be a writer instead of working for our father."

Esme paused to hand the ring back to Masen. "Personally, I think whatever he had written wouldn't have sounded half as good."

Masen inspected the ring while dissecting this new information about his parents.

"You know, it's because of your parents that I've always believed real-life romance is possible. He was ready to move continents for her and she fought our parents for the right to follow her heart and be in love."

"I've hated this ring," Masen admitted. "I've hated the broken promise it's represented all this time—the only promise I would have ever broken to Elizabeth."

"It was never hate you felt about it, Kid, or else you would have gotten rid of it. Supreme dislike for sure. But there was hope too and Elizabeth's love. I know this because I have the same love-dislike relationship with the pearl earrings she gave me. They make me sad because they're the last birthday gift she'll ever give me. I love them for the same reason. You've been similarly conflicted about the ring."

"Conflicted implies I felt something other than hate," he pointed out.

Esme tugged a lock of his hair. "Nice try, Kid, but as your mom I know for a fact that you've never actually hated anything. Not even Brussel sprouts like any reasonable kid."

Masen couldn't help snorting at that.

"Besides, no matter how much you disagree it doesn't change one very big fact."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"You referred to your feelings about the ring in the past tense, ergo your feelings have changed, ergo you have found the right person to put up with your stubborn ass, ergo you are in love and loved in return. And I am so proud of you."

"Why'd you use 'and' that time and not 'ergo'?"

She bumped her shoulder into his and gave him the same loving smile Elizabeth used to give him. "Because I'm always proud of you."

"Mom, I'm—"

"I know, I know," she said, her smile not losing any of its size. "You're just looking. I've said my peace and I'll leave you alone now."

"Actually, I was going to ask if you thought this might be outdated," he said as he lifted the ring for her to see it clearly.

Esme smiled reassuringly. "No, sweetheart. It's classy and classic. That never goes out of style."

"Do you think she'll …" He swallowed hard, not wanting to speak his doubt out loud.

"That's not for me to answer, Kid. Only your kapu can answer that particular question. Do you have any idea when you might ask?"

"No."

"What about how? Did you get any ideas from hearing about your parents?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"You better figure this out. You can't just thrust the ring at her and say 'here'."

"Why not? That actually sounds like a good plan," he replied, smiling so she'd know for sure that he was teasing.

Esme was not amused and gave him the full frown with angry eyebrows. "Contrary to what you would have others believe, I know there is a romantic inside of you. Untie him and let him help you make it an amazing moment and lifetime memory."

"I will," he promised as he tucked the ring into the box and snapped the lid closed.

She reached over to run her finger over the floral design on the top of the wooden music box. "It's such a shame it stays in this box where no one ever sees it."

"I see it."

She only grinned.

"But I was thinking maybe I might try to fix it."

Esme gave him that soft smile that always made him want to hug her tight. "I think that would be lovely."

He set the ring box into the shoe box, put the lid on, and locked it up in his cabinet. He got to his feet and helped Esme to hers, and then he grabbed hold of her and hugged her as tightly as he dared. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Kid." She patted his back twice and then stepped out of his arms. "We better get upstairs before there's no dinner left. I'm sure they stopped waiting for us once I didn't return right away."

"If Carlisle didn't set a plate aside for you, then you know Gopher did," Masen assured her.

"Being awesome has great perks," she teased, brushing her arm against his as they climbed the stairs together.

"Esme Masen! Making men fall at her feet since 19—" He tried to keep talking with her hand over his mouth but the urge to laugh was too great. When she finally let go, he told her, "You are so easy to get sometimes."

"And you are so lucky I don't kick your ass," she replied, pinching his side for good measure.

He stopped her at the top of the stairs and gave her another hug. "I'm lucky because I have you. Thanks for the talk and all the ones before it and all the ones that we both know are coming."

"I've got my fingers crossed that the next talk we have is you telling me all about a 'yes' answer to a beautiful question."

"Mine too, Mom. Mine too."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Look at this one, Lee. Tell me this tooth doesn't look four foot tall?" Gopher demanded, proudly holding the photograph for her inspection.

Bella averted her eyes and focused on the desktop printer's screen progress bar. While she had done well in the dive and saved her freak-out for the boat, she had yet to completely calm her nerves from the experience. She hoped she'd eventually be able to improve that aspect of her reactions in time but for today she was just going to have to work through it.

Lee snorted. "Babe, that Great White was barely six foot so unless Guppy discovered a new sabretooth shark species, I'd say your estimate is way off."

Bella grimaced as she pulled the last of the photos from the printer. "How is it that of all the pictures of Cranky, the only perfectly clear ones are of his teeth?"

"Does anyone else find it ridiculously fitting that she named him 'Cranky'?" Alice asked, letting out a nervous giggle.

"Should she have been more subtle and gone for 'Norman'?" Whit teased.

"It wasn't funny earlier and it's not funny now," Alice warned him.

Bella kept her thoughts on the subject to herself, not wanting her sister to get anymore riled up than she already was about all of this. Alice had actually been pretty understanding all day but after hours of trying her best to be a-okay, she was close to breaking.

"Okay," Edward called from his spot in front of the whiteboard. "We have that Cranky is most definitely male. Estimated length of five-foot-ten-inches long with an approximate weight of a hundred pounds due to his slim profile. He has a few teeth missing on his lower jaw so it's likely he lost them while biting into a seal's hide sometime within the past week. Although we can't rule out him biting a boat or a cage after the behavior we saw. Anything else we can tell from Bella's photos?"

"Yeah, that she forgot to turn off her camera," Gopher joked while clicking through photos on the laptop. "Here's the bars of the cage … the bottom of Galeos … Masen's flipper."

"Just you wait until you're face-to-face with a pissy shark and see what you do and don't remember," Bella told him. She was trying not to feel too defensive but she wasn't having much luck.

"Time to move on to Mona Lisa," Whit declared. "Cranky's had enough of our attention for one day. And Gopher."

Bella looked up in time to see Edward smiling big while taping a photo of the smiling shark to the white board—_her_ photo that she'd taken under while facing a giant great white. She still wasn't quite clear on why Lee, Whit, and Masen had been adamant about naming her after the famous painting since there wasn't a smile in it, but their excitement over it more than made up for her confusion.

"This beautiful lady was sixteen feet long, our biggest on record for this season," Edward proudly announced.

The room filled with whistles and clapping at the announcement, with the loudest display coming from Esme and Carlisle even though they'd sworn to be silent observers.

"According to the scale, she should weigh around one-point-eight _tons_," Lee shared.

"Dude, that's a car," Gopher exclaimed. "That tonnage translates to thirty-six hundred pounds. That's basically Lee's car back home."

Alice raised her hand like a student waiting to be called on—or excused to go puke from the paleness of her face. "Um … What's the stress-strength of the cage again?"

Edward grinned. "Trust me, Thumper, our cage was built to withstand being rammed at high velocities."

Carlisle jumped in wanting clarification. "Velocity changes with the size of the missile. Are you sure this cage meets the requirements for this level of shark?"

"We're sure," Edward and Jasper answered together.

Jasper pointed across the room at his best friend. "Brainiac over there only made the seller triple check it before ordering, during ordering, and at pickup."

"And unlike the DC Brainiac, Mase only uses his superpowers for good," Gopher added.

"That's debatable," Alice murmured.

Bella nudged her with her elbow to let her know she'd been heard.

"Well," Alice replied, waving a hand toward the whiteboard. "I'm still not sold it was good that he got you to go shark cage diving with _three_ sharks."

"Am I not perfectly fine?" Bella asked even as she felt the tremor in her hands from her overload of adrenaline.

"Physically, yes. Mentally?" Alice's eyebrows lifted up toward her hairline. "The jury's so, _so_ out."

"Bella, anything you want to see added to the board?" Edward asked.

She quickly scanned the list of observations he'd written under the shark's Mona Lisa moniker just to make sure he hadn't already asked the question himself. "I'd like to note her decision to leave rather than get into a fight with another shark. Nothing in the materials you've given me to read would have ever led me to guess we'd see that in a shark her size. All the experts say she's supposed to stand her ground."

"Yeah, I was surprised by that too," Jasper said. "Do you think there was a chance she's pregnant and just didn't want the hassle of a fight?"

"That's a good theory," Edward responded. "Any other theories?"

"It could be just as simple as she sensed something was wrong," Lee offered. "We have that feeling towards other people. Why can't sharks have it among themselves?"

"What about a scent?" Gopher suggested. "Like that dude literally gave off a crazy scent?"

"These are all good," Edward said as he finished writing Gopher's idea on the board. "Anything else you guys can think of?"

"Lee's idea about sensing …" Bella began hesitantly. "Can the shark's ampullae pick up pressure changes? Because if so, then that could be a reason. Cranky's speed was displacing the water at such a rate that pressure changes could have been measured by human technology. Wouldn't that lead us to believe it's possible Mona Lisa's built-in warning system picked it up too?"

Gopher didn't even wait for Edward's answer before offering his fist to Bella for a bump, which she happily accepted.

"Another great theory," Edward congratulated while noting it on the board.

"You know," Lee said as she smiled at Bella. "This may be something we can research by reaching out to other teams. I know one in San Francisco was specifically looking deeper into the functions of the ampullae. We can write to them and request their opinion."

"I think that's a great idea," Edward responded. "I'll leave it to you two ladies to run that project and report back to us when you have a response."

"Sweet," Lee said as she smiled at Bella.

"As far as sensing a problem, picking up a scent, or protecting a pregnancy, they're all worthy theories but they're also unprovable for us," Edward declared. "We don't have a blood sample from Mona Lisa and there's not enough behavioral research yet to compare against. But we will definitely keep it in our records for comparison against future encounters."

"On to the next shark so we can be on our way to bed before this day ends," Esme encouraged.

"Dusty the dusky, so named for the scar that looks like a smear of dirt," Gopher called out. "Also known as the shark Masen was busted petting."

"I was _seen_ petting him," Edward corrected. "Busted implies I was doing something out of line with team guidelines, which I was not."

Lee rolled her eyes at their need to tease each other and then moved the conversation along. "Based on the photos from Masen and Guppy, we know Dusty was a male."

Jasper chimed in to say, "And thanks to Masen's audio we also know the shark was over six foot long and in near mint condition except for the scar was on his lower caudal fin."

"He was inquisitive without being apprehensive," Edward added. "He was the type of shark that allows us to be relatively safe while being hands-on in our research."

"Last shark for the board," Bella said as she brought the photo to Edward. Whit had captured a great profile shot of the large male Great White that Edward had tagged on the last dive of the day.

"Names?" Edward asked, tacking the photo to the board.

"Bruce," Whit shouted. "He looks like a Bruce."

"He's big enough to be a Bruce," Gopher agreed.

"Ugh," Lee groaned with a shake of her head. "You guys have been wanting a Bruce for so long it's pitiful."

"What's the big deal with Bruce?" Alice asked.

"Bruce was the name of the animatronic shark that was the star of the film _Jaws_," Esme explained. "My misfits have been waiting years to christen a shark with this most special nickname."

"Had to be a Great White," Jasper said.

"And a male," Gopher added.

"He also had to be formidable," Edward said. "And this shark fits the criteria."

"A fourteen footer is far from Jaws' colossal size," Lee pointed out.

"If you subtract movie exaggeration and add real-life possibilities, then it's exactly right," Edward countered.

"He told _you_," Whit exclaimed, smiling and playfully shaking a finger at Lee. "With _Math_."

Alice didn't look any less confused. "Still not sure what the fuss is all about, but okay. Big guy shark named Bruce. Next?"

Bella had been studying a photo of the shark's head during all the name talk so she shared what had caught her attention. "Bruce had some discoloration on the top of his head. Nothing that appears serious or large enough to make his natural camouflage ineffective. Maybe he scraped himself against a reef?"

"Could also be concrete debris that they use to rebuild shorelines in places like Louisiana and New York," Esme suggested. "There was an article on it a couple weeks ago and they are actually seeing some success with the process."

"Seal Island itself is also a possibility since it's made out of granite," Whit remarked.

"What else can we tell about Bruce?" Edward questioned.

"He's a deep swimmer," Gopher said. "He never really came higher than the bottom of the cage."

"Defensive mechanism?" Lee asked.

Edward shrugged. "Maybe. It's been suggested that sharks can remember incidents for up to a year. He could have recently come across another shark cage and was staying low to avoid ours."

"Why would a shark be worried about a cage?" Alice asked.

"We likely aren't the first to have poked him with a tag," Lee pointed out. "Researchers have been coming here for years to study these sharks."

"Maybe we'll even tag him again the next time we're out here," Whit said.

"Next time?" Alice's face had paled considerably.

"Yeah, in like a few years from now," Gopher said. "This whole summer is our baseline and every time we come back, we'll have new research to compare and contrast against it. How else are we ever gonna decode sharks?"

"I just figured since there are a whole bunch of teams all over that you'd just put all the data together and figure it out on paper," Alice answered.

"Maybe one day but right now the gaps in our data are still too wide," Edward explained. "Our team has been studying behavior. The one before us might have been looking at conditions. The one after us might focus on migration patterns. These are all worthy puzzle pieces but until we know for sure the overall shape, none of us know exactly where our pieces fit."

"Just look at how much longer we've been studying the human body and how much we still don't know about ourselves," Whit said. "This is why studies like this are still referred to as 'a life's work'."

"But all of that is in the future," Bella said as she grasped Alice's hand to comfort her. "Right now, we're just focused on finishing out this summer."

"And this team meeting," Esme piped up. "Do we have anything more we feel we should notate about Bruce? 'Cause if not, I say we call this meeting done and get out of here so Masen and Guppy can write up the daily report."

"I think we're good," Lee stated.

"Yep," Whit agreed.

"Ditto," Gopher said.

Edward gave a nod. "Thank you for all your input tonight. Now get out of my office."

They laughed and then filed out the room one by one with Esme bringing up the rear. Bella caught her giving yet another wink to Edward, still completely oblivious to the fact that she was not being covert with it at all.

As soon as Bella was alone with Edward she questioned the winking. "What's going on with your mom? What are you two scheming about?"

Edward snorted. "My mom's an ass."

Bella yelled his name out in shock. "Edward!"

"I call like I see it, kapu," he said with a laugh.

Bella studied him for a moment, noting his crooked grin and crinkled eyes. "I know what's going on here."

"You think?" he questioned as he pulled her flush against him.

"I _know_."

"Tell me."

She struggled not to be distracted by the closeness of his lips. "She's conspiring with you without your consent. You're worried she's going to blow whatever surprise you've got up your sleeve."

"Nice theory but incorrect."

"Then enlighten me. What's going on with you two?"

"You'll know when it's time," he promised. "For now, I want you to get out of here and get into the shower."

Her brows creased with her confusion. "I can't go shower. We have to write the daily first."

"I will take care of the daily."

"That's not fair though. I promised you I'd help."

"Kapu, that was this morning before we ever got into the water."

"Edward—"

He cut her off just by narrowing his eyes. "You're not arguing with your mentor, are you?"

She had to laugh at that. "It's not so easy to tell anymore. You sound like my mentor but you look like my boyfriend. And you're definitely holding me like my boyfriend does."

"So then it's both," he replied with a smile. "You need to be done with today as a work day. You need time to decompress and sort through your feelings about today."

"It's that obvious?" she asked, unable to stop her blush from spreading across her cheeks.

"Only to me. But then no one else is watching you the way I do."

She hugged him tightly in thanks and appreciation. "You really don't mind writing the report by yourself?"

"With all the notes on the board, this thing will practically write itself," he promised. He kissed her cheek and then released his hold on her. "Go enjoy a long hot shower, kapu."

She did just as he asked, but not until after she'd given him a long, sweet kiss full of love and thanks.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Saturday, August 16th**

Masen lifted Bella's hand and inspected her fingers. She didn't have long ones like Elizabeth—piano hands his mother had called them. He'd always wondered about that since the only times he'd ever seen Elizabeth in front of a piano were those times when his grandparents would go out for dinner and he and his mom would play _Chopsticks_ together as loud as they could, filling the big house with the sounds. He started to chuckle but then quickly stopped himself, worried he'd wake Bella.

Surprisingly, she didn't move a muscle. He was used to her twitching at sounds and moving each time he did, but tonight she hadn't moved a muscle since she'd dozed off. He liked the idea of taking full credit after the amazing celebratory sex they'd shared, but he knew logically that adrenaline factored in to her hard sleep much more. It had to after all that had happened today—technically yesterday now. She'd had her own dive in the morning with him and then she'd been lookout for his dives that afternoon with Whit and then Gopher. She'd even been excited when he'd gotten their third tag. The data from that tag would start rolling in within a few hours and then they could compare it to the other two tags.

As exciting as the possibilities were, they still took a backseat in his brain. The ring and where he wanted it to be was the priority in his mind. It was strange but that good kind of strange, the kind that made his head spin with all the ways his life could be different in the best ways. This had never been in his thoughts, the ability to share a tiny cot with a beautiful woman, skin to skin, and have no interest in getting back to work. Well, that wasn't completely true. He had plenty of interest but he understood it could wait a few hours, that this moment was as vital and important in its own way. He wanted more of this. He wanted as much of her as he could be lucky enough to have and he wanted to make sure she never questioned his feelings for her again.

But how? That was the question he had no answer for yet.

"The fuck is wrong with you," he muttered angrily to himself. "You make intricate and multiple plans to go diving with sharks but you can't figure out how to propose to your kapu."

Bella shifted against him, her fingers coiling around his as she snuggled into his chest. His annoyance with himself melted and left him marveling over how lucky he was to be with her.

"Inspiration," he whispered as he gently kissed her forehead. "That's what I need."

He carefully slipped out of bed, covering her with the cot's worn fleece blanket. He waited beside her for a minute just to make sure she didn't wake.

He went to the file cabinet and grabbed the key to unlock the cabinet, and then took the box out and set it on his desk. With the lid off, he ran his fingers over the top of the wooden music box as he always did. He could still recall the melody it had played and he definitely remembered the way Elizabeth had always smiled when she'd lifted the lid to hear it.

He took out the small velvet green box, opening it slowly to keep it from squawking and waking Bella. He just wanted to see how it would look for a second and then he'd put it right back in the box. He was confident that once he had the image in his head inspiration would hit and he'd plan the perfect proposal for his kapu.

While he'd been getting the ring out, Bella had curled herself up under the blanket and the only part of her visible now was a foot.

"This woman," he whispered while chuckling. He straightened out her legs to give him room to stretch out beside her again beneath the blanket. He brought her hand out from under the blanket and carefully slid the ring onto her finger. It was a little loose but not enough to be in danger of falling off.

Inspirational was too small a word for what seeing the ring on her finger felt like to him. He knew a lot of adjectives and nearly all crossed his mind but nothing fit so well as the word "right" did. Elizabeth had been right. Esme was right. Bella being his kapu and wearing his ring was right.

He moved her hair away from her face and asked, "How do I get you to accept this wide awake and wanting what I want?"

He chuckled, knowing she would completely hate this idea. "How about in the cage with a shark circling us? What would you think of that?

"No. No, you'd hate that and think it was a stupid joke of mine.

"How about a big bash on the beach with the whole family?

"No, that would be too big, too much attention. We need something smaller, something more your taste.

"What do you like? Sunsets. Music. Food—you are definitely a fan of good food. But food is too cliché.

"You love Lizzy. Maybe I should slip this onto her collar," he murmured as he slid his finger over the ring.

Bella's brown eyes flew wide open, scaring Masen into complete silence. "Gotta go," she hurriedly told him while crawling over him and out of bed.

"Go where?"

Her hand was already on the doorknob. "Gotta go."

"Naked," he blurted out, hoping it would be enough to stop her. "You're only in my lucky shirt and it's not even buttoned."

Her head dipped down as she verified her lack of clothes and then she went completely still.

"You'll need these," he said as he walked toward her with her pajama shorts in his hand.

She turned to face him and her eyes were as wild as her hair. "There's a ring on my finger." She said it so softly and calmly that he wasn't sure how to respond. Her next words came out the complete opposite and loud enough to make him wince since he was standing right in front of her. "Edward, there's a _ring_ on my finger. On _this_ finger."

"Let's trade." He slipped the ring from her finger and then knelt in front of her to help get her shorts on. Her hands rested against his shoulders and he could feel them trembling against his skin. He'd scared her.

"We have to talk," she said, her voice shaking.

"We will," he assured her while buttoning up her shirt. "After you're done in the bathroom."

"You'll be here? Right here? And you'll _talk_?" she asked as she tracked his every move with those wide, scared eyes.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," he promised.

She kept those eyes on him until she was standing in the hall and then she hurried off toward the stairs.

Masen grabbed his hair with both hands and muttered a few choice curse words at himself. "Of all the things to fuck up," he said, nearly laughing at his new level of stupidity. He'd been so sure she wouldn't wake up and just before he'd taken off the ring, she'd woken completely and seen the ring and now she was scared and freaked out and would probably never—_No_. No, he wasn't going to think that way. He could salvage this. He _would_ fix it. First step was to put away the ring, second step was to get dressed, and third was to say something to put her at ease so she could listen to him and not the thoughts swirling in her head.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella broke out into a sweat as she approached the door to Edward's project room. She knew what she wanted things to mean, just like she knew all the completely opposite things it could mean. She didn't want to let her mind spin with ideas and that would be so easy to do, but if she was doing that than she'd have trouble focusing on whatever he said and he was definitely going to talk this time. She was owed an explanation and he would not leave until she had one. And hopefully not then either.

She quickly entered the room and closed the door, leaning her back against it to support her shaking legs. "Talk."

Edward jumped to his feet and shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts; his eyes were wide and either scared or excited. Maybe both. She couldn't tell for sure. "Ask me anything," he encouraged.

"You put a ring on my finger. You put it on a very distinct and important finger."

His lips twitched. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not a bad thing but if you think you can just put a ring on my finger with no explanation, then you are out of your shark loving mind."

He walked over to her and took her hands into his. "Ask me anything."

"Where did you get a ring like that out here?"

He blinked a couple times and then his lips curled up and he laughed. "All the things you could ask me and you go with that?"

"It's the only thing I can't figure out."

He put his arms around her and pulled her into his personal space like what was going on was nothing and he was super fine—she was far from super fine right now because she didn't understand any of this.

"You are so beautiful and this mind of yours," he told her. "You make me lucky in ways I never thought would be possible, kapu."

She couldn't help melting at his words, especially not with him looking at her in the way he had—like she was the most important person in his world. But she also needed answers. "So where did you get it?"

"It was Elizabeth's, given to her by my father."

Bella gasped involuntarily, her eyes widening as she realized how big this whole thing might be. It was one thing to wake up to a ring on her finger. It was something entirely different for that ring to have belonged to Elizabeth.

"Look, I—" He took a deep breath before continuing. "She gave me the ring and told me I'd know when I met the right person to wear it. I always thought she was a hopeless romantic for believing something so crazy, that there would be someone who chose to put up with my late nights, my need to work, my drive for perfection—because even as a kid I knew I wasn't normal."

"Why do you do that?" Bella asked, running a hand through his hair in hopes of calming him some. She could feel his entire body humming against hers. "Why do you list what you see as flaws in yourself without ever countering it with the best things about you? Your love for your family, your loyalty to your friends, your talented mind and hands, and your sense of humor. Those are just as much a part of your daily life and yet you never list them."

He grinned in that shy way that was rarely ever seen. "I'm humble."

She had to laugh at that. "That is so not true and you know it."

"I guess to make it clear I know I come with some hard traits to deal with."

"You do," she agreed. "But who you are overall is worth working through those parts."

His vibrating intensified and his eyes took on that electric blue shade that came with his pure excitement. "Come on," he said as he reached behind her and grabbed the doorknob.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Someplace special." The look in his eyes—he was absolutely excited, the same kind of excited he'd been this morning before their dive together and tonight when he'd been talking about the tags.

He led her up all the flights of stairs, out onto the deck, and then to the ladder that led to the crow's nest. Their climb was made easy by the calm night wind and the bright light of the full moon hanging high above them.

_Early morning_, Bella corrected herself. _We are insane to be up here in the wee hours of the morning and yet I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. I have to know why he's bringing me up here._ She was pretty sure it wasn't just to talk about their day like he often had them do.

"We usually have chocolate milk when we're up here," she mentioned as she waited for him to clear the ladder.

He walked right up to her and took her hands into his. "There are different types of relationships and commitments. I know what I think this is but I also know it could be more of an 'I'm in this for as long as it lasts' commitment. I know that happens. But that's not me. Because if I commit to you with all that I am, I can't ever take it back. And I want to commit to you, Bella. But I don't want you to feel like you have to want what I want. I always want you to be yourself because that's who I love. So if you just want to see where this goes, then that's fine. I'd rather have you for as long as I can than not at all. And if you don't know now, then that's fine too because I can wait. I _will_ wait. But if this is more for you …"

He released her hands and then got down on his knees before her. He reached into his pocket and when she could see his hand again, he was holding the ring pinched between two fingers, reflecting the moonlight against his face. "You love me. That is a truth I believe in with everything in me. Not because it's logical, but because you tell me and show me, and I feel it in every ounce of my being. What I feel for you—I can't give you anything less than forever. It's what I want and what you deserve. I want forever with you and I hope you want the same. Kapu, will you marry me?"

Bella wrapped her hands around his and got down on her knees to be face-to-face with him. His eyes were still excited but his body was tense—he really didn't know how she would answer.

She took a breath to steady her voice since calming her body was out of the question. "By your own admission, I am not what you expected. I know that what we have was not in your plans. I think that's why you're so eager to make sure it doesn't have an end." She noticed the way his shoulders slumped at the word 'eager' so she quickly tried to reassure him. "But don't think eager is a bad thing because it's not. Sometimes being impulsive is so much better than planning out every little detail. Filling out the intern application was impulsive and it got me here. It brought us together.

"Now that we are … Edward, when I said I wanted a life spent living and working with you, that's exactly what I meant because I know, I _know_ there will never be any moving on from you, from what we are when we're together, which is the absolute best of ourselves. With you, I am brave and adventurous. I'm sexy and lovely. I'm even funny and I can make you laugh. So the answer to your question is yes. Always _yes_."

"You—you said yes." It was the first time she'd ever seen him look utterly shocked.

"I did. Want me to say it again?"

"Yes," he answered, his face morphing from shocked to ridiculously excited, complete with a big, goofy grin.

She smiled and cupped his face in her hands. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Edward. Forever. Always yes." She let go of him and leaned back a little, holding her left hand out to him. "But only if you'll allow me the honor of wearing Elizabeth's ring."

He swallowed hard and she noticed his eyes welling up before he looked down. He took her hand into his and with shaking fingers slid the ring onto her finger. "Kapu—" He lifted his eyes to hers, letting her see his tears. "Elizabeth and Esme, they've always told me it's okay to cry. It's okay to feel so much that you can't keep it inside. This—I miss her and I wish she could know you. And I love you. I love you in ways I didn't know two people could love each other. And you just said 'yes' and that's—Kapu …"

Bella dried his cheeks with her thumbs. "I wish she could know me too, but we'll just have to settle for me knowing her."

"I'd like that."

"Me too. Know what else I would like?" she asked, smiling as she scratched his scruff. "I'd love it if you kissed me. As symbolic as this beautiful ring is, I still feel like it's not official until you kiss me."

He dove for her lips and locked his arms against her back, the only thing keeping her from falling over from their feverish kiss. Normally his passion would be the key piece she needed to know his true feelings but tonight it was only a beautiful added bonus. He'd completely opened his heart, and hers had melted in response, leaving her trusting in their love and in her gut instinct that none of the other possible paths in front of her would make her a tenth as happy as this one.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Stop trying to get dressed," Edward murmured against the side of Bella's neck.

She laughed and pushed him backward until he had to sit on their bed. "Stop trying to make me late for breakfast duty."

"Gopher can handle it on his own."

"That's not the point and you know it." She finally decided on a light gray t-shirt and yanked it off the hanger. She quickly pulled it over her head before Edward could take it away like he'd done with her jean shorts earlier. "Besides, don't you have some data to check on?"

He pushed his lower lip out in a pout. "I'm not supposed to look until after breakfast to ensure I don't hold up breakfast the way I held up dinner last night."

"You've been promising to teach Alice how to tie a real rope knot. Maybe it's time you come through on that," she suggested while slipping her bracelet onto her wrist.

"Come here," he said, reaching for her hand.

She looked at his hand and then his face. "You swear you're not going to try to convince me to stay?"

"I swear."

She took his hand and let him pull her close. He immediately reached for her other hand, the hand adorned with his mother's ring, and gave it a kiss while looking into her eyes. "I love you, kapu."

She grinned and leaned down to kiss his lips. "I love you too. But I'm still not skipping breakfast duty."

He laughed and let her go as he'd promised. "Get out of here and get to work. And make sure there's plenty of food. I'm starving from all the celebrating you made me do with you."

"What was that?" she challenged, staring him down.

He gave her that smile he used when he was trying to sweet talk his way out of trouble. "So maybe 'made' was the wrong word. How about if I'd said all the celebrating we enjoyed together?"

She shrugged. "Better."

He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her to stand between his legs. "And if I said it was from being allowed to worship you and your body the way you deserve?"

"That's even better."

He brought her forearms to rest on his shoulders, putting her lips right in front of his. "What if I told you it was from making love to my kapu, my fiancée, my love forever."

How could she not kiss him after hearing something like that? And of course it couldn't be some little peck. She had to make it a good one. Gopher would understand.

She ended up being fifteen minutes late because of that kiss and she didn't regret it a bit. In fact, she was still smiling over it as she walked into the kitchen.

"Nice of you to join me, Guppy," Gopher teased when he noticed her. "Let me guess—Masen was talking your ear off about yesterday's dive?"

"Something like that," she said as she fought the urge to blush from her intimate memories of her time with Edward. "What can I help with?"

"Would you grab the butter and coat the baking pan right there for me?"

"I can do that." She took a stick of butter from the refrigerator and joined Gopher at the island, pulling the pan closer to her.

Gopher's hand shot out and grabbed hers from the edge of the pan. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh _shit_!"

"What is it? A fire? A burn?" Whit yelled while running down the hall from the helm. He skidded to a stop in front of the island, took one look at Bella's hand, and then sat down. Just folded his legs under him and sat down right there on the floor.

"So our Guppy's been seeing Iceman on the side and he left an arctic ice shelf on her finger," Gopher teased. "Masen's gonna feed his ass to the sharks when he finds out dude's been moving in on his girl. Right, Whit?"

Whit pointed a shaking finger at Bella's hand. "That's—" He couldn't seem to finish but Bella knew what he meant all the same and she nodded to confirm his suspicion.

"What? What am I missing?" Gopher questioned. "I know I'm missing something so somebody tell me."

"It's Elizabeth's," Lee announced, standing at the edge of the hall. She must have been at the helm with Whit when Gopher had yelled.

Gopher's eyes widened and he let go of Bella's hand as if it would bite him.

At that moment Edward came up the stairs carrying Lizzy and cooing to her. He came to a stop behind Lee and surveyed his silent friends. "What happened? Something wrong?"

"The opposite," Lee said as she turned to face him. She smiled and threw her arms around him in a big hug. "It's right. Very, very right. I'm so happy for you, Mase."

Whit got to his feet and joined the hug, and as soon as Gopher saw that, he piled on too.

Whit freed his head and an arm and waved Bella over. "Get in here, Guppy. Soak up some of this love."

She squeezed in between Whit and Edward and found herself face-to-face with Lee and her mega-watt smile. Edward let the hug go on for a few seconds and then used Lizzy as his reason for breaking away.

Lee and Whit followed him to his puppy's bowls, their voices joining together to ask, "Why didn't you tell me?"

They didn't give him a chance to answer before firing more questions at him, speaking so fast that it was hard to tell which of them asked each question.

"How long have you been planning this?"  
>"Does Esme know?"<p>

"When did this happen?"  
>"How did you ask?"<p>

"Does Carlisle know?"

"Did you get his blessing first?"

"What about Alice?"

"When were you going to tell us?"

"Did you really think we wouldn't notice?"

The last question shot out of both of their mouths, "How does this change things?"

"_Misfits_," Esme called out, causing everyone to turn toward her. She stood with Carlisle and Alice at the end of the kitchen island. "Whatever Edward is proposing certainly can't require all of this yelling first thing in the morning."

Bella and Gopher locked eyes, both of them turning red from fighting not to laugh at Esme's use of "proposing" out of all the possible words in the world.

Bella had asked if she should take the ring off until they had the whole family together to tell them but Edward had been insistent that the only time she should ever take it off was when they were working in the water.

"Esme, you've always had a knack for being scarily on point," Lee said as she set her arm on Edward's shoulder. "Wouldn't you agree, Mase?"

Whit doubled over with laughter and ended up sitting on the floor all over again, this time with Lizzy jumping all over him.

Alice looked increasingly confused the longer she watched Whit. "Why is my boyfriend acting like he's been breathing laughing gas?"

"Is it just me or might we be missing something important?" Carlisle asked Esme.

Esme crossed her arms and focused her eyes on Edward and Lee. "My misfits are definitely up to something. Who wants to share with the rest of the class? Edward? Lee?"

"No idea," Edward replied, wearing his shitty grin proudly. "Lee?"

"Haven't the foggiest," she replied.

Whit opened his mouth but then he snorted and started laughing all over again.

"Gopher," Esme called, turning to face him.

Gopher glanced at Bella and smiled wide. "Bella can shine the light."

"Bug?" Carlisle questioned. "What's going on here?"

"_Seriously_, you guys?" Bella asked while looking to each of her friends and Edward. None of them responded.

She huffed and said, "This is the most massive case of passing the buck I've ever seen. And to think you're all brave enough to swim with sharks but not to answer Esme's question."

"Oh we're brave enough," Edward assured her. "But it's so much more fun to watch you do it."

She met his devious smile with one of her own. "This isn't just about me, though, so get your sneaky ass over here so we can answer together."

"Crack that whip!" Whit encouraged.

"Love it," Lee said as she leaned over and high-fived him.

"You are damn lucky I love you," Edward whispered as he slipped an arm around Bella's back.

"As lucky as you," she countered, planting a quick kiss on his jaw.

"Hi, remember me?" Esme asked with her hand raised. "I'm the one with the question still unanswered."

Edward smiled at Bella and then lifted her left hand up for everyone to see as he met his mom's curious gaze. "You were right from the start, Mom. I proposed."

"And I said 'yes'," Bella added, squeezing his fingers tight.

Esme squealed so loud that Lizzy barked at her. She ran over to hug Edward and Bella and after squeezing them hard for a second, she let them go and slapped Edward on the shoulder. "You said you were just looking."

"I was just looking," he said, laughing while rubbing his shoulder. "It looked right on her finger."

"Uncle Carl?" Bella called, noticing he had yet to move from his spot on the other end of the island.

He looked around, meeting everyone's eyes but hers. "I hope you all won't mind but I need a moment alone with Bella."

"Let's go in the TV room." She was surprised she had spoken at all much less coherently with as anxious as she suddenly felt. She'd never considered her uncle being anything less than completely supportive. Not that it would change anything, but it would hurt for him to be against this.

As soon as she closed the door, she fired off the biggest questions in her head. "Do you think it's too soon to be engaged? Has Edward done something you don't like? Is this because you're with Esme?"

Carlisle smiled kindly and gently set his big hands on her shoulders, instantly calming some of her agitation. "Bella, it's not any of those things. I only need to make sure of something. I owe that to my brother and to you. I thought perhaps it would be easier for you to answer honestly without an audience."

"Oh. That makes sense. That makes a lot of sense especially since I start channeling Alice when I'm nervous and talk too much and too fast and—"

Carlisle chuckled as he gently squeezed her shoulders. "Breathe, Bug."

She nodded and did as he said.

"Now about Masen … How does he make you feel? Not about him. I know you love him. That has never been in doubt. What I need to know is how does he make you feel about yourself?"

She immediately thought of the proposal last night and the feelings she'd shared with Edward. She then thought of all the ways she'd changed and grown this summer. She also thought of her dad and her nightmares and how the two weren't synonymous anymore. Finally, she thought of the progress in her personal relationship with Edward, as well as the backtracks, and how they had worked together to straighten out the bumps they'd come across.

"He makes me feel loved in a way no one else ever has, and I strongly suspect no one else ever could. I feel valued, supported, and important. But my favorite has got to be how he makes me feel like I can accomplish anything with the right amount of training and help," she answered, surprised by the tears that accompanied her admission. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying."

Carlisle wrapped her up in his arms just the way her dad used to hold her when she was upset. "Bug, I love you so very much and I want the best for you in all things. Hearing that unsteady waiver leave your voice, seeing with my own eyes the return of your confidence and bravery—Just promise me that you won't stop reaching and dreaming. Promise you won't take his goals as your own and lay yours by the side."

"I promise. And besides, he would never let me."

"He's a good man, isn't he?"

"Very good. Far from the perfect he tries to be, but very good."

"Then I am happy for you and fully support the both of you. That being said, I'd also like to ruffle his feathers a bit. Charles would never forgive me if I didn't."

Bella giggled and hugged her uncle tighter. "Want some help?"

"I think I have things well in hand, but thank you for offering to be my partner in crime. Though, I would appreciate it if you held your smile for just a moment or two while I chat with Masen."

"I can do that," she assured him.

Carlisle leaned back to see her face clearly. "How did you grow into an adult so quickly? Seems only yesterday I was giving you your first driving lesson and now here you are engaged."

"Stupid shiny Volvo," Bella muttered, picturing the near perfect car with the dented back bumper courtesy of the extremely battered garage door.

He grinned. "Still holding on to it being the car's fault, I see."

"That car never ran right for me," she insisted. "Not like your Nissan GT-R."

"Should that be my wedding gift to you both?"

Bella studied her uncle's face closely. "Don't toy with me, Uncle Carl. Not about that car. And does it have to be at the time of the wedding?"

"I suppose it could be in celebration of a successful internship. Of course, you'll need to finish with no harm, no foul."

Bella squealed and threw her arms around her uncle's neck, hugging him hard. "You really are the best, you know."

"You and your sister make it easy for me."

"Dad would be proud of you, of the way you've raised us."

"Thank you, sweetheart. That means a great deal to know you feel that way."

"Of course I do. I love you, Uncle Carl."

"I love you too, Bug." He gave her a tight squeeze and then released her. "We better rejoin everyone. I suspect both Esme and Masen are rather antsy to know how our talk has gone."

"Alice too. She'll probably be vibrating with anticipation," Bella guessed.

"Only one way to find out," Carlisle replied as he opened the door and waved Bella ahead of him.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"What do you think is taking so long?" Masen asked, peering down the hall at the closed door of the TV room.

Whit responded with a question of his own. "Have you ever thought about how time is way more relative than solid?"

He turned his attention back to his two best friends. "What the fuck am I gonna do if he doesn't want her to marry me?"

"Then you'll change his mind," Lee said smoothly, as if it should have been obvious to him. "It's not like you were planning on tying the knot tomorrow so if it takes a couple months to get him on board, then that's no biggie."

"He's not going to tell her what to do," Whit assured him. "He's just going to do his fatherly duty and make sure she really wants to be married."

"Is it really about marriage, though? Or is it about me? Is it because of how I've screwed things up sometimes? I know he knows all about the incident at the Ocean Center and my behavior when I cut my hand. Hell, she's probably told him every big and little thing—the same as I've done with Esme."

"What about me?" Esme asked as she and Alice joined the trio at the table.

"Masen's worried Carlisle might be saying something to change Bella's answer," Whit shared.

Masen groaned. "Bro, really?"

"What? It's not like she doesn't already know you're overthinking the situation. She only has to look at that head of yours," Whit countered.

Masen immediately took his hands out of his hair and set them on the table.

Esme took one of his hands into both of hers and gave it a tight squeeze. "Just because you can imagine every possible scenario doesn't always mean you should."

The sound of the door opening had Masen jumping to his feet. Bella came into view first but he couldn't read her face like usual. She wasn't smiling or frowning so he had no idea how she might be feeling.

Carlisle and Bella came to a stop just a couple feet away with his hands resting on her shoulders. "You've asked my niece to marry you," he stated.

Masen looked to his mom, unsure of what to do and she mouthed 'be honest' to him. Good advice but it still didn't explain to him what this was. He met Carlisle's gaze and answered to the best of his ability. "I love her and would love to spend my life with her."

"I have a few questions for you."

"Ask me anything."

Carlisle's eyebrows lifted toward his hairline. "_Anything_ infers no limit. Are you sure?"

Masen suddenly felt flushed and he could feel sweat trying to form on the back of his neck. No limits could lead to potential problems, but then again placing a limit could lead to suspicion. Carlisle had never seemed the type to pry but that was before Masen had put a ring on his niece's finger. And before the man had spent a large amount of uninterrupted time with Esme, the absolute queen of prying.

"Bella, you may want to take a seat," Carlisle suggested. "This may take some time."

Masen looked up to try to gauge her mood again but she didn't even look at him as she walked past and took his vacated seat.

"Masen, have you come to a decision?" Carlisle asked.

He shifted his gaze to Carlisle and said, "Anything works for me if it works for you."

"Are you aware that loving someone is only a small part of a marriage?"

"Yes, but it's the same for a relationship beforehand too. If you love them but don't say it or show it, then you might as well feel nothing because that's what they'll believe of you. Loving them isn't enough even if we wish it was. There has to be support and sometimes sacrifice and sometimes the really hard part where you have to say 'no' and hope like hell it's the right call and they'll see that someday."

Carlisle nodded in what Masen took as approval. "So then you feel you understand the meaning of marriage?"

A bead of sweat rolled its way down the middle of Masen's back as he licked his dry lips. "I—I don't think I can answer that. Marriage can be all kinds of things but it's mostly what you make of it with your partner. Bella and I are still learning what kind of couple we are together so there's not enough for me to make an informed guess on what marriage might be like."

Carlisle studied him, standing with one arm resting against his chest and the other sitting on top while he tapped his chin with the pad of his thumb. "If you're still learning, what makes you believe you're ready for the huge commitment of marriage?"

Masen scratched at his head, wondering that for himself for a moment. He thought back to when he'd first seen the ring on Bella's finger and the way he'd felt about it. "I don't believe commitment and marriage are one in the same. Commitment is the lengths you will go to, to protect the person you love and the connection you have together. It's personal and permanent. Marriage is the public action of letting the world know that these two people have teamed up to go through life together."

"Are you prepared for the work it takes to keep a marriage strong and happy for both partners?"

"It would be pretty arrogant of me to say 'yes' when I've already admitted to not knowing what kind of marriage we'll have. So instead I'll say that I'm prepared to do the work."

"Have you considered both the positive and negative impacts your marriage could have on your working relationship?"

"Yes and no," Masen admitted. He could feel the eyes of everyone at the table on him now and he swallowed thickly, wishing he'd asked for this conversation to be in private. He also wanted to wipe the sweat from his forehead but he felt like this was one of those times where showing he was sweating would be a bad move. "I could consider it. I could do it right now and come up with a variety of scenarios. But if I do that, I risk overthinking and that's when I tend to screw things up personally between us. So rather than letting my mind play out all the ways it could go, I'm trusting in how I know it can go. I've met a married research couple and they functioned just as smoothly on and off the boat. If they can, why can't we?"

"And if you can't, what do you choose? Should you be faced with choosing between your marriage and your career, which will you give your full focus?"

Masen gave in to the urge to clear the sweat from his forehead and then rubbed his hand against the side of his shorts. How the hell could he be expected to answer a question like that? And how did Carlisle know to ask the one question, the one scenario that had worried Masen so much when he'd first realized he was falling in love with Bella?

How the hell did he answer this time? He'd only recently come to believe he was capable of a relationship and that it could be just as important as his work. He didn't have enough data to answer logically.

What if he answered based on his feelings? If he said it would be his career, then he'd be a dick—and most likely lying based on how important Bella had become to him in such a short time. Spending years with her would only intensify his desire to never let her go. So then he should say it would be his marriage but what if it wasn't such a cut and dry decision and _that_ became the lie?

Masen wiped more sweat from his forehead while continuing to wrack his brain for an honest answer.

"Carlisle, don't you think you're being—" Esme began.

"Let him answer. If he's truly serious about committing to and marrying my Bella, then I would like to hear his answer," Carlisle told her.

Masen felt something brush against his fingers and when he looked down he found Bella tangling her fingers with his. He lifted his eyes to her face and was greeted with her sweet smile and loving eyes. "I wouldn't," he whispered.

"What's that?" Carlisle questioned.

Masen tugged Bella up out of her seat and put an arm around her, anchoring her to his side—where he needed her and she belonged. He then faced Carlisle and gave his answer. "I wouldn't choose and not because I can't but because I won't. Because I would never make her choose. I would put my career on hold to fix my marriage and then when I was sure it was solid again that's when I would resume my work because it's part of who I am and I need it as much as I need her. It's the same for Bella."

Carlisle smiled at Bella and then offered his hand to Masen. "You have my blessing, son," he said as they shook. "I have every confidence you will be a dedicated partner to my Bella." He used his grip on Masen's hand to pull him forward, putting them face to face. "Hurt her in any way and you'll find I'm more dangerous than any shark. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, Sir."

Carlisle gripped Masen's shoulder with enough force to make him wince. "Glad to hear it."

Bella looked between the two men and giggled. "I so do love this family."

"Breakfast!" Gopher announced, walking over with a large tray in each hand.

"Perfect timing," Carlisle said as he stepped aside to let Gopher get to the table.

Masen leaned in to Bella and whispered, "He was right to ask those questions and look out for you, but he got one thing wrong."

"What's that?"

"You were his Bella but now you're my kapu."

Bella turned her head and gave his lips a quick kiss. "And don't you dare forget it." She then reclaimed her spot at the table and reached for one of Gopher's scratch biscuits, leaving Masen to wonder once again how the hell he'd gotten so lucky.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

As soon as the daily report was finished for the day, and Bella and Gopher had left the office to make dinner, Lee and Whit closed the door and blocked it with their chairs.

Masen smirked. "You know I can still leave if I want, right?"

Lee and Whit smiled at each other while she said, "He's so cute when he doesn't want to admit he's cornered."

"Cute as a button," Whit joked.

They turned their heads in Masen's direction. "You owe us answers," they demanded.

He remembered their litany of questions from early this morning with perfect clarity. "I know I usually run any major life decisions by you guys first but this time it just didn't work out that way."

"Oh, please," Lee said with a snort.

"You believe this clown?" Whit asked her, jerking his thumb in Masen's direction. "He really thinks we didn't notice all the ways he was making permanent room for her in his life."

"Right!" Lee exclaimed. "Like that official, romantic, officially romantic date where he cooked and everything."

"Splitting his closet with her at the house, and his dresser and closet on the boat, despite all his bitching about her disorganization."

"Oh! Asking me to help him figure out the best way to schedule couple time for future trips."

"Sharing his realization that she doesn't have to like sharks to be as dedicated to the team as we are."

Masen rolled his eyes at them. "Are you two finished declaring how much attention you pay to my life?"

They shrugged. "We're good. For now."

He couldn't help laughing at their foolishness. "Fucking nudgers."

"Get busy answering our questions," Lee demanded.

"I seem to recall your next question being how long I'd been planning to ask her. There wasn't a plan for the asking, just a feeling that it needed to happen, that it was the right next step for us. And I didn't have that feeling all at once. It was more like we'd do something together and I'd have the thought that I could do this one thing forever with her because she made it so easy to be myself and be with her at the same time."

Whit sighed and looked to Lee. "Damn, he's prepared for us. I like it better when he has to think on his feet."

She snorted and shook her head at him. To Masen she said, "We can skip a couple of the questions. We know Esme didn't know and you didn't ask Carlisle ahead of time."

Whit sat up straighter in his chair. "Dude! Can we talk about how fucking smooth he was with Carlisle?"

"Right! I kept wanting to pinch myself because no way was this smooth talker our beautifully befuddled Masen."

"What I want to know is since you were so well prepared, why didn't you address the family as a whole?" Whit asked. "Why did you just wait to see if we would notice?"

"Bella and I had talked about how to tell everyone. We'd really thought Esme and Carlisle would be sleeping in since today was just a data day and we didn't want to wake them just to tell them. She suggested taking the ring off until we were all together but I vetoed that idea. After what I went through to get it on her finger, I wasn't about to let her take it off."

"What did happen?" Whit asked.

"Yeah, and you better have done more than just hand her the ring and say 'here'," Lee warned.

Masen busted out laughing, hardly surprised that Lee would echo Esme's sentiments. Those two were a lot alike, probably why he'd taken to Lee so damn fast in the first place.

"Esme?" Whit asked, looking amused.

Masen nodded.

"Get to the good stuff," Lee begged. "Tell us how you asked her."

"Don't you want to ask Bella?" Masen inquired. "I'm sure her telling will be flowery and romantic and whatever it is you're looking for."

"I'm looking to hear about my best friend committing himself to his kapu," Lee replied.

"So talk already," Whit prodded.

"Honestly," Masen said, his eyes darting between Whit and Lee. "It all started with another of my colossal fuck ups. I was having trouble coming up with ideas on how to ask her and I figured I needed some inspiration to get the ideas flowing. Bella was knocked out from everything that had happened yesterday so I thought I could put the ring on her finger for a moment and then put it away again without her ever knowing.

Whit interrupted with a snort. "I hear the dun-dun-dun of impending doom approaching this story."

Masen ignored him. "I was getting ready to take it off when she suddenly jerked awake, needing to go to the bathroom. Naturally, she was shocked and confused by having a ring on her finger but she still had to go to the bathroom so I took the ring off and she went, giving me a few minutes to try to come up with a plan to keep my fuck up from spiraling out of control."

Lee chuckled behind her hands for a moment before saying, "Masen, I love you with all my heart, but sweetie, you are just so spastic with your personal life that I wouldn't believe it was real if I hadn't witnessed it first-hand."

Whit came to Masen's defense. "He is getting better, though. He's figuring out he fucked up on his own without us having to explain where he went wrong."

"This is true," Lee agreed. "I guess Bella's ire is a hell of a lot scarier than any of us getting annoyed with him."

"You two are making jokes but when that woman is pissed, she is absolutely scary," Masen confided. "She has this way of being calm and truthful that makes your wrongs glaringly obvious to you and leaves you feeling guilty as hell."

"Did she make you feel that way about the ring?" Lee questioned.

"No, not at all," he assured her. "When she came back down, she was stressed but not angry. She just wanted to know why there had been a ring on her finger. I ended up taking her into the nest since that's kind of become our place to talk things over. I told her I wanted to give her forever but that I'd understand if that wasn't what she wanted. Lucky for me, she said that's exactly what she wanted, that she loves me the same deep way I love her and that we're better people together."

Whit and Lee looked at each other and nodded. "We can't argue with that," he said to Masen.

"And we honestly really love it," Lee added. "Masen, seeing you truly happy and watching you grow with her—It stung at first. It did. But not for a second did we ever want anything less than your complete happiness and for you to experience love in the way we've been blessed to know."

"No matter what the rest of the world saw when they looked at you, we've always seen who you are at your core, in your heart," Whit shared. "That's why we're so damn loyal to you and why we love you and consider you our family. Bella feels the same with the added bonus of truly, deeply loving you and she wants to build an entire life with you. Bro, that's so fucking cool and amazing. We support you guys completely and we're always right here to help in any way we can."

Lee nodded in agreement. "We're still your best friends. The only change this engagement brings to our family is drawing us all in closer. And honestly, we would have kicked your ass had you even tried to let Bella go at the end of the summer. We love her too."

"It's weird, right?" Masen asked, looking between his two friends. "We met this stranger at the end of May and here we are not quite three months later and we all love her. Hell, I'm _engaged_ to her. I'm going to spend forever with this woman and I'm fucking excited about it! As excited as I've been for every new shark encounter since we started our company."

"There it is," Lee said through her sniffles while wiping at her eyes. "That's how things change."

"For the better," Whit continued with a nod of agreement. "You finally have a satisfying personal life to go with your fulfilling professional career."

Masen stood and waved his friends over. As the three of them stood hugging in the small office, he was reminded of a similar hug on a wide stretch of beach under a hot summer sun—the day they'd chosen MMR as their shared future. Now they were all starting to walk new paths on that same road and they were still walking it together. That not only made Masen a lucky man, that made him a man with help always a word away. And it was the same for Whit and Lee; all they had to do was say the word and he'd be there for them.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"How long do you think he'll make them wait before he cracks and talks?" Bella asked Gopher as she watched him slide the casserole dish into the oven.

Gopher chuckled. "Depends on how patient Lee is feeling."

"If he was my best friend, I'd want to know right away," Alice confided. "Hey, now that dinner prep is over, can I steal Bella away?"

"I don't know," Gopher said he as he put his arm around Bella's shoulders. "Depends on if Guppy wants to be stolen."

"Yeah, what's in it for me to allow my capture?" Bella teased.

Alice nervously fidgeted with her fingers. "A family meeting with Uncle Carl." She cut her eyes to Bella's left hand resting on the counter. "We've got some big things to discuss."

"Sorry, Guppy. No saves allowed from family stuff," Gopher said as he took his arm away.

Bella sighed. "Okay, fine. But the meeting can only last the twenty minutes until dinner is ready."

"These are important life decisions, Bella," Alice argued.

"Twenty minutes," Bella urged, linking her arm with Alice's.

They headed downstairs to collect Carlisle and then went back upstairs to have their family meeting in the TV room.

"We haven't had a family meeting since just before Bella left for the internship," Carlisle mentioned as he settled into the recliner, leaving the loveseat for his nieces.

"That was a whole other life ago, Uncle Carl," Alice replied.

"You say that like you have something against our new one," Bella pointed out.

Alice shook her head. "No, I just mean that so much has happened since then. Uncle Carl is dating Esme. You're engaged to Masen. I'm in a relationship with Whit. Things are really different."

"Except for how much we love and support each other," Carlisle reminded her.

"And that's why I need to talk to you guys," Alice segued. "Supporting each other has always been something we're really good at and it's something I hope never changes between us."

Bella rubbed Alice's shoulder to comfort her. "I know it's been a whirlwind summer with lots of changes, but I promise we're still just as close of a family as we've always been."

"Bella's right, Alice. Our new bonds with Esme, Masen, Whit, Gopher, and Lee have given us a new family dynamic but our old one is still there too."

"Good. That's good," Alice replied.

When she didn't say anything else, Carlisle gently prodded her. "Please tell us what's on your mind."

"Whatever it is, we want to know," Bella assured her.

Alice smiled gratefully. "You probably think it's about Masen and the engagement but it's not. I know that surprises you because it surprises me too. But seeing how happy he was this morning when you guys told us about the engagement—Bella, he loves you beyond logic and that's permanent for a guy like him. And since you're a permanent kind of gal yourself, I think it's right for you guys."

"Thank you, Ali."

"That was very sweet of you, Alice. Surprising and wonderfully sweet."

Alice blushed and then dove right in to her reason for calling a meeting. "And now to the actual matter of the hour. My fall semester is set in stone so of course I'm going home in just a few days to move into my room at the sorority house and to handle my sister duties and to start my classes. It's going to be a busy semester but that's good because it means it'll pass quickly. But first I have to go home. Whit's offered to come with me to see me settled in but I don't want to take him away from the team. I mean, technically I leave after the last work day but I know the team needs to pack up and then sail home. Is sailing the right word for this boat? Sailing seems like it needs sails. Cruising? Is that it?"

"It's sailing, sweetheart," Carlisle answered. "Now get back to your schooling please."

"Right. School. So fall semester is set. But spring? I could stay where I am in Florida. I'd be surrounded by sorority sisters and I could fly out to Hawaii to visit everyone on every break. But! I could also transfer to a school in Hawaii. My major is business so that's easily transferable. Minus a few cores maybe but all the same not that big of a transition. I could live on campus so I wouldn't be in anyone's hair."

Bella had been trying not to laugh from the sailing bit but she couldn't hold it in after listening to Alice's innocent housing suggestion. "You could live on campus but you'll be found wherever Whit is hanging."

"Not always," Alice argued. "Sometimes he'll be doing guy stuff with Masen and I won't be around for that. And I will have homework too. School isn't any less important just because I've finally gotten to meet my soulmate."

"_Soulmate_?" Carlisle choked out. "When did you reach this conclusion?"

Alice blushed. "Pretty much from the moment I laid eyes on him."

"Alice, I don't—"

She cut him off quickly and with a rapid fire response. "I'm not a little kid anymore and if you didn't give Bella a hard time for being engaged after only knowing Masen for a few months then you can't say anything about me dating Whit just because I called him my soulmate which he totally is no matter what but you can't hold that against him or me. You can't decide who you fall for or who falls for you because if so then I would've been dating Liam Hemsworth and how awkward would that have been to date him and dream of Whit and then meet Whit and have Liam waiting back home or—"

Bella cut her off by calling her name loudly, knowing her sister would go on and on if not stopped. "Focus!"

Alice took a few seconds to just breathe and calm down. "I love Whit and he's my soulmate and that's that."

"Had you not cut me off or tried to fill the air with nearly all the words in the English language, you'd know I wasn't about to say anything against your relationship with Whit," Carlisle admonished. "I was going to say that your schooling is for you and I don't think you should base it on anyone else's preferences. While Bella and I would certainly want you to be near us, we also want to see you fulfill all of your dreams. If that requires you to remain in Florida, then so be it. It's not as if our home there is going anywhere. From what I know of Whit so far, I believe he would tell you the same, that he supports your dreams."

"He does, Uncle Carlisle," Alice promised. "It was his idea to fly home with me. And don't be afraid of me calling him my soulmate. We're not anywhere near where Bella and Masen are in their relationship so there won't be a proposal popping up anytime soon."

"I'm not afraid of your use of soulmate, nor of Bella's engagement," Carlisle assured his nieces. "You two have always run on your own schedules, always different and always just right for yourselves. I will ask questions to help you be sure of your choices but I will never attempt to decide for you."

Alice fidgeted as she looked between her uncle and sister. "I guess I'm just nervous that I'll go away for this semester and you guys will be in Hawaii without me, having these lives that won't include me."

"Alice, don't be silly," Bella said as she wrapped her arms around her little sister. "Whether it's a few months separation or the next few years, you will still be a huge part of our lives. You're my sister. That doesn't change with distance."

"But I can't plan your wedding from Florida," Alice whined.

"Good because you're not going to plan my wedding. You can help me select some small things but that's it and it's not happening right now. There's no timeline on our engagement. When Edward and I decide we're ready to seriously discuss the details of a marriage, I'll make sure you're the first person I call. Until then, put it out of your mind."

"Bella is right, sweetheart. School should be your main focus for now," Carlisle encouraged.

Alice twisted to look directly at Bella. "You promise, promise, promise you won't get married while I'm away at school?"

Bella chuckled and hugged her little sister tightly. "I promise, you bubbly nut."

"I love you with all my heart, Bella."

"Love you too, Ali."

Alice pulled away from the hug and smiled. "So it's decided then. I'm gonna head home soon for school. Once I'm settled, I'll look at all the colleges in Hawaii and then I'll weigh all my options. When I know for sure what I want to do for the spring semester, I'll let you both know."

"That sounds like a very mature and responsible plan, Alice," Carlisle commended.

She shrugged. "I made commitments to my school and my sorority sisters. I have to see those through no matter what."

"It won't be that bad, Alice," Bella promised. "You'll have phone calls and video chats with all of us. And the fall semester has the Thanksgiving break and the long Christmas break."

"Whit's welcome to accompany Esme and me when we return to Florida in a few weeks for the next round of interviews. It will only be a few days but I'm confident you'll make the most of it."

Alice hopped up and went to Carlisle, giving him a huge hug and loud kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are absolutely totally the best uncle ever and I'd say that even if you hadn't just offered to bring Whit to see me."

"Certainly," Carlisle replied, laughing and patting her arm.

Alice released him and launched herself at Bella, tackling her sister into the cushions and making them both giggle. "I love you and I love having you as my big sister."

"How do you feel about having Edward as a brother-in-law?"

Alice gave her lemon-sucking expression. "It could work."

Bella cracked up laughing at her sister.

"Sweetheart, that is not a convincing tone," Carlisle said as he let out a laugh of his own. "You're going to need to work on that."

Alice sighed and climbed off of her sister. "Are you guys sure you're going to be okay without me?"

"Ali, we're not really going to be without you," Bella assured her. "And really, could you pick anyone better than Esme to watch over us for you?"

"She does have that take-charge way about her," Alice allowed. "And honestly if she can keep Masen in line then you two will be a piece of cake."

Carlisle and Bella looked to each other and then started laughing at Alice's comment.

Bella threw her arms around Alice and hugged her tight. "You're a fun girl, Ali. Don't ever let anyone tell you different."

"Why would they?"

Carlisle stood and Bella could tell from the creases around his eyes that he was fighting not to laugh again. "I am officially calling this family meeting a success and ending it in favor of the mouth-watering dinner I've been smelling for the past few minutes."

"Wait! One more thing!" Alice called out as she hopped off the loveseat. "When can we go see Mom? We usually do it over the summer but for obvious reasons we didn't. She'll be expecting us. And we have so much to tell her this year, especially about Bella and Masen."

Bella instantly felt miserable. Telling your mother about the man you loved should be something wonderful. Talking to your mother at all should be—but it wasn't. In fact, no one was sure anymore how much Renee Cullen actually understood. And yet Alice's belief that things would get better never seemed to waiver. For her part, Bella liked the idea that her mother could have a good reaction to hearing her daughter's name but she didn't expect it to happen. Too many years had passed without any sign of improvement from Renee.

Carlisle set his hands on Alice's shoulders, looking her directly in the eyes. "Sweetheart, if you want me to take you to see your mom, I will gladly schedule that with you around your classes."

"Maybe for the first part of my Thanksgiving break," Alice suggested. "I'm sure you want to be with Esme on the actual holiday so maybe that weekend before."

"I'll contact my cousins and make the arrangements," Carlisle promised.

"Bella? You'll come too, right?" Alice questioned.

Bella honestly considered it for a moment but her gut instinct was that it was a bad idea. "Not this time, Ali. I'm going to be swamped with so many things. But Uncle Carl will be there with you and I bet Whit would go if you asked him."

"She does love you." Alice had been insisting that from many years now and Bella never attempted to dissuade her from believing it.

Bella was saved from responding by a knock on the door. It swung open and Gopher filled the doorway. "Come on, Cullen Clan. It's a snooze you lose kind of night so you better get out here and fix your dinner plate."

Alice immediately followed Gopher out of the room but Carlisle made sure that Bella hung back.

"Alice is the eternal optimist in our family," Carlisle told her.

"I know."

"You have no reason to feel guilty, Bug. Your relationship with Renee—you didn't choose for it to be fractured."

In the past it had been guilt Bella felt—guilt for taking her father away from everyone. But now that she knew she'd done her best to save her father, it wasn't guilt she felt about her mother. It was anger that she would take the easy and selfish way out of the pain, leaving her two young daughters alone in their grief. If Carlisle hadn't stepped in—but he had and that was the bright side Bella held in her heart.

"Bella?"

"It's not guilt I'm feeling," she confided. "It's anger. For the first time I'm feeling angry at her. She pushed me away. She pushed us all away. She went inside herself and she stayed there. She's still there. And I know in my head that I should pity her and wish the best for her but right now I'm just really pissed off. I should be able to gush to her about Edward and show her my beautiful ring and tell her about the future he and I are going to build together. Losing Daddy wasn't our choice but losing us was hers."

"I understand your anger. To be perfectly honest, I've shared in your anger many times. The thing to remember is that the anger does us no good. What we have to do instead is throw our full focus into what's right in front of us. Charlie and Renee are not here and that, to borrow one of your phrases, suck's major ass. But, sweetheart, I am here for you and Esme is here. I know we're not the same and we're probably poor substitutes at times, but we are here."

Bella's heart rate kicked up as she heard the underlying message in her uncle's words. "You two are really permanent. You're _committed_."

"We are," he admitted. "I've finally found the woman who makes me want for nothing more than her company. Well that's not entirely true. I would very much like to gift her a ring and marry her, make it an officially permanent partnership between us."

Bella smiled with complete happiness for her uncle as she threw her arms around him in a hug. "That would be lovely."

"Keep this between us for now, Bug?" Carlisle questioned.

"I know nothing," she answered with a grin.

"That's my girl." He placed a tender kiss on her forehead and then they headed off to join their 'ohana for dinner.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Freshly showered and feeling wide awake, Bella's book didn't hold the appeal it had earlier when she'd been tired and ready to crawl under the covers. She headed instead to the office to check on Edward and his progress in deciphering the tag data from the male great white they'd tagged yesterday afternoon.

Edward was still hunched over his desk just as he'd been when she'd checked on him before her shower. There was one difference, though. Instead of the two books he'd been poring over earlier, he now had four stretched open across the desk. He had one pen clamped between his teeth, another peeking out of his hair from behind his ear, and a third in his hands scratching furiously across the legal yellow notepad he preferred for his note taking.

He suddenly stopped writing and dropped the pens from his lips and hand to the desk. He leaned back in his chair as far as it would go, stretching his arms out in front of him and linking his fingers together to crack his knuckles. She bit back a giggle when the pen behind his ear tumbled out of his hair and onto the floor. He didn't hear it land because of the huge yawn he let out.

"You look like a man in need of a break," she told him.

He grinned and turned his head toward her. "That your professional opinion?"

"Personal too," she answered, smiling right back. "Let's go up and get some fresh air."

"A quick break," he said as he got to his feet.

They stopped off in the kitchen to grab a snack and then headed to the viewing deck, squeezing in together on the love seat.

"Cheese sticks in the moonlight. We do taking a break right, kapu."

She laughed at his comment. "Oh, hey! How did the interrogation with Whit and Lee go?"

Edward snorted. "Interrogation. What an interesting word choice."

"Well we both know how it went down. They asked questions, you pretended for a moment as though you weren't going to answer, and then you spilled your guts to your two best friends."

He looked absolutely incredulous. "_Wow_."

"Oh come on," she said, nudging his knee with her own. "It's not like I said something that wasn't true."

"Why don't we talk about you instead? How did your talk with your sister go?"

"Deflection is a weird response."

"Ain't it though?" he countered with a sly smile.

She waited for him to focus on his cheese stick and then she made her move. She quickly twisted her body and tossed her leg over his hips while pushing herself up so that she was sitting on him with her knees pushed into the cushions to lock him down. Of course she realized he could easily move her but she had a feeling he wouldn't.

"If you ever want to get back to your research, you're going to have to answer my questions," she told him.

He chuckled as his hands gripped her hips. "Pretty sure you promised not to derail me from my research."

"And you promised to communicate with me. I believe we've reached our first quandary as an engaged couple."

That comment had him belly laughing.

She leaned in close enough to kiss him but kept her lips from his. "Tell me."

"Kiss me."

She wanted too—badly—which she was sure he already knew based on the hungry look in his green eyes. She tried to sit up but his arm resting on her back kept her in place. "No because we'll get lost in the kissing and then it'll be time for you to get back to work and I still won't know how your talk with your friends went."

"One kiss," he coaxed, holding her tighter against his chest. "You know you want to."

"One," she managed to get out before he claimed her lips and tongue. She didn't want to get lost in the kiss but at the same time she didn't want it to end. There was just something about being able to feel how much he wanted her from just his kisses that she found wholly addictive.

His lips finally left hers but it obviously wasn't to let her breathe since they zeroed in on one of those spots on her neck that seemed to exist for the sole purpose of letting him cause her heart to try to jump up out of her chest.

His warm breath caressing her ear caused her to shiver. "I shouldn't be kissing you."

Her fingers wrapped around his unruly locks, holding his lips against her skin. "Yeah … questions … soon."

He chuckled and then brushed his lips against another of those invisible spots. "That's not why. It's because you were mean to me."

She frowned, having no idea what he was talking about. "Mean how?"

He hummed against her collar bone. "I almost believe you're innocent." His lips disappeared and she opened her eyes to find him grinning at her. "Almost. In fact, you probably would have gotten away with it if you hadn't been so quiet."

"What do you mean?" she asked, honestly not knowing.

"You would never have sat back and silently condoned the grilling Carlisle gave me if you hadn't known it was coming. You would have stepped in and took up for me, just like you did all those times Alice tore into me."

Her face flamed with guilt and she dropped her eyes from his. "I uh … Okay, I did but, Edward, he said he owed it to my dad. What was I supposed to do?"

He gently lifted her chin until she was looking at him. "I'm not mad. Hell, I would have done the same if it had been Esme asking me to keep quiet. I just wanted you to know that I know so you don't get it into your head that you can fool me."

She rolled her eyes at his bravado. "Your modesty knows no bounds."

He let loose a loud snort. "Neither does your sarcasm."

She shrugged. "Like I said, we make a hell of a team."

"And there's your answer to my talk with Whit and Lee. I told them you and I are a team on and off the boat, and that we want it to stay that way permanently. They're happy for us, just like they told you this morning."

"They can be happy for us and still be concerned for you that you're rushing into this."

"Not those two," he assured her. "The nudgers were quick to point out all the things I'd done lately that they'd taken as signs I was making permanent room for you in my life. According to them, the only surprise was my coherent answers to your uncle's questions."

"How _did_ you do that? How did you answer so smoothly?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe because I didn't stop to think before I answered him. I just said what I was feeling, especially when he asked me to choose between you and my career."

"That was a great answer, by the way. I wouldn't want to be faced with having to let go of you or my dreams. And honestly, the two are so tied now that I don't think it's possible."

"It would be hard, but you would manage it. You have enough bravery to overcome any shake in your confidence, whether I'm there to encourage you or not."

"I know but it means more when you're there. It feels like a shared accomplishment. I'm all for making a name for myself and achieving all my individual goals, but it's also really nice to be able to share with someone. I think that's another area where we're similar. We can be just fine on our own but sometimes we do need company."

His lips curled into a sly grin. "So when are you going to keep me company in the cage again?"

"That is an interesting question. And one that I don't currently have an answer for. Overall it was a good dive, and I definitely captured the best picture of the day, but the idea of being face to face with another angry shark so soon—I'm not ready."

He lifted her hands and slipped his fingers between hers. "It's amazing how far you've come this summer. You went from not being able to say 'shark' to finally saying exactly how you feel without apology. With your fear under control, your potential for growth has no boundaries."

She chuckled at that. "My potential might not but I sure do. And right now, my boundary is the sides of this boat."

"Then that's what it is for now. You'll let me know when you change your mind." He glanced at his watch and then released her hands. "I need to get back to work so I can finish before I take over at the helm."

"Okay but I need to let you know about one more thing first. Alice wants to plan our wedding."

It took him a moment to react and she figured he was probably hoping he hadn't heard those words in that order. "No. In fact, hell no. Not happening."

"Hang on—"

"You've seen what she did to her shirt and my puppy's collar. She's not getting her bubbly, bedazzling self anywhere near our wedding. The planning part. Of course she'll be at the wedding."

"If you stop freaking out for a second, I could tell you I agree she shouldn't plan the wedding all on her own. But I think it could be good for her is she's allowed to offer up suggestions here and there on some of the small stuff, if there is small stuff."

"Do you want a big wedding with lots of 'small stuff'?"

"Not really. I would compromise on that if it was something you wanted."

He took her left hand into his and ran his thumb over her ring. "I just want you and our family there. And of course anyone you want there."

"Jacob and Leah for sure."

"Maybe send an invite to Angela and Ben too?"

"I love that idea but we'd have to have a solid date set before asking them so they'll know if they'll be able to attend or if they'll be at sea. Since picking a date is pretty important, I think we should wait until we're at least a little settled. Maybe figure out our living arrangements first."

"Do you think you'll need to spend a lot of time back home getting ready to move?"

"Not really. I'm not planning to pack my entire room. I want to leave my stuff for when I'm home visiting friends. Or even visiting Carlisle and Esme when he needs to be home for his work." She brightened up as she imagined Jacob and Edward meeting for the first time. "I can't wait for you to meet Jacob. He still doesn't completely believe you're real. Or at least that your career is real."

Edward snorted. "I'm happy to prove its realness to him."

"Down, mano," Bella chuckled, patting his pile of hair. "Besides, I'm pretty sure the only thing Jacob's going to be interested in is hearing about the waves at your home."

"As much as I enjoy our expeditions, it's going to be nice to get back to a regular surfing schedule."

"Are you guys going to try to get some surfing in before we leave the area?"

"Probably. We'll have three days off to pack everything up for the trip home so we can hopefully work some in during that time period. And hopefully I can be the one to get you on a board this time."

"We'll see." She moved off of him and said, "Now it's time for you to get back to work."

He got to his feet and then held his hand out to her. "It's time for you to sleep too. We have a big day tomorrow and you need to be alert since you'll be a lookout for the cage dives."

"It's not that late," she countered as she let him pull her to her feet. "I could help with your research for a bit first."

"I appreciate the offer but I'll work faster on my own since I'm not completely sure what I'm looking for yet."

"You know where to find me if you change your mind," she said as they approached the kitchen island. "Good luck with your work. I'm going to make myself some tea before I head to bed."

He turned to face her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "One quick question before we say goodnight."

She grinned as she set her arms on his shoulders and locked her hands together behind his neck. "Sure thing. We'll have BLTs for lunch tomorrow."

"What?"

"Weren't you going to ask me when I could bake bacon for you again?"

He laughed and leaned down to kiss her lips. "I love you, you ridiculous woman."

"I love you, too, you ridiculous man." She kissed him again and then forced herself to let go of him. "Get to work."

"Just a second." He quickly pulled her to him before she could resist and laid a kiss on her that had her knees weak and her heart thumping. "Night, kapu."

She could only nod in response, a reaction he found so amusing that he chuckled all the way out of sight. "Ass," she murmured to herself, knowing full well she wouldn't want him to be any other way.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N: ** Edward came to South Africa in search of sharks. He's leaving with a future with Bella. He's right – he is a very lucky man :)

There's a photo of the ring and music box over at masenmarineresearch -dot- blogspot -dot- com

We hope you all enjoyed Edward's unconventional proposal as much as we did!


	49. 49 From Predator to Prey

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 49 – From Predator to Prey**

**Sunday, August 17****th**

Lee held her steaming coffee cup in both hands while intently keeping watch on the kitchen.

Bella giggled at her friend's intense focus. "Are you worried they'll set the place on fire?"

"No I'm worried they're up to something. They're getting along and Whit is helping cook. The only thing he ever wants to do with food is eat it."

"Maybe it's just more proof they really are getting along better."

"Maybe. Doubtful, but maybe. I completely agree Masen and Gopher have turned a corner but Whit cooking—that's something else entirely."

"Why do you suppose the guys 'turned a corner' as you put it?"

Lee finally pulled her eyes from the kitchen and set them on Bella. "Because Masen's biggest worry happened and disaster didn't follow. When Gopher was fighting to catch the attention of that angry shark, his personality was out in full force, hence all the interesting language he was using. Masen's fear has always been that Gopher's personality outshining his professionalism will lead to injury or worse. Seeing and hearing Gopher take things personally and still be a controlled professional gave Masen the ability to finally relax and fully trust him as our teammate, something he's been struggling to do for a very long time."

"It's amazing how different they are together now than when I first arrived. I'm sure it's a weight off your shoulders too, finally having your boyfriend and your best friend getting along."

Lee's smile shone on her lips and in her bright eyes. "It's going to take some getting used to but I'm loving every second of it."

"Ladies, we present you with a thoroughly delicious breakfast," Gopher announced as he set a huge plate of French Toast onto the table.

"And an awesome idea for your consideration," Whit added.

Lee looked to Bella. "Told you they were up to something."

"It's a good idea," Masen assured her.

"The last time you three came up with a 'good' idea together, it involved tequila in Aruba and you three nearly getting us all kicked out of our resort."

Bella looked to Edward, confused by the location. She wasn't aware of any shark species living there that would grab his attention. "What were you studying in Aruba?"

Esme chuckled while sliding past the guys to sit beside Bella. "He was studying the female form, right alongside our dear Whit."

"And not the least bit covert about it either," Lee confided.

"We were on vacation," Whit defended. "And, Esme, you were the one to order us to relax and enjoy the sights," he reminded her.

Esme crafted a perfectly fake pout. "Yes, I was so innocent back then. So unaware of the type of peaks and valleys you two were interested in exploring."

"The hell you were," Edward responded with a loud snort. "You personally pointed out at least half of them to us."

"I was merely admiring the fashion senses of those young ladies," Esme replied, wearing that same shitty grin Edward often sported.

Bella smiled at Esme. "Wing Man?"

"He _is _my kid. Someone has to look out for him." She took hold of Bella's hand and gave it a motherly squeeze. "Of course, that's now something I get to share with you."

Bella lifted her eyes to Edward and grinned mischievously. "Then I'm going to have to know more about this Aruba trip so I know what bad behaviors to watch out for."

Lee chuckled. "I am thrilled to share this story with you, Guppy. It's one of my favorites of their attempts at bonding."

"You labeled it bonding," Edward replied. "We still stand by the term 'young adult misadventure'."

Lee rolled her eyes at him. "Fine then. Their first misadventure was to take tequila shots without keeping track of how many they'd each had."

"Rookie drinkers," Esme said with a sigh. "I thought I'd explained fully the dangers of imbibing beyond inhibitions but clearly not."

"You explained just fine, Esme," Lee assured her. "These knuckleheads just thought they were bulletproof."

"We are larger specimens so theoretically our increased mass should have given us a higher tolerance than she experienced," Edward stated.

"Yeah? How'd that logic work out for you that night?" Lee challenged. When he didn't respond she continued with the story. "Their second misadventure was deciding to best each other in a sport chosen by coin flip. It was between racing horses on the beach and playing tennis at the courts. Thankfully for the horses, tennis won out."

"Who won at tennis?" Bella asked, her eyes shifting between Edward and Lee.

"The court," Lee answered with a chuckle. "Their competition barely lasted ten minutes and in that time they all received injuries with effects that lasted a few days. First—"

Edward jumped in at that moment. "Nothing major happened, Bella, and it's not worth wasting your time by recounting it."

From the way Whit was scratching at his chin and Gopher was rubbing his shoulder, Bella was fully convinced Edward was full of shite. She turned her attention to Lee. "You were saying?"

Her friend chuckled. "The first injury went to Masen. Whit was testing his swing and accidentally whacked Masen in the face with his racket. It started to swell right away and Mase ended up sporting a colorful eye area for days."

"The least complimentary was the angry purple with the yellow border," Esme helpfully added.

"And you guys didn't think to stop right then?" Bella questioned, surveying Edward and Whit.

Both men shrugged.

"The next injury went to Whit," Lee shared. "And while he and Masen both swear it was an accident—"

"It _was_," Whit and Edward chorused.

Lee kept talking as if she hadn't heard them. "I've never been completely sure since no matter how drunk Masen gets he can still do math in his head perfectly and this incident was completely trajectory based. Masen served his tennis ball directly to Whit's sensitive area and took him right down to the ground. Whit walked and sat very carefully for a couple days after."

Esme snorted. "Poor boy. He carried his pillow with him everywhere that first day but its feathery folds were no match for the soreness of his nethers." Her phrasing had them all cracking up laughing.

"What about Gopher?" Bella asked when she finally got control of her laughter.

Lee pursed her lips as she looked up at her boyfriend. "This one. I swear he was trying to crack his skull open that night. He decided to run full speed at the net, planning to jump over it like 'any superhero worth his salt'. That last bit is a direct quote from that night. Anyway, he somehow got tangled up in the net, flipped over it, and landed so hard on his shoulder that it bruised and he couldn't lift it fully for a couple days."

"I milked that soreness," Gopher proclaimed. "And that net wasn't regulation size. That thing was definitely taller than a regular net."

Bella shook her head in disbelief. "Did any of you see a doctor for your injuries?"

"No, despite our many protests," Esme answered. "They felt it would only make the resort's manager more eager to kick us out."

"Apparently the security guys witnessed our mayhem on camera," Whit shared. "When we hit the lobby, the manager had all these waiver papers he wanted us to sign. He wanted our written word that we wouldn't sue the place for our injuries."

"These yahoos were too preoccupied to sign, though," Esme said. "They were far too busy arguing over who won the tennis match while I worked on sweet talking the manager into letting Lee and I take them upstairs rather than calling the paramedics and authorities."

Lee chuckled. "Yeah, I ended up coaxing them into an elevator by promising pizza, and with them out of the way the manager became much more receptive to Esme."

"In the end, we were not kicked out but we were asked to stay off the tennis courts," Esme confided. "All in all, it was one of our more successful family vacations."

Bella looked around at all of the nodding heads and couldn't help laughing. "It's amazing how different the meanings of words become around you guys."

"Like 'good' when put with 'idea' by these three," Lee agreed.

"It was a good idea when we used it off the coast of Valencia, Spain," Whit argued.

"We captured some of the most informative photos of Blacktip sharks in the Balearic Sea ever seen before or since," Edward stated. Bella knew he believed this was a fact and not just bragging, just like she knew how it would sound to those who didn't know him.

"Everyone got a turn and it was a no harm, no foul day," Gopher chimed in. "Plus, it was one of the coolest missions we've done."

Lee's tone was tight as she stared at Edward with wide eyes. "You can't be seriously suggesting this. Not here."

"Why not?"

"Because Blacktips are nothing like Great Whites. Blacktips tend to be five feet in length and are actually labeled 'timid' in comparison to other species. They stay at safe distances from divers and tend to travel in small groups. They are basically the introverts of sharks. The Great White is infinitely bigger and very much aggressive." Lee narrowed her eyes and seethed between clinched teeth. "Do not shake your head at me, Masen. Great Whites _breach_ for fuck's sake! You are not going to be hanging off the side of our boat with a harness being the only thing between you and a behemoth's mouth!"

Bella's gasp of surprise somehow turned into choking and coughing with Gopher patting her on the back.

Edward was undeterred by Lee's anger and oblivious to Bella's coughing. "Blacktips are a lot like spinners. They might not necessarily breach but they do leap out of the water and spin three to four times before landing."

"At the end of food runs in the middle of large schools of fish!" Lee paused and took a steadying breath. When she spoke again, her voice was calmer but her eyes still burned with angry fire. "Mase, I can understand the draw for you, I really do, but this risk is unacceptable. Just as it was unacceptable on that day to continue photographing the Blacktips when larger, faster, and more aggressive Blue Sharks entered the area."

Edward turned to Whit. "You talk to her. She's determined not to listen to me."

Whit pulled on his ponytail for a moment. "Actually, bro, I'd forgotten about those Blues. Now that I'm thinking about them, maybe Blacktip versus Great White isn't a level enough comparison."

"But the size difference works in our favor," Gopher argued. "We can spot the Great White before it ever gets close enough to breach, giving us plenty of time to pull back when needed."

"You have literally lost your mind if you think we're faster than those sharks," Lee told him.

"Why the sudden doubt in our abilities?" Masen asked.

"Why the sudden lack of safety concerns?" Lee countered.

Things quickly devolved between Lee and the guys into a mass of angry yells about personal fear versus professional research and what did and did not constitute an actual risk. To Bella it felt like she was watching a very weird and very loud tennis match, her head swiveling toward each new angry voice as she tried to keep up with the conversation.

She became so inflamed by the guys dogged determination to push on with this idea that she actually stood up in her seat. "_Hey_!" she yelled as loudly as she could. Once they were all focused on her, she asked, "How many breaches have we caught on camera that we didn't know were coming?"

Masen and Whit didn't answer and she had the feeling that was on purpose.

Gopher replied but he sure didn't say it very loudly. "Enough to make our idea bad."

With her chest heaving and heart hammering from anger and anxiety, Bella locked eyes with Edward. His lips parted and she braced herself for whatever asinine comment he was about to make. She kept her eyes locked on his with her head held high, hoping he would catch the physical clue that she would not back down on this topic. She would fight him on this until he saw actual reason and not just the plan in his head.

For just a second his expression morphed from determined to curious and she spotted a tiny inkling of doubt in his steel grey eyes. But then it passed and he merely stood there like a statue, saying nothing and giving nothing away.

Bella bit back her disappointment and shared her thoughts on this debacle. "I wish I could say I understood the draw of this plan the way Lee does, but all I see is a risk that should be absolutely unacceptable to all of you. Friday, not last week, _Friday_ we came face to face with an angry Great White and he was completely unpredictable and wholly aggressive. He not only jumped out of the water to attack the cage multiple times, he attempted to ram the boat. Knowing that kind of shark is in these waters, how could any of you consider dangling your body over the water? How can you believe, even for a moment, that the extreme potential for bodily harm is an acceptable risk for this team? For this _family_?"

Esme gripped Bella's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Let's all take a breath." She looked pointedly at Edward. "And a moment to compose our thoughts on this heated subject."

Bella took her breath and then her seat, keeping her eyes on Edward the entire time.

"It seems to me, my dear misfits, that the excitement of this summer has caused some of you to forget the founding tenant of MMR … Family above all. No matter how enticing a location may be, no matter how close you are to that perfect shot, you will never risk harm to yourself, your teammates, or this family."

"Mom—"

She silenced him using only her stern expression. "Edward, be very careful of what you say and how you say it. As the leader of this team, your words carry a great deal of weight and should be wielded with utmost care, especially on the rare occasions where the team is divided."

He clenched his jaw and grabbed a handful of his hair but didn't speak.

"Ladies," Whit said as he looked to each of them. "I apologize for my part in bringing this idea to the table. I was excited by the prospect of the pictures we would get but excitement is no excuse for not thoroughly vetting a plan before bringing it to the table. I'm sorry for the worry I caused, the anxiety I can see in each of your faces."

"Everything he just said times ten," Gopher stated. He looked only at Lee while saying, "I'm really sorry."

Edward joined the conversation but after hearing what he had to say, Bella really wished he'd kept silent. "I don't appreciate having my dedication to my family questioned."

"We don't appreciate having to question it," she responded.

His only visible reaction to her statement was the tightening of the lines around his mouth. "Perhaps it was the lack of papers in my hand that made it seem like this idea was rash and impulsive. Regardless, I assure you all that every eventuality was considered in calculating the final risk to each of us. It is because we work so flawlessly that I gave merit to this idea in the first place."

"Did you give consideration to the emotional impact if someone slips up for that one second it takes for things to go horribly wrong?" Bella demanded to know.

"I did not because I did not entertain the idea that any of you would neglect your duty." That steely look in his eyes persisted but the lines around his mouth relaxed. "However this might have seemed to any of you, I promise you all that I would never put you in harm's way. There's nothing on this planet that means more to me than all of you."

Lee spoke up this time. "While we appreciate the abundance of confidence you have in us, you need to appreciate that we are human and prone to mistakes. Some mishaps aren't even really our own fault, like the line getting pulled taught across your hand that day."

"Considering the emotions of your team would also be appreciated," Bella added. "We get that logic rules your world but in return you need to get that emotions play a big part in ours."

Whit grabbed Edward's shoulder and whispered something to him that had him shaking his head. They argued back and forth in whispers for a minute or two and then Whit's voice went to full volume as he demanded, "Just do it, bro."

Edward huffed and then looked from Lee to Bella. "Everyone wanted me to stop being completely analytical so I did. I took a plan that had worked in the past and merged it with what I thought we'd all enjoy—a new approach to documenting our subject. Now you two are saying you don't trust me and these guys have backed off on supporting the plan."

"It's not about trusting you," Bella and Lee echoed.

"It's about not trusting an apex predator twice your size and so many more times your weight to be within biting range of your body," Lee told him.

Bella nodded in agreement and then gave her own explanation for shooting this idea down. "Edward, I can't push you out of my way, much less harm you with a punch, even with one of my best slugs, but when it comes to you and a shark, you're basically papier-mâché. It's got nothing to do with trusting you and everything to do with respecting the awful and awesome force of a Great White."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes dropping down to stare at his bare feet for a moment. When she could see his eyes again, Bella knew right away that he still didn't get their objections but he'd respect them.

"It's already turning light out so let's just table the idea and stick with our original plan for today," he announced. "Any questions or comments before we get started?"

"I have something to say," Esme declared. "While no one is truly happy with the result of this conversation, I want you all to take a moment to appreciate that you were able to be respectful, express your views, and listen to the opposition. This is a big deal because this team is no longer solely comprised of shark admirers. You are all on the right path and I hope pointing that out to you will help to keep you on it."

"Esme, what are we going to do when we don't have you as mediator anymore?" Lee asked seriously.

Esme grinned. "You'll call me. I will only ever be a phone call away from my misfits."

"Yeah, well, right now breakfast is calling," Gopher said as he plopped down onto the booth bench. "Let's get to eating so we can get to working."

"Now that is a plan we can all agree on," Whit replied as he joined Gopher at the table.

Edward snagged an apple from the basket on the kitchen island. "I'm going to check the weather report one more time. You guys eat and then grab your gear."

Bella had a feeling his escape to the helm had a lot more to do with the argument than with the weather. She thought about going to talk to him but decided in the end it was better to let him have his space and get his mind focused on the day ahead of them. There would be plenty of time for them to talk tonight—and for him to truly understand why she and Lee had shot down his idea.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Gopher's giggles were currently the loudest sound and for the first time ever it wasn't causing Masen to twitch with concern. He knew he could trust that if the conditions changed so would the man's demeanor, just like during the cage dive on Friday.

"This gal is acting a lot more like Lizzy than a shark," Gopher commented before letting loose another round of his exuberant giggles. He was thoroughly entertained with his job of tugging around the rope with the floating balls to keep the small shark interested while the guys photographed it.

"Lead her this way a little so I can get a good picture of her outline," Whit directed.

"Follow the rope, sweetheart," Gopher said as he gave it a tug to his right where Whit was standing. "That's a good girl."

Masen snorted at his left, waiting with the other still camera for his own photo opportunity. He'd asked Lee and Bella if they'd wanted the other still camera slot but they'd decided to work in the crow's nest keeping watch for approaching sharks and manning the mounted video camera trained on the guys. He was pretty sure they were up there discussing him and what they considered to be a bad idea. He'd given in today for the sake of the team but he was not done with the idea by far. There was a way to present it to get them to agree—he just had to find it.

"Give it up, bro," Gopher said in his rarely heard serious tone. "Following that road is only going to leave you a lonely boy."

"Listen to him, Mase. He's right on this," Whit encouraged.

Masen snagged a couple shots of the shark using its flexibility to twist itself around while he questioned his friends' advice. "Let me ask you guys something … How much of your jumping ship was their argument and how much was not wanting to upset them?"

"Both," Whit replied. "In terms of logistics, if we stopped for the Blues, then we shouldn't start for the Whites. On the personal side, I don't want to follow through with anything that makes them seriously concerned for our safety."

"You said it yourself, Mase. Sometimes it's more important to protect the mental than the physical," Gopher pointed out. "Wise words from a wise leader that aptly applied to today's disagreement."

"This is no different than you objecting to Esme's idea of keeping a blue-ringed octopus around," Whit shared. "Whenever she brings it up, you have the opportunity to site all the ways in which it's a dangerous creature but your go-to answer is always 'It's too deadly to be anywhere near my mom'. For Lee and Bella, these sharks are too deadly for the three of us to be hanging from the side of the boat."

Gopher nodded in agreement with all that Whit had said. "He's right. And the bottom line for me is this, there's no info we're gonna get from doing it that we can't get by safer means, bro. Case closed. End of idea."

"She's tired of us," Masen said, lifting his chin to indicate the small Great White that had been chasing their rope.

The radio beeped and then Lee could be clearly heard. "You've got another small shark approaching from your left side back. About ten yards out."

Masen had the radio clipped to the shoulder of his shirt so he was the one to answer her. "Thanks, Lee."

"Welcome. Over and out."

He thought about saying something else but figured he'd leave things alone until he could be face to face with her. He really did hate to upset her, even more than he hated for his ideas to be shot down without complete investigation. _But maybe it might not hurt to consider that my idea of complete and theirs is a little different_, he reflected.

"We have definitely confirmed these sharks are just as attracted to shiny metal strips as tigers and bulls," Whit stated. "We've been averaging two sharks an hour over the past four hours, mostly small and with a couple medium size beauties. That's a high point for today already, bro."

Masen ignored the comment, not finding it a mood lifter at all right now.

When the newcomer was finally in range, Gopher was the first to spot it. "Blacktip, right? An adult?"

Masen borrowed the binoculars from him and double-checked him. "Nailed it, bro. She's about four foot long. Another foot and she'll be at her maximum length."

"Let's see if I can't entice her to come closer." Gopher coiled up his rope and then launched it out as easily as if he was releasing fishing line from a pole. "Snake it left to right a little and see if she gets curious."

She did get curious and she followed the end of the rope all the way to the boat.

"She's feisty," Whit said with a chuckle. "She's mid-twist and snapping at the end of the rope. I can't recall us having seen that before."

"Gopher, see if she'll come toward me a little," Masen directed. "I want to try to get a lengthwise shot of her so we can properly estimate her length later.

The radio beeped and this time it was Bella updating them. "There's an indistinguishable shadow hanging right at the back of the boat. It's kind of blob shaped. We thought maybe a small school of fish but it keeps disappearing and reappearing, like something diving down and then coming partway back up. And it just disappeared again. Be on the lookout guys, we've got no idea what this thing might be."

"Will do," Masen assured her, already leaning over the railing to try and spot this mysterious 'blob'.

"Should we look too?" Gopher asked.

"Not both of you. You keep your eyes on the blacktip and Whit can watch the water around you. I'm going to walk toward the back of the boat and see if I can't find it." Just as the words left his mouth, Masen spotted the oddly shaped shadow and the slightly more defined difference of the creature's color against the water's tone. He had no idea what it was but he felt certain he knew what it wanted.

There was no time to warn the guys or to get the rope out of the water. They were powerless to do anything but watch, and even that was difficult since it was over and done within a split second. The creature charged up from beneath with its mouth open wide, swallowed the shark in a single bite, and then slid back into the water. All Masen had clearly seen of the creature was the pointed ridges along its spine.

_An undetermined sea creature capable of swallowing an adult blacktip shark whole—what the fuck could do that?_ Masen asked himself while staring at the water rings left behind by the creature's downward dive.

"What the _fuck_ was _that_?" Gopher shrieked, yanking the rope half up the wall of the boat on the first tug. He had it completely in the boat on the second pull and then he launched it clear across the deck as if it had grown hot in his hands.

"That shit is what sea monster legends are made of," Whit shouted, pointing at the now calm water below them.

Lee's shouted question could be heard on the air as well as through the radio. "You guys okay?"

Gopher could only repeat his earlier question. "What the fuck was that?"

Masen shook his head slowly and then spoke into the radio so Bella and Lee would hear his answer too. "I don't know. I'm going to have to watch the video in slow-mo for clues so I can research it and find out."

Gopher's jaw dropped. "How can you not know? You_ always_ know."

"It was so quick, bro. Not even Mase's eagle eyes could keep up with whatever the hell that was," Whit told him.

"Then I say we watch this video now because I'm not putting that rope back in the water until I know whether or not I could be on that thing's menu."

"We'll pop the tape out and be down in a moment," Lee reported.

Masen could see her outline as she moved toward the camera but he didn't see Bella's. His first thought was she might be packing up the binoculars already but then he realized it was much more likely that she was having one of her panic attacks after an unexpected moment like this one. He wanted so badly to know if she was okay but he didn't want to embarrass her by asking over the radio or climbing up there after her. He had to trust that if she needed him, she would ask for him.

Fifteen minutes later, they were all watching the video together for the first time. Bella seemed fine but she was also sitting right up against him and he knew she wouldn't be if not for this mysterious creature—she'd be keeping her space until they talked about this morning's argument. They'd already figured out together that space between them gave him time to figure out on his own how he'd screwed up—or time to ask Whit if necessary.

Masen decided to play back the recording at regular speed first to verify the incident had happened as quickly as it had seemed to play out. It had. The creature had come up from under much like a Great White during a breach but it did not come out of the water. It was just there and then it wasn't, leaving only those ridges visible as it dove down with its prey—an adult shark.

"It went poof!" Lee yelled out.

Masen's head jerked in her direction, not able to reconcile in his head that her voice had really said those words. "What?"

"It went _poof_," she insisted, jabbing her finger toward the television.

Masen turned to Whit for help in deciphering their friend. "What is she doing?"

"How the hell should we know? She's _your_ best friend," Whit answered, laughing at Masen's shock and Lee's uncharacteristic behavior.

"I know what it is."

Every head in the room swiveled toward the sound of that voice—toward Bella.

"What do you think it is?" Lee asked.

Bella blushed from having all eyes on her but she answered with as much confidence as when she'd first spoken up. "_Epinephelus lanceolatus_, the Great Grouper. They can reach lengths of 8 feet and weigh as much as 660 pounds, which is what makes them able to swallow other marine life whole, even ones that are half their size."

Masen went straight for the book shelf and his marine encyclopedia while Whit asked for more information from Bella. "How do you know? Have you seen one before? Have you seen one do _that_ before?"

"The Georgia Aquarium has this species and it was assigned to me for my oral presentation in the first round of interviews," Bella explained. "These groupers live in the Indo-Pacific and can be found in the Red Sea, South Africa, and Australia. They usually prefer deep water and shallow reefs, caves, and shipwrecks so I'm not sure why it was all the way at the surface like this, but I know it's a Great Grouper. Those ridges along its back are unmistakable."

"So besides swallowing a fucking shark _whole_, what else do these massive mothers eat?" Gopher questioned.

"Sea turtles, spiny lobsters, crabs, and pretty much any type of fish it wants. There have been a few cases of a diver being attacked, but in each case the diver was a spear fisherman and the grouper was defending itself."

Gopher let out a breath. "Good. Last thing I need is another animal that thinks I taste like chicken."

Masen finally found the creature in his book and he read aloud the entry to the team. "Great groupers are ambush predators, choosing to lie in wait for their meal to cross their path. They have a large mouth that expands and protrudes to create a strong suction to swallow whole their food. Their eyes function well in dim light and also rotate to spot approaching prey without having to move their heads. These abilities allow them to occupy the upper end of the food chain.

"They are inquisitive and fearless, and prefer to munch on fish, octopi, young turtles, sharks, and even barracudas. They have even been known to attack divers such as the spear fishermen who try to harvest them.

"These groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites, which refer to organisms that are born female and at some point in their lifespan change sex to male. However, sexual maturity doesn't occur until the grouper is 20 years old so fishing removes the largest, and oldest fish first, along with the chances of reproduction and continuing the species. This has landed them as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List."

Masen looked up from his book and surveyed his team. Gopher and Whit were staring at each other with identical shocked expressions. Lee had a smirk on her face that he just knew meant she would take this incident as her ultimate validation for scrapping his idea this morning. And Bella—Bella was staring directly at him. He couldn't name the expression on her face since he'd never seen it before. He only knew it made him feel like cringing and apologizing in equal measure.

"So tell us again how it is that you researched this place but didn't know about that big ass mother?" Gopher questioned.

Masen glanced over the encyclopedia page again before answering. "My research covered the geographical areas we would drop anchor, along with the depths we would most likely visit. This fish shouldn't have been anywhere near where we were."

"Well shit," Whit said as he plopped down on the arm of Gopher's chair. "We've got half of today left, all of tomorrow, and then we pull stakes and go home. Is this new discovery going to wreck our final hours?"

Bella answered before Masen could. "There's no reason it should. Great Groupers are opportunistic. Had we not been keeping that Blacktip in one little area, the Grouper most likely would have avoided the boat and we'd have never known it was there."

Masen struggled to wrap his head around the fact that she had just encouraged them all to keep going after witnessing the predator she feared become another creature's prey.

"Masen?" Lee called. "What do you think?"

"Bella's right," he stated. "There's no reason to quit. We finish investigating our theory on shark curiosity today with the metal strips and the rope, and then tomorrow we have our final cage dives, water samples, and hopefully a hell of a lot of breaching footage."

"And the Grouper?" Gopher asked.

"Becomes part of the daily and our history," Masen replied.

"Having just eaten, it's highly unlikely it will come back this afternoon," Bella shared. "Even if it did by some chance, Lee and I now know what we are looking at and will be able to warn you much sooner."

"So let's see some hands," Masen told them. "All those in favor of getting back to work, raise them up high."

His own hand was the first in the air, followed closely by Whit and then Bella. Lee shrugged and then lifted her own, leaving Gopher as the last team member to cast a vote.

"What the hell?" he said as he got to his feet. "If Guppy's game, then so am I."

"Am I the new metric for cowardice?" she asked him.

"Not cowardice, little fish. Healthy restraint," he assured her.

She pursed her lips as she thought about it and then smiled fully. "I can live with that."

"Come on," Whit said, laughing as he hooked an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get back to work before Mase whines that we're wasting daylight."

Masen watched in awe as Bella and Whit walked right out the door. He looked to Lee who seemed just as surprised and then she shrugged and followed after them.

"Hell of a woman," Gopher said as he got to his feet.

"Both of them are."

Gopher grinned and gave Masen's shoulder a hearty squeeze. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Now let's go wrangle some sharks, bro."

That was an idea Masen could definitely get behind, especially since their time here was growing shorter by the minute. He wanted to get in at least one more amazing and memorable experience before he had to leave these beautiful sharks behind.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella settled into the pile of pillows and balanced her journal on her knees. It had been a long day and in addition to the various animal sightings she would get to document, she knew she had a long side note ahead of her.

She took care of all of the marine life details first, saving the Great Grouper and its impressive "catch" for last.

_Side Note: Second to last day today and second most eventful of the summer. The team was divided on a suggested plan for the first time since I've been here. Meetings are always so professional that it was a little jarring to see it dissolve into personal remarks, even if it was only for a short time. I have a theory about why it happened that way but there's a good chance I'm completely wrong about it. I'm hoping tonight's entry will help me to resolve the disconnect I'm feeling. _

_Trust is maybe the hardest part of life to master. It's difficult to build, tough to give, and sometimes impossible to restore. It also can be illusive in that you are so sure you're giving and taking easily only to find out that you've barely scratched the surface. For me, trust is my default. I want to trust the people I'm with. I expect that I can trust them mainly because I know they can trust me. I thought I understood that others are different and that trust is much harder for them but I don't understand. And it's not the concept of finding it hard to put trust in others that I'm struggling with. It's the expectation that others will not trust you and therefore not believe in or support you. Edward equates trust with that kind of belief and support. It makes him blind to the other person's true intention, which is usually protecting him in some way. I'm concerned about the level of struggle we'll have with this issue but also hopeful that eventually we can change his default so that he at least considers other options before deciding he's not being trusted._

_It's hurtful when he's so mistrusting. I know I shouldn't take it personally when I know it's never done maliciously—he's wired differently. He has different expectations and reactions based on his own life experiences. I don't fault him for that, but I do hope we can change it. I want him to know that when I disagree with him, I'm never revoking my support of him or my belief in him. I'm just seeing the situation differently. I can't imagine a moment where I would ever question his devotion to protecting this family, and that certainly wasn't my issue today. My problem was that I could see the blind-spots in his critical thinking. I could see where the risk to the mental was so much more than the physical, a line of thinking he taught me to pursue._

_The physical dangers were enough on their own to draw a line and reject the plan. Adding in the mental only served as absolute proof to me. All that guilt he's felt about my run-in with the ray magnified and spread across the team—I couldn't support an idea with that level of consequence._

_How do I explain myself where he can understand when I'm not even sure I'm making sense to myself? Maybe just go with the fewest words and the simplest truth? I was fearful for the family I love with all my heart._

_I'm nervous to talk with him tonight. I'm worried he's already convinced himself he knows my thought process on this issue and therefore won't pay attention to this entry or the words I share with him in person. I'm even more afraid I won't be able to understand his reasons for believing his plan carried an acceptable risk. We have to be able to see the other side—not agree with it, just see it. It's vital to being able to communicate and to keeping both sides of our relationship healthy._

_I've just read through all of this and I can't think of anything to add. Guess that means it's time to get out of my own head and see if I can't get into Edward's at least a little._

Bella closed her journal and left the comfort of the pillow pile. She took a couple deep breaths and reminded herself that her calm would influence his, just as her anger would spike his. _This would be where both of us being passionate people causes us trouble_, she thought as she looked down the hall to the light spilling out of the office.

"You're a Guppy, not a chicken," she chided herself. "Just go down there, show him the journal, and have a productive conversation."

She lifted her head high and made her way to the office as if she was fully confident in the outcome.

She found Edward standing at the whiteboard, staring at the notes there and rolling a marker between his hands.

"Looking for something in particular?" she asked.

He glanced at her and then back to the board. "Not sure. I have a feeling there's something here but I have no idea what."

She came into the office and settled into her spot on the corner of his desk. "It's a puzzle, which you love."

He turned away from the board and plopped down into his chair. "What brings you by?"

"This," she said as she passed her journal to him. "And hopefully a conversation after you read it."

"Think I'll have questions?"

"We both already do."

His eyebrows lifted up but his eyes stayed on her journal entry. "This morning?"

"You had to know we would talk about it."

"I figured but also hoped we could just let it go."

"Read my entry first and then see if you still want to just let it go."

He rocked his chair back and settled deep into it, bowing his head over her journal.

Bella decided to give herself something to do while she waited for him to finish reading and focused her attention on the whiteboard to see if she could solve his mysterious puzzle.

He'd erased all of the notes they'd used to write the daily and replaced them with the major data collected from the three Great White tags. To her it was a bunch of numbers but she knew to him it was a glimpse into the secretive lives of these creatures. It truly amazed her to know that he could look at this jumble of numbers, decipher them, and imagine a day in the life of an apex predator. She hoped it was a skill he could teach her in time.

Sooner than she expected, Edward tapped her knee with her journal. "Here."

"What did you think?" she asked after setting it down on his desk.

"You say you trust me and in the very next breath you say I have blind-spots. Which is it?"

"Both. It can be and is both. Unless you've suddenly become the first perfect human to ever exist and are no longer capable of making mistakes."

"I'm not saying I'm perfect. Just very, very careful with my team."

"I know that. You've shown me that. But at the same time, I've made observations that for whatever reason you didn't see. I honestly believe that's what happened today."

"And I believe you reacted to imagined danger instead of potential danger."

"I'm sure you do. Look, Edward, I understand and expect there will be times that the team participates in activities that will fall within our acceptable risk range while being too dangerous for me to join in. You all have been at this much longer than me so it's bound to happen. Today was not one of those times."

"Because you and Lee said it wasn't."

"No it's more than that!" she insisted. "Look at how many times we had a rock solid plan and something completely unexpected still happened." She recited a list to him, lifting a finger up to represent each incident. "Think back to the cradle and that shark that knocked you into the water with its tail. There was the seal coming to the skiff and us having to pull it out of the water. Then there was the shark grabbing the line at the last second and cutting your hand. When you were out at Cape Point some of the sharks came from directions that were never expected because of the shallow waters in those areas. And we just had that angry shark suddenly appear during our cage dive."

"But those were all isolated incidents."

She held her hand and its five raised fingers out to him. "If you only look at each day as a separate event, then sure. I'm asking you to step back for a moment and look at the summer in its entirety. Can you really say these are all still isolated or can you admit that when looked at from this vantage they create a pattern of unpredictability that raises the risk outside of what's acceptable?"

He pressed his palm against hers and tangled their fingers together. "Come here."

She hopped off the desk and let him tug her over to his chair where she ended up sitting on his lap with both of his arms wrapped around her.

"You really see it as a pattern of unpredictability?" he asked.

"I do. And it's because I do, that I was against this idea."

"The mental comment you made in your journal, what did that mean?"

"Think about how guilty you've felt about my run-in with that ray. Would you want your team feeling that way? Would you want _me_ to feel that way?"

"Never. You know that. But, Bella, why would you feel guilty?"

"Because I would have allowed my teammates to participate in an activity beyond the acceptable risk level."

"How is that any different from supporting a safe plan that ends up resulting in an accident?"

"An accident is unforeseeable by definition. A dangerous plan, however—Edward, why do I get the feeling that you're still fighting to be right on this?"

"First of all, I don't see this as a right or wrong situation. Secondly, you said you wanted us to understand each other so I'm asking questions that dig into your thought process."

"What about _your_ thought process? When are you going to explain that to me?"

"Like I said this morning, I took a previously successful activity and merged it with our footage task, expecting that it would be fun and different for everyone. I had planned for us to be anchored right below the railing, keeping us from casting shadows on the water and leaving the only item of interest be the metal strips hanging from the buoys. There should not have been any reason for a shark to breach, and even if they did, we would not have been within reach. All precautions you and Lee would know about if I hadn't been cut off at the knees this morning."

Bella sat up and twisted to see his face. "Those are great precautions, Edward. They really are. But they're not enough. Not here and not with this species of shark."

He leaned his head against the back of the chair and scrubbed his face with his hands. "We're moving in circles. You argue your point, I argue mine, and we're still on opposite sides at the end of it."

She pulled his hands from his face to see his eyes and know for sure that he was paying attention. "I don't think we have to agree in order for this to be a productive conversation. I think we can meet in the middle and still completely disagree. You need to feel that I trust you were being your usual cautious self. I need you to understand my issue with your plan had nothing to do with trusting you as my leader and my partner. If we can both do that, then it doesn't matter if we still disagree."

"Alright," he said as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her wrist. "I don't have any experience with that kind of thing but I'll try it."

"Will you also agree to work on your habit of assuming my disagreement is the same as not trusting you? Because it really isn't, Edward. I trust you with my life every day but that will never mean that I agree with everything you say and do."

His eyebrows lifted up. "Habit?"

"You did the same thing when your hand was hurt."

"Okay, maybe I have done it a couple times but that doesn't make it a habit. And besides, what else am I supposed to think? Why else would anyone disagree with a perfectly logical plan?"

She smiled and ran her hand through his mess of hair. "Silly Edward, all your logic and you still can't grasp this one thing … the rest of the world bases their choices on feelings and beliefs as much as facts. Only a small portion of the world can tune it all out and look only at the numbers the way that you do. That makes you special and wonderful in so many ways, but it also makes you blind sometimes. My disagreement is not a lack of trust but a belief that no matter how logical the plan may be, it is just as much at the mercy of the unexpected as any other plan."

"So basically, you're saying that no matter how much you trust me to protect you, you felt the shark still had the upper hand with my plan?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, excited by the possibility he was starting to see her viewpoint. "That's it exactly. I trust you and I admire your work greatly. I think you do an amazing job of finding all the trouble spots and shoring them up to protect your team. But sometimes that's not going to be enough. Sometimes man versus predator just shouldn't be tested."

"But it's never man versus predator for me. We're not here to fight these sharks. We're here to learn from them, and learn about them to protect them."

"But that doesn't make us part of their world any more than studying a cloud makes us part of the sky. It's always a versus situation because we are the anomaly in the water, the curiosity to be investigated—an investigation that only occurs with teeth because as you said sharks don't have tongues like puppies do."

He grabbed her and pulled her tight against him, growling against her neck and making her squeal. "Use my own damn words against me," he muttered before growling again.

"No regrets," she blurted out through her laughter.

"Smart ass," he said as his hold relaxed into a hug. "Maybe you do have something with this agree to disagree idea. I still think my plan would have worked flawlessly, but I can see why you feel otherwise."

"And you know without a doubt that I trust you?"

"That's going to take some work," he admitted. He lifted her left hand, catching the overhead lights on her ring. "But for now I can say I do believe you wouldn't be wearing this if you didn't trust me to love you and protect you."

"I can live with that for now."

He chuckled. "Glad to hear it."

"I'm glad we had this talk."

"That reminds me … Since we're having such an honest discussion, I'd like you to explain the curious email that appeared in my inbox today."

"What kind of email?"

"The kind where I've been selected as a finalist in a contest I never entered."

"Oh that."

"_Oh that_? That's your response?"

"Well not all of it."

"So explain."

"There's not much to tell. You took an amazing photo, I happened to see an ad for a contest, and I submitted your work for you. I know it's not usually your thing but this just seemed like such a good fit for the photo and a great opportunity for you to get more recognition for your photography skills."

"Which photo was it?"

"The one you took at Cape Point where the seal just barely got away from that big female Great White. Usually that sort of photo unnerves me but this one—It's beautiful, Edward. It's artistic and thought-provoking and real in a way that's hard for still photos to convey."

"Sounds like you were pretty impressed with this photo."

"And with the talented man who took it."

"Is that supposed to keep you out of trouble, sucking up like that?"

"I mean it," she promised him. She also added, "And if it helps, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"I get that you had good intentions here but you also betrayed my trust so you're gonna need to make this up to me, kapu. I need a lot of reassuring this won't happen again."

She turned her head to look at his face, catching sight of his shitty grin. "Is that so?"

"Lots," he assured her. "In fact, why don't you start right now?" He tapped his finger against his lower lip and said, "Just put your lips right here and kiss me. Show me how sorry you are for going behind my back."

"And then?"

"You'll see. I have so many ways for you to show your remorse."

"What about yours for being so stubborn about your plan this morning?"

"Oh don't worry, kapu." His hand slipped under her shirt and his voice dropped to that velvety tone that made her entire body heat up. "I plan to make sure you forget all about this morning, and this is one plan I know you'll enjoy from slow start to satisfying finish."

"Masen, are you—" Lee pushed her lips together to keep quiet even as her snort sounded off in the room. "Yep. All made up with your kapu."

Bella jumped off of Edward so fast that she nearly toppled over and would have if she hadn't grabbed the corner of the desk. "Talk! You two talk!" She scooted past Lee and headed straight for the door at the end of the hall where she hoped to hide in her pile of pillows until she stopped wanting to die of embarrassment.

Lee's voice followed her down the hall. "No sex in the office, Mase. That's your rule."

Bella's hand touched the handle and the solid feel gave her a little bit of relief. For a tiny second. For the one little second before Edward's hand settled over hers and his body pushed hers into the door.

His other hand rubbed against her belly under her shirt while his lips grazed her ear. "Did you really think you were going to get away from me that easily?" He didn't give her a chance to answer, choosing instead to put his mouth on her neck and growl, knowing damn well it made her weak in the knees no matter how hard she tried not to be affected by it.

"Mase, you better take your horny ass into your room," Lee warned. "Because I promise if you stay in this hall, I'm going to video every second and Carlisle will be the first to see it."

"Fucking nudger," he muttered.

As soon as Bella felt him pull back, she spun around and tried to go under his shoulder to get away. He somehow stepped back and leaned down at the same time, causing her to run right into his shoulder and allowing him to easily drape her over it.

"Edward!" she exclaimed, feeling a little dizzy from the sudden change. She caught a flash of Lee smiling and then saw nothing but the back of the door he'd just walked her through and kicked shut, cutting off Lee's cackling laughter.

He dropped her onto the bed and crawled above her, not giving her even the briefest chance to squirm away. "Did you really think you were going anywhere but my bed?" he asked her.

"What if I wanted to go upstairs and read instead?"

"You could if you wanted, but we both know you don't. You want to be right where you are."

"You don't know that for sure," she challenged, knowing damn well he could see in her face how much she was enjoying this.

"Better make sure then." He closed that tiny bit of space he'd left between their bodies, melding their mouths together in a kiss. As passionate as it was, she wanted more but he wasn't giving it this time—he was purposefully holding back so she'd have to be the one to deepen it so she couldn't pretend any longer that she didn't want to be right here with him. She tried to resist, to show she could be just as stubborn, but all too soon she gave in and showed her hand. She grabbed a handful of his hair to prevent any pretend escape from him and then slid her tongue into his mouth.

His breathy laugh coated her kiss-swollen lips. "Kapu, let go of my hair please."

"Sorry," she whispered as she massaged the spot where her hand had been. "Does it hurt much?"

"Not at all." He yanked his shirt off and tossed it to the side. "I just need to feel your hands in other places."

"Here?" she asked, sliding her fingers along his sides, right where she knew he was ticklish.

He pulled her hands from his skin and pressed them into the mattress. "How do you do that? How do you ignore how bad you want me, even just long enough to tease me?"

Finally she had a reason to be the one smirking at him for a change. "What makes you think you know how bad I want you?"

"Because of how bad I want you. Because you've told me you love me the same way I love you."

"But I'm the one always losing my balance around you."

He chuckled and moved beside her, tracing her face with his fingertip. "Kapu, just because you see me standing doesn't mean you haven't knocked me on my ass. You constantly leave me in a state of awe around you, like when you convince me agreeing to disagree is a real thing that can work for us. Or when you look at me like you are right now, with want and need and love coloring your eyes to dark chocolate. I see that look and I just have to kiss you everywhere." He slid one hand under her shirt to rest against her back and used the other to pull her onto her side so he could lift her leg over his. "I have to touch you and make sure for the millionth time that you're real and mine."

She framed his face with her hands and gave him a soft, slow kiss. "Definitely real and definitely yours."

"Kapu," he murmured, trailing kisses along her collarbone. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."

"I love you too. Now show me your master plan for us."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Monday, August 18th**

"Stop," Masen ordered, knowing full well Bella would ignore him.

"This is quite the bruise," she commented with a giggle.

"It's barely a bruise."

"I beg to differ."

"It's my ass. Pretty sure I'm the authority on it."

"I agree you're an authority on being an ass, but I'm the only one that can see your ass and this is a definite bruise."

He grabbed the sheet and yanked it up over his head, completely covering his body from her gaze and her giggles. "Brat."

She pulled at the sheet until she was able to slip her head in next to his. "Hi."

"Still a brat."

"Still hilarious that you rolled right off the bed and landed on your ass so hard that you got a bruise from it."

"Come here," he growled as he pulled her under his body, setting off another round of her giggles. As hard as he was trying to pretend he didn't find her funny, his lips still wouldn't stop trying to turn up into a smile. "Why are you being so mean to me this morning?"

She pressed her hands against his stubble and leaned up enough to brush her lips against his. "I love you."

His smirk immediately popped out at this golden opportunity she'd granted him. "That's not going to get you out of trouble."

"How long have you wanted to use my words against me?"

"Why whatever do you mean, kapu?"

His alarm went off at that moment and she took that as an excuse not to answer and to wiggle out of his hold.

"We can't be late for breakfast on our last day," she told him as she headed for the dresser they now shared.

"I can't fight your logic right at this moment, but tonight is a whole other story."

"Is that going to be our nightly thing now? Debate and then explore?"

He hugged her from behind and pressed their cheeks together. "You could just agree with me so we could get to the exploring faster."

"Never," she said before kissing his cheek and slipping away from him.

"Damn lucky," he muttered to himself, smiling wide as he pulled fresh clothes from his dresser.

They dressed quickly and then headed up to have breakfast with the team which would immediately be followed by the final morning meeting of the season. Masen was never exactly happy to reach the end of the season but this year had the added anxiety of not knowing what he'd be doing once he got back home. He'd still spend the first week finishing out reports, but after that it would all depend on what he and Bella decided together. Starting off with no plan and then creating a plan with someone else—he was really going to have to work on thinking before speaking with this project.

"Morning!" Lee greeted as soon as she noticed them.

Masen could tell from the smirk on Lee's face that she had been sitting up here just waiting for him and Bella to arrive so she could tease them. Bella, however, was completely unaware. He considered warning her for a second, but after all the ways she had teased him last night and this morning, he figured it was only fair to get in a little payback, especially when he could have it without being directly responsible for it.

"Why don't you go sit and I'll fix our coffee?" he offered.

"Okay, but don't skimp on the cream like last time." She kissed his jaw and then headed for the booth where Lee was camped out.

Masen worked on putting coffee into two cups while keeping an eye on the table.

"Morning, Guppy!" Lee happily greeted.

Bella grimaced at Lee's overly bubbly tone. "Don't say 'morning' like you don't know what you did. You threw me to the wolf last night."

Lee smirked. "Nice try, but from the sounds I heard coming out of that room, you enjoyed every growl, lick, scratch, and bite from that wolf."

Bella groaned and slumped down in her seat, not even bothering to try to cover up her bright red face. Masen had never seen her so embarrassed that she didn't at least attempt to hide. He felt a little bad for sending her over there alone but not enough to go over there himself, not after seeing Whit headed for them.

"Ladies," Whit greeted as he sat down beside Lee. He gave Bella a friendly smile and then sipped at the coffee he'd been carrying around with him. "That was some full moon we had last night."

"Did the light keep you up?" Lee asked.

"Nah." Whit's friendly smile turned devious. "It was the noises. What's that band you like that sings that one song, Lee? Just Like Animals?" He leaned his head back and loudly howled for all to hear.

Gopher clamped a hand on Masen's shoulder as the two of them stood in the kitchen laughing hard enough to shake their large frames.

Masen watched in awe as Bella's fish-face morphed into calculating. She stared straight into Whit's eyes as she told him, "Such a shame your jealousy is so strong that you wasted your night dreaming up ways to tease me."

"_Wow_," Lee breathed. Masen knew all her expressions and tones and he knew right now she was as impressed as she was intimidated.

"And _you_," Bella cried, leveling a finger at Lee. "You're just as bad as he is."

"Oh, put away the fake outrage," Lee replied with a chuckle. "You know how we are and you know we can't pass up the chance to tease and torture."

"Where we really _that_ loud?" Bella asked, her voice much lower now that she was feeling her embarrassment again.

"All we heard was a big thump and then your laugh, which we only heard because we were in my room playing poker with Em and Alice," Lee assured her.

"Alice played poker? Was she any good at it?"

Lee confirmed with a nod. "That little card shark beat us all."

"Excellent poker face," Whit added. "My lady has skills."

"Okay, so now that we're all besties again," Lee teased. "How about you tell us what the thump was?"

"No thanks," Bella replied, once again blushing.

"Don't you think Mase deserves some teasing?" Whit asked. "Especially since he's hiding in the kitchen after knowingly leaving you here to be tortured by us?"

Bella's eyes immediately cut to him but he pretended not to see and kept his eyes on the cream he was pouring into her cup.

Gopher chuckled beside him. "Bro, your ass is so busted that Humpty Dumpty feels sorry for you."

Masen put on his best innocent expression and met Bella's gaze as he approached her with her coffee. "Coffee with cream as requested," he said, smiling as he slid in next to her.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Masen and then looked away to Lee. "So that thump—"

"Come on, kapu," he pleaded. "I was just making coffee over there. Don't let those two get me into trouble."

She smiled as she pressed her hand against his chest and for a moment he felt sure she would kiss him. Instead of a sweet kiss he got a sassy reply from her. "Oh but, sweetheart, you do that so well all on your own."

"They don't need more material."

"Either you tell them or I will. I'm not going to be the only one getting teased this morning."

He did the only thing he could think of for this situation—he kissed her until she was too breathless to speak.

"Cheater," Lee and Whit accused.

"Told ya'll he was a slick fucker," Gopher said as he set a plate of biscuits onto the table.

Masen started to laugh but it was quickly replaced by a yelp of pain caused by the pincer grip Bella had on his ear. "Kapu, that hurts!"

"Maybe it'll bruise like your ass did after you rolled right off the bed last night," she said, eliciting a round of gasps immediately followed by raucous laughter from their friends.

He stared at her in shock for a second and then grabbed her up in a hug that made her squeal. "Can't believe you."

"You can and do," she answered with a laugh, uselessly trying to push him away.

Between her smile and her caramel eyes, he couldn't find it in him to be annoyed with her. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't I mind at all that you just did that? Why do I feel like it's another part of you I love?"

"That's not the question," Whit informed him. "The question is how in the hell did you roll off a King size bed?"

"Let's just say I was distracted," Masen replied, casting an accusing glance at Bella even as he smiled at her.

"We knew you had skills, Bella, but not like that," Lee teased.

"What can I say?" Bella replied with a shrug and a smirk. "I'm full of surprises."

"Before any of you take this conversation down a path that turns us all into thirteen year olds, let's eat our biscuits and start the morning meeting," Masen commanded.

"Is this so we don't ask about the bruise on your ass?" Gopher questioned.

Masen shot him a dirty look. "It's so we can be prepared for our last day in False Bay. Unless you all have decided you don't want to work."

"Work first. _Ass_ questions later," Whit said, making the other laughs.

"Just work," Masen warned.

"Sure, sure." Lee was smiling far too wide for him to believe her. There would be questions tonight when the final daily was done—and despite whatever protests he came up with, he was sure there would also be answers.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"That's it. The last daily has been filed and saved," Edward said as he looked up from the laptop.

Bella reached over and caressed his cheek. "You seem sad."

"I like working."

"And now you have to stop and transition from team leader to just being yourself. That must be exhausting."

"Sometimes," he admitted, smiling as he toyed with her bracelet. "Sometimes we've had such a busy season that even I'm ready for a break."

"Busier than this one?" she asked, having a hard time imagining things being more active than they had already been.

He chuckled at her. "Hard to imagine, huh? But we have had busier. We've had times when almost every day was a great weather day and times when our subject was so numerous that to stop for a break seemed like a waste no matter how tired we might have been."

"You're not really one for breaks anyway."

"I like taking breaks with you."

"Only as long as I bribe you with kisses and snacks."

He only smiled in response.

"So I know this is the unofficial end—a fact that Whit, Lee, and Gopher are upstairs toasting with beers right this minute. What's the official end?"

"It tends to come about a week after we get back home. Most all of the reports will have arrived for the samples we had to send out. I'll go over the data initially and make notes on how it relates to any theories we posed at the time of collection. Then I'll turn it all over to the team for their review. Once we're all agreed, Esme helps me update all of the dailies that pertain to the reports. When that's finished, I back up all the computer data that we collected onto an external drive and it goes into storage with all of the hard copies from the boat. All that's left then is for me to complete and send in whatever reports are required by the agencies and contributors we partner with."

"That's a lot for you to do on your own."

"It is, but so is getting the boat ready for storage. Lee and Whit oversee it with Gopher's help. All of the leftover supplies and food have to come off the boat, along with trash and recycling that we can't discard here. Then the entire boat has to be washed down inside and out. Every device that won't be used during storage needs to be unplugged. The engine needs to be inspected thoroughly. There's a lot to do to get Galeos ready for an extended docking."

"Bet there's a checklist for that," she said, half joking.

"A very long one," he agreed.

That much work ahead of him plus all of the personal decisions they would need to make—the last thing she wanted to do was pile more obligations on to him. "With all the work you still have ahead of you, should I just go to Florida and get out of your hair? You can work the way you're used to and I can visit my friends for a bit before I leave them."

"Come here," he coaxed, giving her hand a light tug.

She hopped off the corner of the desk and joined him in his chair. "I feel like you already have so much on your plate."

"I do but I'm looking forward to going with you to meet your friends and help pack your things. It's our first official plan for our future and I'm honestly excited to share that with you."

"Second official," she corrected, holding her hand up and catching the light on her ring. "This is the first."

He hugged her tight against him and kissed her temple. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'm really happy to hear you're excited for us to go together."

"What are my chances of getting you to promise not to torture me in front of your friends the way you did this morning with our family?"

She turned her head to see his face and found him faking a pout with his lower lip stuck out. "Oh, please!" she exclaimed, laughing as she got up from the chair.

"You wounded me on numerous levels, kapu. I may have emotional scars from your torture."

"That wasn't torture," she promised.

"Yeah? Then what was it?"

She grabbed the arms of his chair and leaned in, counting on the closeness of her lips to distract him. As soon as his eyes dropped to her mouth she knew she had him right where she wanted him. "That was trying to get even with you for letting me take all the teasing, and honestly I don't think I'm there yet. I need a true sign of your remorse."

The weight of his hands on her hips felt as natural as breathing to her, and yet it also felt strange to be so familiar with the sensation so quickly.

"Anything you want," he promised while trying to pull her closer.

She only brought her lips nearer, pressing them lightly along his jawline and eliciting a deep groan from him. She could hardly believe the power she had over him, to make him feel needy for her this way. He allowed her this power by allowing himself to feel her love to the same unfathomable depths she felt his for her. No matter how plain or unattractive she might feel on her own, she knew that with him she would always be lovely just as he would always be handsome to her. The attraction and desire they felt for each other was just as strong and deep as the love they shared. If they protected this piece of themselves above all else then she was certain all obstacles could be faced and resolved. Not always to both their satisfaction, but resolved nonetheless.

"I have plans for you," she shared, making her way up toward his ear.

"Plans to embarrass me?"

"Why would I tease you in front of my friends? I'm not mean."

"You are. You're being mean right now."

"How?"

"By not kissing me."

"Like this?" she asked, moving her feather-light kisses to the corner of his mouth.

His dark green eyes closed in pleasure. "More," he pleaded in a rough whisper.

She kissed only his upper lip. "Is that enough?"

His eyes popped open and his hands tightened around her hips. "It'll never be enough, kapu."

"For me too." She let go of the chair to take hold of his hands. "Come here."

He followed her without comment, without complaint, without competition, and with complete love and trust. Of all the adjectives she'd heard used to describe them this summer only one seemed wholly appropriate right now—_Lucky_.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

A smile spread across Masen's lips, an outward sign of the happiness he was feeling internally. In this moment, lying here skin to skin with Bella, everything was exactly what he wanted it to be. He was settled in a way he'd never been able to achieve on his own. Of course, the minute he got out of this bed all the thoughts and plans and potential paths would come roaring back into his head, but right now it was just the two of them and it was everything. If it weren't for his family, he'd stay right here, but there were traditions to uphold and they meant as much to him as his family.

"What are you thinking?" Bella whispered, her fingertips grazing the underside of his jaw.

"That it's a shame we need to get up and get dressed."

She pressed her lips against his chest and he could feel her smile. "I thought you'd gotten over your aversion to cuddling."

"It's not always about you, kapu," he teased. "I have a family tradition to uphold and if we don't get upstairs soon, Esme will send the nudgers to get us. I don't have to tell you the teasing that will follow if that happens."

Bella immediately sat up to look at him, her curiosity rushing her words together. "What tradition? Is it a family one or a team one? Probably both with how you guys are with each other. Am I invited? What about Uncle Carl and Alice? Are they invited?"

Masen just laid there smiling at her, waiting for her to either tire herself out or stop for a long breath. He'd experienced this curiosity rush of hers often enough to know it was best to wait it out.

"It doesn't involve sharks at night does it? Because if it's a night dive out here—but I don't think it would be. Then again, there's no telling with you guys. You're all so brave and have done things I could never picture myself doing, like hanging off the side of a boat to get pictures of sharks. But then I never thought I'd do a cage dive and I did and it was great even with the crazy shark." She paused but it was so brief that he wouldn't have been able to say anything if he'd wanted. "Why are you smiling at me that way? What are you up to?" Her eyes widened and she let out an embarrassed groan. "I'm having an Alice moment. Sorry."

"Don't be," he said as he reached out and gripped her arm, tugging her down to lay against him again. "I love how excited you get, even when it makes you ask silly questions like if you're invited after I just said _we_ needed to get upstairs."

"Did I mention I was sorry?" she asked, giving him that devilish grin of hers that made it nearly impossible for him to resist kissing her.

"Be serious for a second?"

"Of course," she promised, leaning up on her elbow to give him her full attention.

"I don't mind you getting so curious that you ask silly questions. What I don't like is you still not grasping a very important concept—when I say 'family', it always includes you and Carlisle and Alice. We're ʻohana now."

Her smile filled her face and turned her eyes caramel. "I love our 'ohana."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

She leaned in and placed a tender kiss on his lips, humming in enjoyment. But just as quickly she was talking again. "So what's the tradition?"

"We barbeque on the deck—Esme mans the grill with me so that Gopher can relax with Lee and Whit. When the food is ready, we sit down together and I say a few words about the team and our accomplishments over the season. I point out one big moment each team member had and then thank them for their hard work. Esme usually says a few words too and then we spend the night eating and enjoying each other's company." He chuckled as memories of his best friend dancing flashed through his mind. "And Lee dances. Lee always has music on and dances."

A knock on the door was followed by Esme's voice. "Edward, you have five minutes to come upstairs or we're all coming in there. Your choice."

"We'll be right there, Mom," he promised as he jumped out of bed. He grabbed all their clothes from the floor and tossed them onto the bed. "Get moving, kapu. She's serious about that five minutes and no doubt timing us."

That warning got Bella moving so fast that she put her shirt on inside out the first time. After helping her get it on straight, he quickly pulled on his own clothes.

Bella suddenly stopped brushing her hair and turned to look at him. "I can't believe you allow a grill on the boat. What if a piece of charcoal falls? Or an ember hits the deck in just the right way?"

"Propane grill," he revealed. "For the exact scenarios you mentioned, along with the potential of someone knocking over the grill."

"You really do your best to plan for every eventuality."

"Every day," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "I'm glad you're here to share in our tradition."

"Me too. I happen to love barbeques." Her smile faltered and her nose crinkled. "Well as long as Jacob isn't in charge of the grill. He can make anything taste like dog food. It's a special talent we all wish he didn't have."

Masen laughed as he slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the bedroom. "I can promise you'll love my cooking. Lee can't even find something to complain about with it."

Bella grinned and teased him. "That is high praise indeed considering her life-long mission is to bust your chops as often as possible."

"You picked up on that, huh?"

"It could hardly be clearer if it were bedazzled and covered in glitter."

"Let's hope it never is," he said as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Perfect timing," Esme greeted, handing Masen a tray of hamburger patties. "I just finished making our super secret barbeque sauce." She reached for the drink on the kitchen island and passed it to Bella. "Sangria from my girls. They always send me off with a bottle for celebrating the end of our season."

"I can't wait to meet them. They sound like so much fun," Bella replied.

"They're the best."

"The best until they're the worst," Masen corrected. "Just promise there won't be any arrests when you have Bella with you."

Bella and Esme looked at each other and then smiled at Masen. "We make no promises."

Masen scowled at them but just as quickly his lips pulled up into his shitty grin. "I've got the fix for you," he warned Esme. "I'll have a chat with Carlisle."

"Oh, sweetheart, that's a nice thought but oh so wrong." Esme's words caused Masen's jaw to drop, and her smile widened at his shock. "Carlisle firmly believes what we ladies get up to together is our very own business."

"Pretty sure he's not going to see the corruption of his niece as not his business," Masen countered.

Bella snorted. "Corruption? It's just a few of your mom's friends, Edward. Don't be so dramatic."

"Yes, Kid, don't be so dramatic," Esme echoed.

Masen couldn't find the words to respond so he just shook his head and went outside.

Whit was standing in front of the grill and one look at Masen had him lifting an eyebrow. "What?"

"My mom and my kapu teaming up is a very bad thing for me."

Whit snorted. "No shit, bro."

"What's worse is I can't tell if they're just messing with me or if they're serious," Masen confided while starting to set the hamburger patties onto the hot grill.

"That is a problem."

"So how do I tell?"

"You don't."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"I mean you can't distinguish so don't bother trying. If you assume they're messing around, then they'll be serious just to mess with you. And if you take it that they're being serious, of course they'll just be messing around but they'll still go through with it so they might as well have been serious."

"That's … _What_?"

Whit chuckled at Masen's confusion. "It's women, bro. They are mysterious creatures and we love them that way."

Masen had no response for that so he turned his focus to the hamburger patties.

While Masen and Esme prepared the food, the team enjoyed each other. Lee and Bella were busy with the music, playing a crazy variety, while Alice chirped about what kind of music was good for weddings. Whit and Gopher had somehow suckered Carlisle into a card game but it looked like they were regretting the choice from the pile of pennies stacked on Carlisle's side of the table.

"Have you thought about your speech?" Masen asked as Esme brushed their homemade sauce onto the meat.

"I have. You?"

"Got it all sorted out."

"But?"

He grinned over her catching that tiny hint of hesitation in his voice. "But I'm not completely sure about Bella's. I start off professional but then I find myself slipping into personal territory."

"Then don't fight it. Revise all of your comments to include both sides of your relationship with each of them. They are all the most important people in your life and they should hear it."

"They do hear it."

"True, but it's also true that you can never tell them too much." She closed the lid of the grill and turned to face him. "Practice on me. Give me my speech now."

"And deny Carlisle the joy of watching you squirm? Mom, that wouldn't be nice of me and you raised me to always be nice."

She pursed her lips at him. "I should totally take back my invitation to help you. But I love you enough to help you and still not deny you your joy of repeating it for his benefit."

He gave her his shitty grin. "Yeah but the squirming won't be authentic then."

She shifted her weight and planted her hand on her hip. "Really? You really want to go there? Or might you be wise enough to accept my offer of help without further comment?"

He blew her a kiss and then said, "Thanks, Mom."

"Get to practicing," she ordered with a smile.

"Okay, straight face," he said, passing his hand in front of his face as he made himself be serious. "Esme, you are the glue that keeps this entire operation together. Every season you handle the business side all on your own so that we can focus on the research. You also bring a touch of home everywhere we go and remind us of the importance of maintaining family time between all of the research.

"This season has had more change than all the years before it and at every turn you have been there for me to listen, to guide, to keep me from taking myself too seriously, and to love. You were here for me all the times I needed you most and I am the luckiest son simply because I have you as my mom."

Esme took hold of his face and gave a tender kiss to each of his cheeks. "Kid, you make both your moms so damn proud. Don't you for a second think any differently."

"Food!" Whit yelled out.

Lee and Gopher immediately picked up the chant. "Food!"

Carlisle surveyed the three of them and smiled wide as he lent a fourth voice to the cry of "food" sailing into the air.

Masen tilted his head in Carlisle's direction and asked his mom, "Are you seeing this?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes and it's wonderful. It's good for him to clear his mind and just have fun."

"A sense of humor is a must around all of us."

Esme lifted the lid of the grill and grabbed the tongs. "The other must is feeding this bunch so let's get this food over there before we have a mutiny on our hands."

Once they'd all had a chance to enjoy a first course and a drink, Masen refilled all of their glasses and then started his toasts to his team. He recited his earlier speech about Esme and was surprised to see her just as teary-eyed as she had been the first time. Of course, the second Carlisle put his arm around her she was all smiles again.

"And just think, Edward," Bella called out. "If we'd stuck with your stuffy rules, you wouldn't have had so many meaningful conversations with your mom. Plus, we'd only just now be allowed to do more than kiss and hold hands."

Masen had to grin—he was too proud of her sneaking that in, knowing he would have done the same if roles were reversed.

"Was it worth breaking your rules, Mase?" Lee asked. Her smile told him that she was absolutely going to make him say it out loud.

"They were some of the worst rules I've ever come up with," he admitted. "I'm thankful for the two nudgers who helped me realize they deserved to be broken."

Esme somehow cleared her throat _and_ managed to look innocent.

"And one supportive and ingenious wing man," Masen amended.

"Me next!" Lee said excitedly. "What's my contribution this season?"

"Lee, your out-of-the-box plans led to productive days when all of my own plans for us failed. We know far more than we ever intended about the penguins and birds in this area, knowledge that allowed us to better understand the signs of predation and to choose our locations with more accuracy. Another big bonus to us was your language skills, helping us to get stories from the locals, and making sure we didn't overpay for supplies."

"High-five, Babe," Gopher congratulated, holding his hand out to her.

"Lee, there's one more thing I want to say," Masen announced. "You're able to speak to us in the unique ways we each respond to and that is a skill we all benefit from daily, especially me. You know when to let me focus and when to pull me out of my head. You also know when to call me on my bullshit, like when I make unrealistic rules for myself. You have my sincerest gratitude."

She wiped at her wet eyes while smiling wide at him. "Asshat."

"Love you too," he replied with a chuckle.

He shifted his focus to his other best friend and Whit immediately lifted his eyebrow in anticipation. Masen laughed again and shook his head at his best friend. "Whit, I say this every season but I mean it more than ever this time. You are the backbone of every mission. You never complain about your assignments and you're always willing to switch with a teammate in need. We are also lucky to have you treating our wounds, both physically and emotionally. You have kept me together in many ways this summer and I appreciate you and our friendship all the more for it." He pressed his hand to his heart and sincerely added, "Mahalo, bro."

Whit's lips curled into a grin. "I should be thanking you instead, Mase. A summer nudging you is a summer like no other."

Masen rolled his eyes and then moved on to Gopher, making his expression stern. "You!" he said loudly, leveling a finger at him that caused him to shoot up straight in his chair. "You asked me to give you more responsibility this season. You said you were ready for it." Masen finally let loose his smile. "You were right. You, my friend, captured our first tag of a Great White—a monumental moment in the history of our team. You also saved our cage from damage. And those are just the big highlights. All season long you handled big and small jobs that made a difference, from helm duty to underwater photography. You were our go-to-guy this season and we are damn lucky to have you as part of our team." He leaned over the table with his hand extended and added, "I'm proud to call you my friend."

Gopher clamped his hand over Masen's and gave it a good, strong pump. "I've always had your back, Mase. Now you just see it for yourself."

Masen acknowledge the truth of his comment with a nod and a grin. And then it was time to face his kapu. "Bella, I'm not sure where to begin with you. It's been an honor and a privilege to be your mentor, to help you grow and watch you gain confidence and become an essential member of this team. Your drive to understand pushed me to become a better teacher more capable of explaining to novices. Your willingness to help with every task, no matter how small, gave each of us an extra hand and a partner to share the responsibility. Even if I hadn't been lucky to fall irrevocably in love with you, I would still have found it difficult to let you leave our team. You bring a different perspective to all we do and that view gave us some of the most memorable parts of this season, especially our time at Cape Point."

He paused, knowing the team would want to congratulate her and they did so loudly and exuberantly, bringing out that bright smile of hers that warmed him like she was his own personal sun.

"I should really be thanking all of you," Bella said, still locked in a hug with Lee. "You took me in as a teammate, became my friends, and opened your family to me. I owe you all so much."

"You're 'ohana, Guppy," Whit told her. "All ya gotta do is love us. And tease us every so often. Keeps us all from taking ourselves too seriously." He leaned back in his chair and pointed a long arm at Masen. "Especially that one right there."

Bella reached out and took Masen's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Thank you."

He smiled and kissed her wrist, causing her cheeks to turn that soft shade of pink he loved on her. "Kapu, who I am with you is who I really want to be. You make me want to hold on tight and never let go. Every part of my life has been better with you in it; I'm excited to share more moments with you and make more memories we never want to forget."

She tugged on his hand and got him to lean down for a tight hug. She whispered into his ear, "I love you so much, Edward."

"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."

Masen stood up straight and looked to the last two members of his 'ohana. "Carlisle, I'd like to thank you for your support this season. You backed Bella's choice to apply for the internship and later to join us. You were here for her first cage dive and we all know that meant the world to her. I also need to thank you for Esme, for making her the happiest she's been in a very long time. Mahalo."

Carlisle smiled. "With such remarkable women, how could we do anything less than give them the support and happiness they so richly deserve?"

"There's going to be some summer lovin' tonight after a panty dropper like that," Gopher joked, making the others crack up laughing.

"And finally we come to Thumper," Masen announced, grinning at a wide eyed Alice. "You were the biggest, roughest summer storm we've ever weathered. I think we all came out of it a little wiser and kinder. Your blog post had the highest number of views of any this season and quite a few of the commenters said they would be making donations to conservation efforts. Thank you for giving us a true, honest shot, and for allowing us to get to know the real you."

As soon as he was done, Esme rose from her chair. "Edward, thank you for your words of encouragement, gratitude, and love. You are a hell of a team lead, Kid, and we could not do this job without you.

"My misfits," she said, lovingly gazing at each of them. "The growth in each of you this season has been tremendous and I could not be prouder of you. Our journeys are diverging slightly but never for a second fear that our relationships will do the same. Just because I'm not on the boat doesn't mean that I'm not with you. Modern technology puts me a push of a button away so if you need me just jam the hell out of that button and I'll be here for you. Always. Because you are my misfits, my loves." She raised her glass of sangria and toasted, "To the end of another successful season and to the beginning of our next adventures."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:**

Big thanks to reader annaharding! She provided us with the video of the grouper eating the blacktip and we knew we had to include it into the story. It's rare that we find examples of sharks becoming the prey and this one is simply amazing with how quickly it happens. You can find the link to the video on our blog page at masenmarineresearch at blogspot dot com

Eternally Addicted would like you all to know she gives her deepest apologies for this chapter taking so long to get to you lovely readers. She claims it was real life but we all know she was just busy swooning over Edward's romantics gestures for his kapu. She says you're all welcome to message her and yell at her – or share in her swooning.


	50. 50 Traditions Old & New

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 50 – Traditions Old & New**

**Tuesday, August 19th**

"Your first day of vacation and your nose is buried in a book first thing in the morning?" Esme questioned.

Bella looked up from her book and smiled. "Pleasure reading at my leisure."

"Edward woke you when he got up to see the sun rise?"

Bella nodded in confirmation. "I would have probably gone back to sleep if Whit hadn't burst in to make sure Edward was up for the 'first rays of the sunshine of vacation'. The ensuing excited jabbering and back slapping woke me completely."

Esme chuckled. "My boys are slightly unhinged. I'd apologize but I kind of love them that way."

"So do I," Bella admitted. "They keep things interesting." She could tell from the way Esme was leaning in the doorway that she wanted to talk so she closed her book and invited her in.

Esme came fully into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I was hoping we could talk about Edward and your uncle. With Alice included of course."

"I'm happy to talk with you but Alice doesn't know about Elizabeth," Bella cautioned. "Edward's not _there_ yet with her."

"Thank you for the warning. While he would completely forgive me for slipping, I'd rather not put him in that position to begin with." Esme reached out and took Bella's left hand into her own. "This ring looks great on you."

"I asked Edward if he was sure about me having it and he told me how he got it, how Elizabeth promised him he'd know the right woman to wear it."

"He likes to claim he never believed it would happen and yet this ring has traveled the world with us. I swear sometimes my kid is the most stubborn in the universe."

"Did he get that trait from his dad?"

"Oh no," Esme answered with a laugh. "That is a hundred percent Elizabeth. She was incredibly stubborn and entirely unafraid to be fierce when necessary. She taught me how to stand up for what's right." She leaned in closer and added, "She also taught me how to fart with my armpit."

Bella cracked up at that admission.

"She would adore you," Esme shared. "She'd admire your intelligence and heart but she'd absolutely adore you for the unconditional love you show Edward. And just between us, she'd be tickled by the way you handle him when he gets his undies twisted."

Bella smiled at the idea of being liked by Elizabeth. "My dad taught me to insist on being treated well."

"He was right to do so."

"He'd like Edward, just so you know. I think they'd have a lot in common actually."

"Loving you being chief among them."

She blushed at that.

"Carlisle mentioned you were worried some of the family might feel the engagement is too soon. But you don't need to have any worries. Calendars are for making sure we pay bills on time, not determining the depth of a relationship between two people. Plus, knowing Edward as well as we do, we know he thought long and hard before he made his commitment to you, and that he believes with his entire being it's the right choice for both of you."

While Bella had never really felt apprehensive about Esme wanting to talk, she still felt a sense of relief at hearing Esme wasn't worried they were moving too fast. "I heard that some recent smaller choices of his gave the impression he was making room for me."

"Whit and Lee don't miss much when it comes to my kid. I've never seen a friendship like the one they have and I am so very grateful for it. He grew up with a brother and later gained a sister, sibling bonds he needed and that I couldn't provide for him.

"Which leads me to one of the main things I wanted to talk to you about. Bella, I'm a mother. I love being a mother. I was completely shit-my-pants terrified my first day as a mother on my own and I still loved every second of it. It's like it's hard wired into me. I'm not always the best at it and I never have all the answers, but I'm always here for Edward and my misfits. I've jumped in a few times as a peacemaker for you and Alice but I've tried not to overstep at the same time. I'm not always sure where the line is so if you ever feel for a second that I'm stepping out of bounds with you, acting too motherly towards you, I want you tell me right away."

Bella squeezed Esme's hand and gave her a genuine smile. "I promise—not that I'll tell you anything like that though. I promise that I'll always do my best to appreciate having you to go to for motherly advice."

Esme teared up and grabbed Bella into a massive hug. "You are so damn sweet and we are lucky to have you in our family."

"I feel the same way about you," Bella promised.

"Why are we up this early on a non-work day?" Alice whined as she tossed herself onto the end of Bella's bed. "Vacations are supposed to include late mornings."

"Okay, but we were going to have a dish session about Uncle Carl. I guess we can have it without you," Bella teased.

"I'm up," Alice exclaimed while scrambling across the bed to sit beside her sister. "I've been dying to hear about your time in Florida, Esme."

Esme blushed. "I'm afraid I didn't see much outside of the house this trip."

"Ooh-la-la," Alice trilled. "I bet you saw a lot of Uncle Carl's room."

The blush on Esme's cheeks darkened. "The man quoted _Gone With The Wind_ to me! What else was I supposed to do?"

Bella and Alice both laughed.

"Maybe we should start calling him Uncle Rhett," Bella suggested jokingly.

"Was it the kissing one?" Alice asked. "That one is such a good one."

Esme nodded and then shared the quote. "_You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how_."

Bella chuckled. "From the smile you're sporting, I think we can safely assume Uncle Carl knows how."

"He so, so does," Esme assured them with a wide smile. Her expression and tone grew serious. "What I need to know now is how you young ladies feel about my relationship with your uncle."

Bella and Alice looked to each other and smiled, having already discussed this very topic on a number of occasions throughout the last few weeks.

"Esme," Bella said as she faced her. "We feel it's great. He's the uncle he was before our dad passed. He's happy and he makes jokes. He walks barefoot on the beach instead of hunching over a desk. We know he only worked so hard to ensure our futures through the company and we appreciate all he's ever done so much. But we couldn't help missing the uncle who loves time off and ignores schedules and watches."

Alice jumped in to say, "Uncle Carl has so much love to give and you are the type of woman who will appreciate that about him. You're the adventure to his responsibility, a mix that all relationships need. You and him together is totally a-okay with us."

"You'll be missed on the boat, especially by Edward, but knowing that you're with Carlisle sharing an amazing adventure all your own will keep us from being sad."

"I meant what I said last night—I am here for all of you no matter where I physically am in the world," Esme promised.

Bella was about to hug her when Lee suddenly ran into the room panting and shouting out single words. "Upstairs. Now. Masen. Whit."

The women rushed out of the room, through the hall, up the stairs to the kitchen area, and then up another flight of stairs to the viewing deck where they found Gopher glued to a pair of binoculars.

"You just can't make this shit up," he said as he continued to take in whatever he was seeing.

Bella grabbed the pair of binoculars sitting on the chair behind Gopher and aimed them in the direction he was looking. She immediately found two yellow kayaks, one carrying Whit and the other carrying Edward. As she watched them bob along the water, she noticed the dark shadow between them and somehow knew it wasn't a shadow cast by the kayaks.

"Here," Lee said as she pressed a radio into Bella's free hand.

Bella somehow managed not to scream into the handheld while staring at the massive Great White swimming between the guys. "Edward."

He answered within seconds. "Kapu, this is amazing. I wish you could be out here with us. We're just calmly and peacefully following the current. She bumped us each once just to figure out the kayaks but it was a tiny bump and it was just the once."

Bella passed the binoculars to Esme, unable to stomach looking at the display for another second.

"Last night we set course for Kleinmond so we could start our vacation with surfing. When we got up this morning the waves were too rough for surfing so we decided to take the kayaks out instead," Lee explained. "Gopher and I went first and nothing happened. We went out, we came back, and that was it. Whit and Masen headed out and suddenly she was there. He's telling the truth too. She's been extremely calm and just seems to be hanging out with them. He wanted you to see it, Bella. He wanted you to experience this insane and magical moment with him."

"I think I'm going to throw up," Bella admitted.

"Guppy, I have to advise against that. Masen still hates puke on his boat." While she knew Gopher was joking, she was in no mood for it.

"He's okay," Lee promised. "I'd have ordered their asses back here if I thought otherwise."

"Give me that radio," Esme demanded.

Bella passed it over and then watched in awe as Esme did the impossible—she pulled her parent card _and_ encouraged the guys. "Edward Masen and Jasper Whitlock. Do _not_ take one single action that could be misconstrued by that shark as aggression. Take in this once in a lifetime moment and then get those kayaks turned around and get your asses on this boat as quickly and safely as you can."

Alice lowered the binoculars she'd borrowed from Gopher and looked to Bella. Whatever it was she wanted—reassurance, comfort, hope—Bella didn't have it to give right now.

"They're going to be fine," Esme assured them all. "Edward and Whit are professionals and this is not the first time something unexpected has occurred. Of course, it is the first time a shark this large has decided to travel along with them, but even so we have no need to worry. They'll be extra cautious and then they'll be back on the boat."

Bella knew she shouldn't be freaking out. After all, she'd been the one to give the speech about completing her cage dive to learn to accept unexpected encounters since sharks were possible in nearly every body of water. And yet the freaking out was continuing.

Edward's voice came through the radio in Esme's hand. "Mom, give the radio to Bella please."

"I can't talk to him right now," Bella said, backing away when Esme tried to hand her the radio.

Esme gently pressed the radio into Bella's hand. "Sweetheart, I know you're freaking out and you have every right to feel that way. I think he knows it too and that's why he wants to talk to you."

Bella gripped the radio and went over to the loveseat with it. She closed her eyes in hopes it would help with her nausea and took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm here."

"Kapu, I can imagine how scary this seems to you but I need you to look. Not just because I want you to have this memory with me but because you've worked hard all summer to be able to look at something like this and see it for the amazing moment that it is. Don't just see the shape of the shark and shut down. Look at how peaceful she's being just swimming along with our kayaks. You know me. You know if I felt even a little that this shark posed a danger to Whit and me, I'd have us on the boat already. I'd have Gopher drive Galeos to us if need be. Whit and I will be no harm, no foul. I would never let harm come to him and you know that about me. And if you can be brave, if you can put everything you've learned this summer to work for you, you can take in this amazing experience with us."

"Edward." She stopped not sure of what to say to him.

"Kapu, listen closely because there's no way that fear you're feeling will stick around after hearing this … You and I have an adventure of our own to start soon and nothing—not even a big, beautiful shark—is going to stand in the way of that."

"Be safe. Please be safe," she begged him.

"No harm, no foul," he promised her. "Trust me."

"I do trust you. It's them I don't trust."

"Just remember that you trust me a lot more than you distrust her."

He was right about Bella's trust in him and she held tightly to that while making an attempt to share in his experience like he wanted. "Tell me what you're seeing."

"There's the giant ass smile on Whit's face," he shared. "If we were on land, he'd absolutely be doing his cheerleader style jumping around."

"Hey!" Whit yelled out.

"Am I lying?" Edward asked him.

A disgruntled "no" clearly came through the radio.

Bella smiled, picturing the petulant frown she knew Whit was wearing. "What about the shark?"

"She's about seventeen feet long and just barely fitting between the kayaks," Edward shared. "She's got a pretty fresh bite mark under her dorsal fin. Could be she found herself a mate out in the bay and then came in here to be alone."

Bella stood and made her way over to Lee and Gopher. "What was it like when she bumped you guys?" she asked while accepting the binoculars Lee passed her.

"A moment of panic while keeping our asses in the boats and out of the water," he admitted. "But it really wasn't a hard bump. It just took us by surprise."

"Has she tried to bite at your oars?"

"No. Gopher spotted her just before she swam in between us so we had time to pull them out of the water. If you look through the binoculars, you can see them resting on the front of our boats."

"I don't know …" she purposefully trailed off while watching him shift his weight to accommodate for the wave that lifted his kayak.

"Compromise? You look and I'll owe you a favor to be named?"

She smiled over how hard he was trying to make this a good experience for her. "That could be dangerous for you."

"You're just the right kind of danger for me, kapu."

"Said as you swim with a shark," she pointed out.

"Hey, I'm just boating here and she just happens to be swimming in the same space."

"Can't believe you would joke right now."

"Of course I would. How else would I get you to smile?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, kapu."

"Okay, I'm calm-ish now so you put your attention on that shark and be safe like you promised."

"What about looking through the binoculars? Where do you stand on that?"

She grinned as she decided on how to let him know she'd been watching for a little while now. "If you're going to wear my hat, you should at least use it for its intended purpose and keep the sun out of your face."

"Mahalo, kapu."

Hearing his happiness in his voice had her lips turning up in a wide smile.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Alright, little sister. Bring it in here," Lee said, holding her arms wide open to Alice.

Alice laughed and step into the hug. "I knew you liked me."

"I wouldn't take it that far. But if anybody messes with you at that school, you give me a call."

"Can I call you just to chat?"

"Can you keep it to ten words or less?"

Alice laughed and gave Lee another hug. "See you at Thanksgiving."

Gopher set his hands on Alice's shoulders and leaned down so they were eye level. "Thumper, you stay away from boys and focus on school."

"What about Whit?"

Gopher grinned. "Whit's your man and he's exactly the reason you need to stay away from boys at your school."

"My turn, my turn," Esme exclaimed, enveloping Alice in a huge momma bear hug. "I am going to miss you, sweetheart. I know you're going to have a great semester and so much fun with your sorority sisters. Just don't have so much fun that you forget to check in regularly."

"If not by phone, I will keep you updated by email," Alice promised.

"The two phone calls a week minimum still applies, young lady," Carlisle informed her.

"It's going to be totally a-okay, Uncle Carl," Alice assured him as she wrapped her arms around him. She looked up and smiled at him. "There's so much on my schedule already and I know how much you love hearing every detail of my amazing exploits to make this world a better place."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Be safe. Be studious. Be responsible. Above all, be yourself and enjoy yourself."

"He says some variation of that every time we've gone off to camp or school," Bella whispered to Masen.

"Internships too?"

She grinned. "Internships get a couple extra 'be safe' pleas and one 'commit to the experience' charge."

"I'd say you took that last pretty seriously based on your work and progress."

"I had a really great mentor." She followed her declaration with a kiss that left him wanting more but he had to keep his hands to himself with her uncle standing just a couple feet away. He glanced at his watch and saw the goodbyes needed to come to an end.

"If we want Whit and Alice to make their flight, we need to leave now," Masen announced.

"Call me as soon as you land," Carlisle said to Alice as everyone made their way toward the front door.

"And call when we get to the house. I know the drill," Alice replied.

"Mrs. Cope will be there waiting for you," Carlisle continued. "She's stocked the fridge with your favorites. And remember, if living at the sorority house isn't working out, you can go home whenever you want."

Alice looked over at Esme. "Make him stop worrying about me, okay?"

"That's not within my powers, but I do promise to make sure it's not all he does," Esme told her.

Carlisle pulled Bella aside and Masen couldn't help himself from eavesdropping. "Make sure she knows she really can tell us if things aren't going well. There won't be any disappointment and we'll help her fix it."

"She's Alice, Uncle Carl. She's going to do it her way no matter what we say. But I will remind her for your sake."

"Thank you, Bug." Carlisle lifted his head and looked directly at Masen. "Drive safely please."

"Absolutely," Masen promised.

"I don't mean wait until you're out of sight for your lead foot to take effect," Carlisle warned. "Drive the speed limits the entire way."

Masen nodded in understanding while Bella giggled over her uncle busting him.

Esme grabbed Masen's arm and tugged him to her. "Kid, make sure you give Alice a real goodbye at the airport. You'll regret it later if you don't."

He grinned and asked, "Wasn't warning her she had to return Whit enough of a goodbye?"

Esme pressed her hands against his cheeks until he was forced to make the fish face. "You soaked up far too much of your mother's smart ass gene when you were baking in her belly."

Masen laughed and pulled her hands away, trapping them against his chest. "Don't forget all the lessons you gave me in dishing out smart ass with class."

"Sure, sure. Blame me for all your bad behaviors."

He laughed again then planted a loud kiss on her cheek. "Love you. See in a couple hours."

"Bella!" Esme yelled out.

She poked her head out of the backseat of the Bronco. "I've got him, Esme."

"That's my girl."

Masen ignored them both, climbed into the Bronco, and started it up.

Whit popped in one of the CDs Lee kept in the truck and once the sound of AC/DC started pouring out of the speakers, he pointed at the road and said, "Hit the highway, bro."

"Don't you want to turn that down so you can hear what the ladies are saying in the back?"

"Nope. This is their time together before they're separated. We have no business listening in or interrupting so a musical screen is required."

"Is this Lee's declaration?"

"Yeah but I fully support it." Whit reached into his carryon bag and pulled out his plane ticket. "So wanna tell me why this ticket has me flying out of Orlando days after I'm already supposed to be gone, and landing in Panama?"

Masen shrugged. "Didn't make sense for you to spend all that time on a plane to Florida just to turn around and get on another flight. This way you get a couple days in Florida and then you meet up with us when we hit the Panama Canal."

Whit grinned and playfully punched Masen in the shoulder. "You softy."

"This is purely logical. What good are you to me if you've got the jet-lag from hell? This way you get time to recuperate and the flight back isn't as long."

"Not to mention I get time with the lady I love before an extended separation."

Masen bit back his smile. "Huh. Never occurred to me, but that's a pretty good side effect."

"You don't fool me, Mase. You never have and you never will."

Masen glanced at him and finally let himself smile. "Maybe I figured it wouldn't be the worst thing for you to have some fun with her to tide you over until you can see her again."

"This is big for you. Normally all you'd be able to see is the fact that I won't be around."

"Yeah, well, I guess we can blame it on all of your nudging this summer."

Whit chuckled. "The role of nudger has been quite fulfilling for me."

"While I can't say I didn't benefit from it, it'll be nice to have you return to your original role of best friend and sounding board."

"I've never let go of that one, bro, and you know it. So why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

"I know logically there's no reason to be mad at me because you and I didn't plan for that shark to show up this morning, but I feel like maybe Bella is and has a right to be and just doesn't know how to tell me yet."

"She's not mad, bro. She's probably confused and still a little freaked out by the whole thing, but she's not mad. Whatever it is she's feeling, she'll let you know when she has it all figured out. That's her thing. Just like you coming to me and talking until you figure it out is your thing."

"That's got to change, doesn't it?"

"When it comes to stuff about your life with her, yeah. You've got to let her be your sounding board for most of that stuff. But everything else, I'm still here for you."

Masen looked up at the rearview window, finding Alice and Bella with their heads bowed together and big smiles on their faces. "We got really lucky this summer."

"We found our true homes, bro. We can be anywhere in this world and so long as those two are with us, we're home."

"Is that what that feeling is? That ability to feel at peace even at work underwater in a shark cage?"

"That's the one. No matter how unsettled the rest of our day might be, we are completely settled with them."

"Hey, now that you conjure things up from your dreams, how about you focus on some lottery numbers? You could finally get your dad to retire from the surf shop."

Whit guffawed. "That man is never going to retire. He loves talking to people way too much for that. And honestly Mom would not go for him being home all day and being under foot."

"Speaking of moms, what are we going to do about Lee's? Her flair ups are gaining in frequency and intensity. That's hard on her and Lee's dad."

"I figure you, me, and Gopher will head over there and do a bunch of stuff around the house for them. Cut the grass, clean out the gutters, finally hang those shelves she's been wanting to display her tea cups on."

"I was thinking I'd get with Lee and we'd put our engineering skills to use to figure out a way to reduce the steepness of the front steps. I know there are only three of them but that's a lot when all of your joints are hurting."

Whit gripped Masen's shoulder and gave it a shake. "See? Softy."

Masen shrugged his hand off even as he smiled. "Asshat."

Whit slid across the seat and put his head on Masen's shoulder. "But I learned it all from watching you!"

"Get off!" Masen yelled, using his elbow to push Whit away. "I don't want your cooties."

"Too bad, so sad. I snuck them on you on day one of our torrid love affair."

"You're such an ass," Masen said through his laughter.

"Right there with you, bro," Whit replied through his own chuckles. After they'd both calmed down, he seriously said, "You know, this is going to be the best adventure yet."

Masen smiled as the image of two eleven year olds standing in a school hallway came to him—their first adventure. He held a fisted hand out to Whit and asked the same question from that day. "You in?"

Whit grinned and pressed his fist against Masen's. "All in."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Edward's groan pulled Bella out of her book. "What?" she asked.

"Your sister," he said, passing his phone to her.

_Masen, thank you again for the hug and the phone number and for the extra days with Whit. I'm so glad you're not the Grinch after all, with a heart that's two sizes too small. Hugs and kisses, Alice._

Bella giggled and looked up at him. "We both know you secretly love this text."

"If that were true, then it wouldn't be much of a secret."

She gripped his face in her hands and brought his lips to hers, giving him a kiss of thanks and love. "I'll keep your secret," she promised.

He snorted. "Right until you see my mom."

"Yeah, I'm just going to go ahead and remind you that your mom and Whit and Lee are all skilled at taking one look at you and just knowing stuff. I'm the one that has to ask questions and hope you'll answer."

"I think I've been pretty good at giving you answers lately."

"You really have." She leaned into him and kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"The way you were so understanding of my bad reaction this morning; that meant a lot to me. I don't think I would have been able to take part if you hadn't been calm with me and talked me through it."

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry I wasn't the mentor you needed me to be that day at the Ocean Center, and I promise you'll never see that kind of reaction from me again. Not with you or anyone else."

"One of the reasons I've always been able to trust you is the way you own up to your mistakes. Even when you act like an infallible jackass, as soon as you realize you were wrong, you apologize. And you don't just say the words. You put forth the effort to fix hurt feelings and bruised trust. I appreciate and admire that about you."

"Thank you. And I appreciate and admire your willingness to forgive and to give second chances."

Bella smiled teasingly and said, "Ugh! All these compliments passing back and forth. We are so in love with each other it's sickening."

Edward barked out a laugh. "You're ridiculous."

"Hey, you laughed."

"Out of surprise for how much that sounded like a Lee comment."

"I _have_ picked up a few pointers from her," Bella teased.

He smiled as he tucked her hair behind her ear, giving him a clear view of her face. "Have I ever told you when I first started to suspect you were 'ohana?"

"Nope. Tell me."

"You'd been with us all of five days. You'd come out onto the deck and startled me, almost knocked me right out of my chair. And then you teased me about it as if we were already friends. As if we'd never had any rough moments between us. You owed me nothing and yet you gave me everything by wanting to be my friend. Through everything this summer, you never shut me out, even those times I forced you to shut me down. Mahalo."

Bella felt her love for him so strongly in that moment that she had no words to express it, only her kiss. When they finally came up for air, her curiosity took over the conversation. "Do you know you switch to Hawaiian when you feel something very deeply?"

"It's been pointed out to me many times by my family. It's why when I kissed you for my birthday, Esme and Lee didn't blink over the kiss but were shocked when I called you 'kapu'."

"Promise you'll never grow tired of calling me your kapu."

Edward smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "That's a silly promise to ask for. Almost as silly as thinking I could ever grow tired of loving you, because that's the only reason I'd ever stop calling you kapu."

Lizzy's bark sounded off in the room.

"That's her walk bark," Bella said as she sat up straight.

He got up from the bed and scooped up his puppy. "Would you want to come with us?"

Normally she would have stayed to read more of her book but tonight she could tell he really wanted her company. Maybe being outside in the open air might calm him enough that he would tell her why he'd been fidgety all night. In just the past hour alone he'd started and stopped five different books, packed his half of the closet, and played with his phone. The last was clearly out of desperation because he no more cared for his phone than she did for hers.

"I'd love to come with you guys," she said, giving him a genuine smile. She grabbed the holder from the night stand and scooped her hair into a ponytail while following him to the front door.

They walked hand in hand along the beach with Lizzy prancing through the sand a few feet ahead of them.

"You'd think she'd have a favorite spot picked out by now," Bella mentioned. It was partly out of curiosity and partly in hopes a neutral topic would loosen his tongue.

"She has one, she just likes to take the long way around to it. She likes to go behind the little dune right up ahead, but not until after she's investigated as much of the beach as I'll allow."

"Do you two share long talks during your long walks?" Bella asked, only partly teasing.

Edward snorted. "All the time. She rarely shuts up about her favorite bones."

"Well sure. She has to carry the conversation since you're so quiet."

He studied her face in the moonlight for a moment. "What's up, kapu? What's on your mind?"

"Trying to figure out what's on _your_ mind. You've had ants in your pants tonight. You haven't sat still for more than five minutes in hours. You've started and stopped reading books, packed nearly everything that's yours in our room, and played with your phone. I've never seen you play with your phone before."

"If I was interrupting your reading so much, why didn't you say something?"

"Just because I noticed what you were doing doesn't mean you were interrupting my reading. And that is really not the point. Something is obviously bugging you."

He gave a small shrug. "It's not that I'm bothered. It's that I don't have a plan."

"A plan for what?"

"For the first night of vacation, Whit and I always go out for beers and we talk about the highs of our season. But he's not here. Lee and Gopher have been in their room all night. Esme's out to dinner with Carlisle." His eyes widened and a guilty expression appeared on his handsome face. "Don't take that to mean I don't want to be with you, please. I love being with you. I'm just … I'm not sure what to do with myself without that tradition."

Bella smiled, feeling like she'd caught on to what he was trying to say. "It's your cue. It's what helps you start to transition from team lead to just another member of the family. You relax in a way that's not allowed during the season while you have one more big work talk before beginning your adjustment into vacation mode. So let's do that then. I'm not much of a beer drinker but I'd love to have a glass of wine. We can sit out on the patio and compare our highs."

"Really? I would completely understand if it's not anything you're interested in so please don't feel obligated."

"I really want to, Edward. It'll be good for us to see things from each other's eyes. We might even have a few highlights in common."

He smiled for the first time tonight. "And I can cook. I know you like to have something to eat with your drink. What are you in the mood for?"

"Do we have any of the burgers left over from last night? Those were amazing."

"I think we have a few left."

"So let's heat those up and add bacon and cheese?"

"Turkey bacon?"

She grinned at the worried look on his face. "Real bacon," she assured him.

"I like the sound of this," he said, smiling wide. "Maybe if we both have fun, then maybe this becomes the new tradition?"

"Maybe so." She moved in closer and put her arm around his back, curling her hand around his side. "We didn't have a lot of traditions—Carlisle, Alice, and me. It was a little weird for me at first to see how many traditions your family has, but now that it's my 'ohana too, I'm really starting to like the thought of participating in old ones and building new ones."

"Then we'll build our first tonight," he promised.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Esme's POV**

Esme headed inside while Carlisle went back to the car to get the leftovers they'd forgotten in the backseat. The only light on was a lamp in the far corner of the living room—just enough light to make shadows of the two people spying through the kitchen's cut-through.

She snuck up behind Lee and Gopher. "What are—"

"Sshh!" Lee admonished with a flap of her hand. "He'll hear us."

Esme lowered her voice to a whisper. "What are we watching?"

Gopher snorted. "It's the Masen-corn roaming outside of his normal circumstances yet seemingly functioning well."

"As soon as I realized what had happened, I just _knew_ he'd be leaving his footprints all over the beach," Lee shared.

"What are—" Carlisle began before getting hushed by Esme and Lee.

"What are we doing?" he asked quietly.

"Lee and Gopher are spying on our kids," Esme answered.

"And just what are you doing?"

She looked back at him over her shoulder, wearing Edward's shitty grin. "Checking on the well-being of our kids, obviously."

"Obviously." His agreement dripped of sarcasm and it made her smile even wider. A life spent with this man was highly unlikely to ever be boring.

"I still can't believe he's not wired for sound and pacing the beach," Lee mentioned. "He is Whit-less and missing out on a tradition."

Esme sucked in a breath between her teeth. "Oh, that's right. First night of vacation is beers and bragging. How could I forget?"

"I forgot too," Lee admitted. "I think Whit's absence threw us all off."

"Mase doesn't seem to be thrown off," Gopher pointed out. "From what I've seen so far, he's having a damn good time cutting up with Guppy out there."

"How long have you two been spying?" Esme questioned.

"Ten minutes. At the most. Absolute max," Lee promised.

"Then that's plenty. Go on and get out of here. Get back to whatever you were doing before my kid became your entertainment."

"But, Esme, how can we not look?" Lee argued. "He seems so relaxed and happy and that's always been so hard for him on the first vacation day, to suddenly just not work."

"Let's just be thankful that he is enjoying himself, and give him his privacy so he can continue," Esme replied. She shooed Lee and Gopher away, promising to tell them if anything "major" happened. She was pretty sure all the major things had already happened since Bella was wearing Elizabeth's ring.

With the gawkers gone, Esme took a long look at her son for herself.

Carlisle wrapped his arms around her from behind. "My love, didn't you just say Masen needed privacy?"

"I did and I'll give it to him. I just want to see him this happy for a moment longer. I want to make sure it becomes a lifetime memory in my mind."

"You are such an amazing mother," he said as he pressed his head against hers. "And after seeing these two this way for myself, I'm afraid I'll have to copy you and make this a memory of my own."

"She practically glows with her love for him, Carlisle. And Edward … Elizabeth would be beside herself with excitement. That look on his face—love, devotion, and a deep down happiness. He's not in his head—he's completely with his kapu and it's beautiful."

"Is that anything close to how I looked tonight?"

"Very," she assured him, reaching a hand up to pat his cheek sweetly.

"Do you still want to tell them tonight?"

"No, we'll let them have this night to themselves. We'll tell them first thing tomorrow morning."

"This wouldn't happen to be a way of getting a night to think over your decision, would it?"

Esme turned in his arms, giving him her best scowl. "Carlisle Cullen, how dare you!"

"You answered me so quickly," he defended. "How could I not consider the possibility that you finally realized this, and that you should put some thought into such a major life decision?"

"You know damn well how much thought I've put into this and that it started long before there was a question. Our relationship is the one I've been waiting half my life to experience. There's balance and passion and adventure, and mixed with all of that is family. You accept not only me but every one of my misfits. It's everything I've ever wanted and we make it so much more than that every day we're together. To assume there could ever be more than one answer to your question was fool-hardy on your part, and questioning my answer is just insanity."

Carlisle's smile filled his entire face and made the kiss he tried to give her completely unsuccessful. "I love you too, Esme."

She reached up with her left hand, her new ring shimmering in the lamplight, and grabbed hold of his jacket's lapel. "You have a lot of making up to do for insulting me so, my dear future husband."

"I am willing to make every amend you need, my love."

They both took one last look out the patio door at Edward and Bella, and then they disappeared into their room, not to be seen again until well into the next morning.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Wednesday, August 20th**

"Alright, Lizzy," Masen said as he followed his barking, jumping puppy toward the patio door. "I'm following you. You can calm down now."

Masen opened the door to let her out and found Esme sitting alone at the far end of the table. "So you are awake," he said, his lips pulled into a smirk. "Must have been some dinner to make you sleep in so late."

Esme mirrored his smirk perfectly while lifting Lizzy into her lap. The puppy promptly curled into a ball and proceeded to fall asleep. "Dinner ended early in the night. It was the dessert that kept us up into the wee hours of the morning."

Masen chuckled at her while settling into the chair beside her.

"What's it matter anyway? You left me zero packing duties."

He smiled while rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I figured I owed you for cutting your trip short to be here for me and Bella on her first cage dive."

"I did what any good mom would do."

"And I did what any good son would do." He quickly asked her a question to keep her from arguing. "So where's Carlisle? Is he still trying to recover from you?"

"Of course," she answered with a sly grin. "But that has nothing to do with his absence. He's inside taking a business call." She bit at her lip for a moment and then leaned her arm onto his chair. "Hey, Kid, can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure. We've got almost an hour before we have to get back to the docks."

She brought her left hand into his view and wiggled her ring finger. "Carlisle proposed last night."

Masen's momentary shock was immediately replaced with a suspicious survey of her face. "Why are you just telling me this?"

"When we got home last night, you were out here with Bella and we didn't want to interrupt. And I am very sorry that I forgot all about your tradition with Whit."

"It's okay. I mean, it wasn't at first but after I talked to Bella about it, she made it okay. I still missed my best friend, but I liked my night with her too. It was eye-opening to see this whole summer from her point of view. But this conversation should not be about me. Mom, he proposed to you."

"He did," she confirmed, her smile filling her face and brightening her eyes.

"Over dinner?"

"No, it was after. We took a moonlight walk on the beach together. I was telling him all about what to expect from life in Hawaii and he said that if he was going to live with me, then he was going to do it the right way. He pulled a box from his pocket, showed me the ring inside, and then asked me to marry him."

"That's great. That's really great."

"Do you really think so? That this is right for us?"

"You've never been this happy before, Mom. How could it be anything other than right?"

She smiled and pulled him into a hug. "We're so lucky. I'm going to marry a wonderful man who will be there for us in every way, and you have found your kapu."

"And when she's ready, we'll have a wedding of our own."

"Because it's logical?" Esme teased.

"Because it's what I want more than anything else."

"Good answer," she said as she hugged him tighter.

"So full disclosure," Masen said as he sat up to watch her expression. "Was the proposal really that romantic and perfect?"

Esme snorted. "Hoping not to be the only awkward proposer in the family?"

He shrugged.

"The proposer was perfect. It was me who carried on the tradition of awkwardness."

He couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "What did you do?"

"When a man asks a woman to marry him, generally he's not expecting 'Holy Crap' to be screamed at him."

"_Mom_," he exclaimed with a snort.

"Kid, it gets so much worse. I started off with the initial holy crap and then devolved into this little diddy … _I don't mean holy crap as in oh shit why is this happening. I mean it in the best, absolutely positive version that I can't possibly be this lucky. So it's a good holy crap. A great holy crap even._ At that point, my brain realized what my mouth was jabbering and I shut up, stuck my hand out, and nodded. Carlisle—sweet, lovable, amazing man that he is—he pretended there had been no word vomit, slipped the ring onto my finger, and then gave me a moonlight kiss that saved the whole thing, taking it from an awkward moment to forget and turning it into a priceless lifetime memory."

Masen had a variety of ways to respond to his mom's confession but in the end he decided to show her the same compassion she'd shown him after he'd bungled his proposal and just barely saved it. He hugged her tightly and sincerely congratulated her. "We've always been good at finding a way to feel lucky about our life, but this summer … It doesn't seem like an appreciative enough word anymore."

"Words fail us because this is all about feelings."

He nodded in agreement and then reached for her hand. "Alright, let me see this ring." One glance was all it took to have him whistling in appreciation. The ring was so unique and beautiful that the only way he could describe it was to say that it was perfect for his mom.

"There's so many diamonds on it," Esme half-whispered. "I feel like it's too much but at the same time, I've never seen anything like it and I completely love it and will never return it."

Masen snorted. "Pretty sure Carlisle has a strict no-return policy with you, Mom."

"Yeah, he's pretty great that way."

"And he's getting a pretty great woman in return. An amazing mom. A supportive friend. Definitely a woman priceless enough to wear an equally priceless ring."

Esme chuckled and playfully pinched his cheek. "There it is. There's your father's flattery."

"Nope," he argued, putting an arm around her. "That's the absolute truth."

She squealed as she lifted her hand so they could admire her ring together. "I'm going to marry a total fox."

Masen laughed long and loud while hugging her, feeling happiness and relief that a man worthy of her had finally come into their lives.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Lee smiled as she picked up her favorite photo from this summer—the new MMR team. Guppy and Masen were in the middle, the core of it all, with Esme squeezed in between Whit and Masen, and Lee standing between Guppy and Gopher. Their team and their family had grown this summer, a call for celebration for damn sure.

As happy as she was for Masen—and she truly was with her whole heart—she couldn't help but be baffled by how quickly his love life had come together. As similar as the two of them were, she'd expected he'd take at least as long as she had to figure out how to let go of the logic and give in to the heart's desires. He'd gone from being stubbornly sure he'd be alone to an engagement—_with his mother's ring_. How could he be that sure that quickly?

She smiled to herself, realizing the answer as soon as she'd asked the question. Because he loved his kapu. He loved her as much as Lee loved Emmett. With a love like that, there was never a question in the first place.

Emmett's laugh had her looking out the bedroom doorway, spotting him packing the entertainment trunk with Bella. She wondered what he thought about the engagement. She knew he was a believer in marriage and that it was a lifetime commitment no matter what. One of his favorite stories to tell was of how his grandparents had married at sixteen and were still madly in love with each other today. His parents had met in college, his favorite uncle and his wife were high school sweethearts, and his oldest little sister had just gotten engaged to her high school boyfriend. He was also one to say that "when you know, you know".

He knew. He'd known she was the one for him so quickly and she'd taken practically forever in comparison. Maybe that was why he hadn't proposed after three years together. Maybe he was afraid she would take forever to answer again. She didn't think she would. She was pretty sure she'd say "yes" right away. She certainly couldn't picture her life without him so "yes" was both the logical and the heartfelt answer to give.

But what then? What if marrying Emmett meant the end of her career with MMR? What if he wanted marriage to mean settling down in one place? She was well aware that his joining MMR was initially for her, and though he did love their work, it wasn't a part of his identity the way that it was for her and Masen.

She knew none of them would be able to do the research end forever, but she also wasn't ready to let go of it. She loved it too much. But she also loved the idea of being a wife and a mother. Could a baby be raised aboard a boat? Was it too big of a risk?

And what about Masen? How would he feel if she stepped away? They had built this company together and they were far from reaching the goals they'd set for themselves. How would he feel if she gave up on their dreams to pursue her own singular ones with Emmett? How would she feel if he did the same to her? Only, she knew he would never do the same. Masen would lead MMR until both she and Whit decided to step down. He could never trust anyone else to watch over them.

Lee took a deep breath, realizing she was falling into her bad habit of overthinking her life. Emmett loved her and he was not going anywhere. That was the truth to hold onto and focus on. All other trappings of life were just bonuses. If he got it into his head to propose at some point this year, then she'd be thrilled. If not, then she could start the new year off by asking him instead. They had always been ones to follow their own paths more than traditional ways so it wouldn't be a big stretch for her to be the one doing the proposing.

Still, she did love the romance of it all and it would be amazing to have him ask in some romantic way she could gush about forever. Emmett's romantic gestures had never failed to make her swoon, and she had never been one to turn down a good swoon.

Masen's unusually loud laughter had her putting down the picture to go investigate his rowdiness. Lee stepped out of the patio door to find him sitting beside Esme, staring at her raised hand. Shock froze Lee's feet while her stomach dropped. Another engagement that wasn't hers.

Lee immediately shook off the disappointment and indulged in her happiness for Esme. Her own squeal alerted the others and it wasn't long before everyone was on the patio congratulating Esme and Carlisle while Lizzy barked and bounced between them.

Another engagement. Another happy couple.

Lee smiled to herself as Emmett hugged her tight the way she loved. She might not be engaged yet, but she was part of the original happy couple. That was a pretty damn fine thing to be able to say. Right now wasn't her time but she had every reason to believe her time would come. And like she'd decided earlier, if she needed to give it a little push, she would. For now though, she'd just luxuriate in being loved by one of the universe's most remarkable men.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Thursday, August 21st**

"Lee, I need a second opinion over here," Masen called across the engine room. "I think this seal might have a touch of dry-rot."

She didn't respond.

And it wasn't the first time she hadn't responded to him today. Lee was always, always a complete professional during the engine room check so whatever had her distracted today had to be major. It also had to be talked about, the same as she would do for him and had done many times.

Masen found her staring at one of the pressure gauges, rhythmically tapping the end of her pen against her lower lip. He watched the gauge himself for a moment just to make sure she wasn't actually recording an oddity in its numbers, and then he squatted down beside her.

"You expecting the numbers to change for some reason?" he asked.

Her lips curved up in a smile. "They better not."

"What's on your mind, Lee-Lee?"

She waved her hand to indicate the entire room. "Work."

"If work was on your mind, you wouldn't still be on the fourth line of your checklist."

"It's nothing, honestly. Just thinking about my mom."

"I'm sure your mom is on your mind, but it's not what's festered in your head right now. So talk."

"Mase, we have a lot to do today and no time for this," she said as she scribbled the numbers from the gauge onto her checklist.

He swiped the clipboard from her and held it hostage behind his back. "After all the shit I've had to fess up about this summer, no way in hell are you going to clam up on me now. Talk."

"It's silly. I'm being a silly girl for a change and we are both better off ignoring me and getting back to work."

He couldn't let his friend suffer in silence. He moved so that he was sitting on the floor with the clipboard laid down behind him, making it clear with his actions that a conversation was going to take place. "Remember that first semester together and all the inside jokes we had that drove Whit insane? Especially our 'of doom' bit? That's still my favorite. Everything sounds better when you add 'of doom' at the end. Well, maybe not everything. We can both agree 'shark of doom' doesn't sound that great."

Lee smiled a little and kicked his foot with hers. "Don't say that around Guppy."

"See what I mean? You give me great advice all the time. Just this once, let me give you some. Tell me what's bothering you."

A snort escaped her. "Mase, I know you like the back of my hand. Life advice is not your area."

"That has been true in our long, storied history, but with all you and Whit and Esme have taught me this summer, I'm betting there's something I've picked up that will work for you."

"You really want to have this talk?"

"Yes." And then his straight face melded into a goofy grin. "Let's have the conversation of doom."

Lee sat silently and tapped her fingers along the edges of her shoes for a few minutes before looking straight at him. "Out of the two of us, I've always been the one to adapt quicker. I've always had an easier time at recognizing and correcting my habits while you've needed yours pointed out and explained. So how is that you're the one who's engaged?"

"_That_'s your worry? That Em hasn't proposed to you yet?" Masen couldn't wrap his mind around such a ridiculous idea so she was definitely going to have to explain it to him.

"I know I can be as big of a pain in the ass to live with as you have ever been. And Em has always accepted that about me. But what if I just assumed he accepted it? What if that's what's holding him back? Because he knows he can't put up with me forever?"

"Lee, when you are a pain in the ass, it's over and done just as quick as it started and there's always a reason for it. What we see on the daily from you, it's love and understanding. It's a shit-ton of support. It's the absolute fact that if we need anything and you can provide it, you will give it. So no. Your occasional flair ups are not what's holding Emmett back."

"Then why hasn't he asked?"

"It has to be because he hasn't finished prepping for it yet. The man loves big productions. Look at his treatment of birthdays. And every year I watch him celebrate your anniversary like it's the biggest national holiday. Hell, half the time I get suckered into helping him with whatever scheme he's dreamed up. He can't do anything big when we're out to sea. For all you know, he's cooking up something major for when we get home. But even if he's not, it doesn't mean he doesn't want to marry you. It just means he hasn't decided when to ask you. And trust me, the when is very important because us guys have to feel certain you women are going to say 'yes' to putting up with our bullshit for the rest of our lives."

The shine in her eyes told him she wanted to believe but was scared to fully commit to something based on feelings and not logic. "What if you're wrong?" she whispered.

"If you really think I'm wrong, then ask him outright. Emmett always says exactly what he thinks and means. There is no subterfuge with him. No sugarcoating of any kind."

She gave a half-hearted shrug. And then she looked directly at him. "How did it fall together so easily for you?"

Masen barked out a laugh. "Easily? Are you fucking kidding me? Lee, you were standing right beside me for some of the biggest fuck-ups I committed this summer. How the hell could you possibly think anything about this summer was easy for me?"

"You're engaged, aren't you?"

"I am," he agreed with a nod. "But not because any of it was easy. My stability and happiness with Bella is owed completely to the loving family that I have. If it wasn't for you, Whit, and Esme, I wouldn't even have her as a friend. You guys gave me the support and tools I needed to make her my kapu, and the confidence to ask her to marry me. None of it has been easy and I don't expect that to change anytime soon. But I know I belong with her. Just the same as you and Emmett both know you belong together. Engagement or not, you two are going to spend your entire lives together.

"Think about it, Lee. When it comes to relationships, we would both agree Emmett is better at it than both of us put together. Hell, look at how long it took me to stop fighting my feelings for Bella."

Lee snorted. "Are we talking initial attraction or when you finally removed your chastity belt?"

"See! That's exactly what I'm talking about. When I finally admitted I cared for Bella, I turned right around and instituted that stupid line, convinced I was right and all of you were wrong because the logical way to handle things was to protect the company and our careers above all else."

"Jeebus, you were so damn frustrating at that point. I wanted to smack the hell out of you."

"I know. And I also know you never gave up on me. You kept telling me I was being an idiot and explaining why you felt that way. You told me that story about the first time you told Emmett you loved him and how hard that had been for you. You warned me not to repeat your mistake and I listened. It didn't go as smoothly as the logical plan I had come up with, but I did tell Bella I loved her. The point of saying all of this is to remind you how much smarter Emmett is than me when it comes to relationships. He's not going to let you go. He knows he has everything he needs and wants with you."

"Be honest," Lee said, her lips curled in a smirk. "How much does it chap your ass to say he's smarter than you?"

"About as much as it's chapping yours not to be the first one in our group to do something. I know you really are worried about how Emmett feels, but I also know there's a layer of competition there too. Like you said about me, I know you like the back of my hand."

"You really think he's going to ask me someday?"

"I would bet on it and you know how I feel about betting."

"It'll be the 'bet of doom'," she joked with a happy laugh.

Masen snorted and reached over to drag her into a hug. "Just because the goon marries you doesn't mean he gets to keep you. You were my family first. You're always going to be my Lee-Lee."

"And you'll be my asshat," she said, chuckling and patting his cheek. "Love you, Mase."

"Love you, too." He reached behind him, snagged her clipboard, and dropped it onto her lap. "Now stop worrying about stupid shit and make sure my boat's sea-worthy."

"Excuse me, but this is _my_ boat. I keep this engine pristine. You just get to drive her around sometimes."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself," he said as he got to his feet.

She grabbed his hand and gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"Whatever you need, whenever you need it," he promised just as he always did on those rare occasions when he was the one helping her.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:**

We hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We've put up pics of the visiting shark and Esme's ring our blog page at masenmarineresearch at blogspot dot com

Next chapter will have Bella meeting the extended family back in Hawaii!


	51. 51 'Ohana of Characters

**Disclaimer: **_All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! __**And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.**_

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Chapter 51 – 'Ohana of Characters**

**Wednesday, September 3rd – Hawaii**

"That was great," Whit congratulated with a beaming smile.

Masen nodded, though he suspected the noise isolation panels in the shop walls made them sound better than they actually were, similar to the shower effect for most people.

"Let's do it one more time, but a little bit slower tempo," Whit said. "Same setup where we switch out for the first two verses and then do the rest of the song together, but drop your range just a smidge so that our voices are more distinguishable."

"You're the boss," Masen replied, knowing how much Whit enjoyed hearing that on the one day each year when he was in complete control of every activity.

Masen reset his fingers over the strings of his guitar. Whit did the same and then the two friends began to play the opening melody to the song Whit had picked for them to learn.

Masen listened closely as Whit sang the first verse, always impressed by how quickly Whit picked up on blending the lyrics with the guitar music. It had always been that way. Whit figured out how to play the melody on the guitar and showed Masen who picked it up by memory. Then Whit broke down the lyrics and timing and once again Masen followed his lead. It had always worked well for them and allowed them to sound pretty damn good.

Masen sang his verse flawlessly, and then the two friends mixed their voices to finish out the song.

"Hot damn, we sound good!" Whit exclaimed. "We are going to blow everyone away tonight. No way they'll see this coming."

"Is Alice still going to video in?" Masen asked.

"For part of it. But then she has a sorority function she can't miss."

"She's still okay being by herself?"

Whit snorted. "My gal is never by herself unless she wants to be. There's always a sister or a friend around. Or if it's the weekend, then it's Mrs. Cope and her waffles."

The chiming of Whit's phone had them putting away their guitars. "It's like I talk about breakfast and then it's time to eat," Whit joked.

"What did Gopher and you ask Esme for this year?"

"Southwestern frittatas and all the bacon. And Gopher mentioned fresh fruit for anyone not wanting to be stuffed for most of the day."

"Thoughtful."

"Ain't he though? And at the ripe old of age twenty-six as of tomorrow."

"I remember when we were that young," Masen joked.

Whit snorted. "Must be hard what with it being six days ago for me and three months ago for you."

Masen opened the shop door and they headed out into bright, warm sunlight. "It's a hell of a day for a party."

"And to ride that jet ski I know you got me."

"Like I've been telling you since I picked your sorry ass up in Panama, there's no jet ski."

"I'll be heartbroken if there's not," Whit warned.

Masen opened the back door to the house and pointed inside. "Shut up and go in so we can eat."

The house smelled amazing and they were barely inside before their mouths started to water. They could hear Esme and Bella laughing and see Gopher dancing with Lee from the kitchen to the foot of the stairs and back again.

When the guys rounded the corner, they found Carlisle and Esme doing the cooking. He was laughing too but it was easily drowned out by Esme and Bella's giggles.

Bella was sitting on a stool at the island with Lizzy in her arms and Masen went over to them, giving his kapu a sweet kiss and his best girl a scratch behind her ears.

"You two have fun?" she asked.

"He enjoyed it more but that's how it's supposed to be."

"You enjoyed the surfing more first thing this morning," she pointed out.

Masen grinned. "Those waves were so sweet."

"I could tell. You all looked like drowned rats when you finally stopped."

"You could have come."

"You had your friends and your mom with you. You had more than enough company."

"Still didn't have you," he murmured as he kissed her neck.

She pushed him away with her elbow while hugging her shoulder to her neck to protect it. "You can be as sweet as you want, but I'm still not going to be ready for surfing for a while."

Lee popped up behind him and hugged his arm. "Mase, stop aggravating Bella and come dance with me."

"Wasn't the birthday boy just doing that?"

"He needs a break," she answered while tugging him away from Bella.

Masen gave in without a fight, deciding dancing with Lee would be more fun than teasing her. Well, than _only_ teasing her. "You sure about this song? _Hard To Handle_ is my anthem."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up and dance."

He twirled her quickly, making her squeak and then laugh. "Gotta keep up with Otis Redding's horns," he told her as he led her across the sun-bathed hardwood floor.

"It's a shame that a man as gifted at dancing as you are is not actually a fan of dancing."

"Sometimes I am. When I have the right partner."

"Smooth. Use that tonight with Bella."

"Good stuff?"

"You know it is. Why else would you have that shitty grin on your face?"

Masen laughed. And then he spotted Whit talking with Gopher. "He's happy, right? Even missing Alice?"

"He's happy," she assured him. "You're seeing to that just as you always do. And he doesn't even know what's hiding at his parents' house."

"What about you? Are you still worried about your relationship with Gopher?"

"You _may_ have been a little right. But only a little."

"Alright, misfits," Esme called. "Birthday boys pick a spot at the table. All others grab a platter and bring it to the table."

Once everyone was seated with a full plate in front of them, Esme raised her juice glass. "To our birthday boys, Whit and Gopher. We love you and are damn lucky to have you in our ʻohana. Hau`oli la Hanau. Happy Birthday."

Her words were met with a round of cheers and table thumps along with glasses clinking together.

Breakfast was their usual loud affair full of conversations, laughter, and forks scraping plates. The only difference between this one and a perfectly normal one was the constant jet ski questions Whit asked Masen all throughout. With patience and a hell of a lot of determination, Masen managed not to smile or reach for the bridge of his nose. It also helped that Whit was easily subdued by stacking more bacon on his plate.

When the last of the bacon was devoured, they all moved into the living room for the guys to open their gifts. They did rock-paper-scissors to see who would go first and Gopher ended up winning.

The big guy received a new comic's anthology from Lee that had him so excited he nearly forgot to open his other gifts. From Esme and Carlisle, he got a New Orleans cuisine cookbook and promptly promised a seafood meal they'd never forget. Next he opened a goofy card from Whit and Masen with a cartoon shark on the front. Inside of it was a gift card to purchase parts for his car. Bella gifted him a copy of that vampire movie _Twilight_ he'd been wanting ever since he'd read Lee's copy of the book. His last gift was from his parents and sisters—they'd shipped him a fancy new radio to install in his car.

Whit's first gift was from Alice and she'd sent him a hardcover copy of Walt Whitman's _Leaves of Grass_ originally printed in 1922. From the way Carlisle was explaining the significance of the book, Masen was pretty sure he'd been the one to find it and had just left the purchasing to his niece. The next gift Whit opened came from Lee and Gopher and was a new black riding jacket with yellow sport stripes that matched the colors of his Ducati. Bella had taken Masen's suggestion and gotten Whit one of those GoPro cameras that he could put on his bike or his surfboard to video his travels.

"I will admit upfront that mine is pretty cheesy," Esme said as she handed Whit the first of two boxes. "If you don't like it, I will absolutely get you something else."

"Esme, you've never once given me a gift I didn't like," Whit assured her. He popped open the first box and pulled a large black frame out of it. "Holy shit!" he yelled as he checked out what was under the glass. "Is this original?"

"No, sorry," Esme said. "I just treated the paper so it would look a little aged."

"It's perfect, Esme. Seriously." Whit turned the frame for everyone else to see it. "It's the sheet music to Elvis' _I Can't Help Falling In Love With You_. Of all the man's songs, this is my all-time fave."

It had been Esme's fishing for birthday ideas that had put it into Whit's head to learn the song and play it at his birthday bonfire. It had caused a deviation in Masen's expected schedule because they'd basically started practicing from the moment they got home but it was worth it to see his best friend happy.

"You've got one more box," Carlisle said as he set it beside Whit.

Whit passed the frame to Lee and reached for the second box. It too held a large frame but for some reason this one had him smiling devilishly. "Esme, you know when you want something from me all you have to do is ask. Of course I'll play the wedding song from _Blue Hawaii_ when you hitch yourself to Carlisle. And I'll graciously accept this framed sheet music of your chosen song."

Esme blushed as hard as Bella ever had. "I didn't—well I did, but—yeah that'll be great."

The entire room erupted into laughter at Esme being so flustered. They barely ever busted her in the first place so to see her this caught was hilarious.

"Alright, Mase," Whit said, holding his hand out toward him. "Pony up the keys."

"The keys to what?"

"The jet ski I know you got for me."

Masen grinned and handed Whit a small wrapped box, knowing his friend would assume it held keys.

"Sweet!" Whit exclaimed while ripping the paper from the box. "I can't wait to get it into the water."

Lee knew what was in the box so she was fighting not to laugh, pushing her lips together tightly.

Whit yanked the top off the box and then just stared at its contents, his smile slowly slipping from his face.

"What did ya get?" Gopher asked.

Whit reached into the box and pulled out a small die cast metal replica of a jet ski. "Punked. I got punked."

Masen shrugged, doing his best not to cave in at the dejected expression on his best friend's face. "I tried to tell you, bro."

"Yeah but I had hope." Whit dropped the toy back into the box and sighed. "Apparently too much of it."

"Can I see it?" Esme asked right on cue.

"Yeah here," Whit said as he passed the gift box to her.

"This is a nice looking jet ski," Esme mused. "I bet it would look really bad ass full size," she added while sneaking a wink at Masen. "The colors even match your motorcycle."

"Hey, Esme, the knife in my heart is deep enough," Whit said, making everyone laugh. He picked up the frame with his favorite song and focused his attention on it, clearly trying to push away his disappointment.

Masen nodded to Esme to signal it was time to stop messing with Whit. "Oh, but what's this?" she asked, amazingly sounding innocent.

"What's what?" Lee asked when Whit didn't.

"This thing under the felt the jet ski is resting on." Esme waited for Whit to look at her and then she pulled the hidden key out of the box.

Whit's head jerked toward Masen. "Don't toy with me, bro."

Masen laughed. "With all the begging you did, how could I refuse?"

Whit grabbed him up in a hug and then pushed him away, socking him in the shoulder for good measure. And then he snatched the key and headed toward the front door with it. When he came to a sudden halt, Masen knew he'd finally realized he knew there was a jet ski but not where it was located.

"Mase?" he asked, turning his head to look back at his friend.

"Hiding in your parents' garage. Get in the Bronco and we'll go get it and take it for a spin."

"You two make sure you're back in time for dinner," Esme warned. "Don't make me have to come find you boys."

"We'll be back in plenty of time," Masen promised as he kissed her cheek. He kissed Bella goodbye next, hugged Lee, and shook hands with Carlisle and Gopher. They would've invited Gopher along but Lee's parents already had something planned.

They headed straight for Whit's parents' place and backed the Bronco up the long drive. Masen used the clicker Whit's dad had loaned him to open the garage. As soon as Whit saw the sleek black and yellow jet ski sitting on the trailer he started doing his cheerleader jumping that always cracked Masen up.

"You just couldn't resist, huh?" Whit asked as he took a closer look at the double trailer and the second jet ski with its red, black, and silver paint job.

"Rules are rules, bro. No one goes in the water alone," Masen reminded him.

Whit grinned. "I love that rule. Mahalo, Mase."

Masen just smiled. "Come on. Let's get this trailer hooked to the Bronco and get down to the water. We can get in a few hours of play time before we have to get to the store for tonight's bonfire supplies."

"And a beer," Whit amended. "We're having a beer together at our bar."

"Done," Masen promised. "Now grab your side and move."

They took the jet skis to one of the less populated beaches and proceeded to ride them until there was only enough gas to get them back on the trailer. Whit had smiled and whooped with joy the entire time—exactly as Masen had hoped.

After returning the jet skis to the garage, they quickly showered and changed into the clothes Masen had stowed away in the Bronco for them. They couldn't decide on if they should hit the store or the bar first so they flipped a coin for it. The bar won.

It was a little after two when they pulled into the bar's parking lot so only a few cars were there—regulars like them. They ordered a beer each and then took them out onto the deck, relaxing into chairs and enjoying the shade after being under the hot sun all day.

"By my calculations, we were last here …" Whit paused to tip his bottle in Masen's direction.

He grinned and supplied him with the info he wanted. "Three months, six days."

"Right. We were here and I was towing your sorry ass out to the car to keep you from doing something stupid because you'd already done something reckless."

Masen felt his face heat up a little at the memory of the position he'd been in when Whit had found him that night. He wasn't normally a public display kind of man but then again nothing had been normal for him since Bella had come into his life.

"You're never reckless. It's actually kinda sad the number of times I've failed at convincing you to be even a little reckless. That's how I knew Bella was going to be more than just the intern. Hell, it couldn't have been clearer even if she'd a neon sign over her head saying 'This One'. It was that damn clear of a connection between you two. That's why I felt it was my job to make sure you gave in to what you were feeling for her. One of my better decisions in my humble opinion."

"Explain your thinking to me. You're my best friend and you're supposed to have my back. You see me do something reckless and instead of backing me away from it, you push me toward it as hard and as fast as you can."

"You were wound too tight, Mase. You had been so damn controlled for so long that you were becoming robotic. Deciding when you would and wouldn't acknowledge your feelings. Losing yourself in your work for days at a time. You were on the edge and Bella was a possible rope to pull you back. The way your emotions were off the charts for a stranger—the man I've watched stay completely neutral while purposefully being goaded by both of his best friends. You bet your ass I grabbed tight and didn't let go."

"To this day I'm still not sure if I was angrier at feeling tricked or just feeling at all. I hated her ability to confuse me without even knowing me."

"And if she could confuse you like that, then I knew she could make you feel a lot of other emotions. I know this isn't going to make sense to you or to Lee for me to say this but I mean it a hundred percent … I would give up MMR in a heartbeat to have you happy. I owe you that."

"You don't owe me anything. At all. Ever."

"Mase, I know you have it in your head that I've done you some priceless favor by being your friend all these years." Whit smiled to show he was teasing as he added, "And you're right."

He couldn't help snorting at his friend's comment.

"But where you're wrong is that you don't see you've done the exact same for me. I came here a military brat so sick and tired of moving and meeting people just to leave them behind again. I was damn determined not to like anyone here on principle. And then there you were. From the start you pushed me to be my best self, to give my all to every task no matter how small. Sure, my version of being a go-getter usually got us grounded, but the consequences were always worth the fun we had.

"All the other moves, I just shut my mouth and packed my stuff because I knew my dad was doing something important, that he was saving lives. But the one time he ever talked about leaving this place, I flat out told him I wouldn't go. I told him that as important as it was to save lives, the person doing the saving had to have a life too."

A lightbulb went off in Masen's head. "That's why he retired early? So we could stay friends?"

"Yeah," Whit answered with a nod. "That and my mom told him she was in love with this place and would rather stay put. He might have been willing to deal with moving without me but he damn sure wasn't going to go without my mom. You made this place a home I couldn't leave. So yeah, as soon as I saw the chance to give you that kind of feeling, I took it and ran with it."

Masen reached over and gripped Whit's shoulder tightly. "Mahalo hoaloha."

Whit smiled devilishly. "You are the mano to my moana."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? The shark to your ocean—is that some kind of wind beneath my wing shit?"

"Don't flatter yourself, okole. It just means my world isn't balanced unless you're part of it."

Masen pushed the shoulder he'd been holding and took his hand away. "Don't call me an ass."

"Don't be one," Whit replied while laughing.

"Finish your beer, birthday boy."

"In all seriousness, Mase, what you have with Bella … Ho'omaika'i 'ana."

At first Masen only acknowledged the congratulations with a nod. But as he peeled the label from his beer, he found himself needing to say out loud what he was thinking in his head—and feeling in his heart. "I'm going to make it work, Whit. All of it. The living together, and keeping work and home separate. Don't ask me how because I haven't gotten that far yet, but I know I can do this. I _will_ make this work for us."

"Yeah, you will," Whit encouraged. "Bella's not expecting perfection. Just your honest best try. Keep that in mind and you'll be golden."

"And you'll kick my ass when I forget."

"Oh hells yeah," Whit agreed with a nod. "Just stick to the plan tonight. You mess up my jam session and I'll bury you so deep in the sand Lizzy won't even find you."

Masen laughed heartily. "To get me that deep would require some heavy equipment."

"Dad's got connections."

"Esme wouldn't like it."

"Damn. The eternal flaw in my plots against you."

"Will that hold up after she changes her last name?"

"Dude, she's totally going to hyphenate. She's an independent romantic woman."

Masen snorted. "So long as she's happy."

"I'll drink to that," Whit said. The two friends tapped their bottles together and then took their time enjoying the rest of their beverages in a peaceful silence.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Have you started looking for a place yet?" Alice asked around a mouthful of apple. Normally she wouldn't be eating while talking but she had a limited amount of time to video chat and get ready for a sorority event she had to attend tonight.

Bella rolled her eyes at the silliness of the question. "We've only been back for two days. The boat's not even completely unloaded."

"As if that's any excuse. You didn't even know if you were going to get that job in Atlanta and yet you already knew exactly which apartment you would rent."

"This is different. It's not just me who has to be happy with the place."

"You don't think he's going to be so much of a momma's boy that he'll drag his feet on moving out?"

Lee snorted. "It's like your mouth is set constantly on 'piss Masen off'."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Alice defended. "I think his devotion to Esme is sweet. I just wonder if he really wants to live away from her. He's twenty-seven and still living at home. That doesn't scream of independence."

"Yes, but you're forgetting how much we've been traveling," Lee told her. "We've been gone six or more months out of the year for five years. Sharing Esme's home has made more sense up to this point."

"And yet you and Whit both have your own places," Alice challenged.

"And parents who are always home to check in on our places whereas Esme is with us," Lee reminded her.

"Oh," was all the response Alice could come up.

"And this is what comes of you worrying about me," Bella said. "You need to focus your energy on your school and not my life."

"I know, I know. But it's hard because I miss you and I feel like I wouldn't miss you as much if I knew you were settled in there."

"Settled in?" Bella couldn't help laughing at such a ridiculous notion at this point. "Alice, right now, my only concern is learning to sleep in a bed that doesn't move."

Lee jumped in to tease Bella. "If you and Masen would stop jumping each other every two seconds, the bed would stop moving."

Alice gasped while Bella snorted and smacked a laughing Lee with one of the many throw pillows on Esme's huge couch.

"Ladies, while I hate to break up the party, it's getting late and I'd like to have the last few minutes with Allie all to myself," Whit said, clearly having heard the reason for their laughter from the size of the smirk he was sporting.

"You heard the man, hand over the iPad," Alice ordered. "Oh and love you both, try to behave, and hug Uncle Carl for me. And Esme."

"Love you too, Sis," Bella said before handing the device over to Whit.

"Behave?" Lee asked as she and Bella headed for the kitchen. "It's like she doesn't know us at all."

"Right?" Bella replied with a laugh.

Lee's face suddenly lit up and she rushed across the kitchen. "Mommy. Daddy. You came after all."

The likeness between Lee and her mom was amazing. It was truly like looking at an older version of her friend, right down to the way Lee favored her left foot when she was standing still. She gingerly hugged her mom and quickly let go. "Are you feeling up to this?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart. It's been a good day," her mom assured her.

Lee turned to her dad and shared an enthusiastic bear hug with him, which was slightly comical since she was taller than him. Bella wondered if Gopher had ever noticed he hugged just like her dad. She would bet that was part of what had drawn Lee to him in the beginning.

Comforting arms wrapped around Bella from behind and pulled her into a solid chest. "Bet you didn't think she had it in her to be such a softy."

Bella laughed at such an absurd idea. "I've seen her with you, Edward. I know exactly how much of a softy she can be."

He snorted. "Come on, smart-ass. I've been ordered to make introductions between you and Esme's girls." He nudged her toward the front door but she didn't budge.

"Don't you think you should introduce me to Lee's parents first?"

"What a great idea. Let's do that."

Bella gasped at his quick agreement. "You don't want me meeting the sisters!" she accused.

His blue eyes went wide. "No. No, that's no—No."

"You totally are," she replied with a chuckle. "I know your nervous look and you are nervous."

"Mase, why do you look nervous?" Lee called from across the room.

Bella laughed while Edward grumbled under his breath. "Come on," she said as she tugged on his arm.

He finally relented and they joined Lee and her parents in the kitchen. As soon as they saw him, they greeted him with hugs.

"So good to see you again, Masen," Lee's mom said.

"Lee, how is that every time we go out, we come back to your mom looking younger?"

Lee and her mom shared a look and then her mom said, "Still full of shit, I see."

Lee snorted. "Of all the things that changed this summer, that's not one of them." And then before Edward could do it, Lee introduced Bella. "Mom, Dad, this is Bella. Our Guppy and Masen's kapu."

"My, my. Lee did not exaggerate your beauty at all," her mom said.

Bella blushed all the way up to the roots of her hair. "Thank you."

"I still can't believe Masen is in an actual relationship," Lee's dad said as he shook Bella's hand. "Though from what Lee has told us about you, I couldn't imagine him letting you get away either."

"I would have stomped him if he'd tried," Lee shared while giving Edward's hair a hard ruffle.

"Lee tells us you'll be staying with the team and here in Hawaii," her mom shared.

"Yes, Ma'am," Bella agreed with a nod. "There's still so much I want to learn and no team better to teach me."

"Rebecca please. And my husband here is Joseph."

"It's a pleasure to be meeting you both. Lee is so amazing at her job and I've learned a ton from her. I've also been very lucky to become her friend. She has this great balance between being supportive and giving you a kick in the pants when it's needed."

"She gets that from her mom," Joseph admitted, smiling proudly at his wife while holding her close.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hale, I absolutely want to catch up with you more," Edward said. "But I'm afraid right now I have to go and take Bella with me. Esme's orders."

Lee chuckled darkly. "Time to meet the girls. This I have to see."

"We'll come along too," Rebecca said with a smile as devious as Lee's.

Edward looped his arm around Bella's waist and led the group out into the front yard and then around the side of the house. The doors to his shed were wide open, lighting up the driveway along with the spotlight over the basketball goal.

"Mase, how 'bout I check on the food for you," Gopher offered as they approached.

"How about I stab you?" Edward replied with his trademark shitty grin. "What do you think of that?"

Gopher smiled right back. "Stabbings are a crime of passion so I'd be honored you care so much."

"Don't touch my grill, Gopher."

"Stop threatening my boyfriend, Mase," Lee said with a flick to the back of his head.

The conversation that had been going on when they'd first arrived came to a sudden halt and Bella found herself being inspected by three of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen.

Esme came over and stood beside her. "Bella, I'd like you to meet my girls. Girls, this is our Bella."

The women moved closer, giving Bella the sense of being a bug under a microscope. They were all three tall, statuesque blondes with sky blue eyes and ruby red lips. They looked much more like models than the fun-loving trio of friends Esme had so lovingly described.

And then they smiled and the vibe around them instantly changed. Their mischievous smiles and twinkling eyes put Bella at ease and she found herself smiling back.

"Esme, you weren't kidding. She's absolutely gorgeous." The sister who'd said this stepped forward and offered her hand to Bella. "I'm Tanya, and I am _very_ pleased to meet you."

Before she could answer, she was being offered two more hands. "Irina," said the sister on the end. "Kate," came from the sister in the middle.

"Look at this silky hair," Tanya remarked.

"And the eyes. That shade of brown is delicious," Kate shared.

"The lips. I would kiss those," Irina said.

"Back off, you three," Edward warned while pulling Bella closer to him.

Tanya laughed. "She's far too lovely for you, Masen."

Edward smiled down at Bella. "Yeah, I know, but she's still my kapu."

Kate squealed. "This is so exciting. Our little Masen has finally become a man."

"That happened years ago," Edward corrected.

The chorus of Esme, Tanya, Kate, and Irina's voices said otherwise. "It didn't."

"Cherish her or you'll be dealing with us," Tanya warned him.

"One night. Behave for just one night," Edward pleaded.

"Masen, you know we only threaten you because we want the best for you," Irina told him.

"Yeah, not buying that for a second," he responded.

"He doesn't believe us, Esme," Kate said, pushing her lower lip out in a pout.

"Neither do I," Esme replied with a laugh.

"This is what comes of letting her into our inner circle," Tanya joked.

Irina snorted. "We didn't have a choice after she broke your ankle and pretty much moved in to care for you."

Tanya laughed and put an arm around Esme. "Never have I felt so lucky to have had such a bad day. I lost a new pair of shoes but gained a wonderful friend for life."

"Esme's pretty great," Bella agreed, meaning it completely.

"Lovely and a fan of our girl. I say she's absolutely one of us," Kate said as she looked between her two sisters.

"She gets my vote," Irina answered.

"Then it's settled. Bella, you are now one of the girls and welcome to all of our social gatherings," Tanya announced.

"She means testing the new booze," Lee shared. "And talking about the men in our lives."

"That's basically every gathering," Edward said, earning him a round of boos from Esme's friends.

"Kid, I think it's time you check on the food," Esme told him.

"Good idea. Come on, Bella."

"Oh no you don't, Mase," Lee said as she pulled Bella away from him. "You are not monopolizing her time tonight. She's fine staying right here and getting to know our family and friends."

Edward narrowed his eyes at Lee but that only made her smirk widen.

"You did tell Gopher not to touch your grill," Esme reminded her son.

He grumbled some form of agreement and then started walking toward the grill.

Irina raised her voice and said, "Tell us truly, Bella, what will it take to get you away from Masen?"

Bella laughed. "As flattered as I am, I'm afraid I'm pretty attached to him."

"As attached as your uncle is to our Esme?" Kate asked.

Bella held her hand up and proudly showed off Elizabeth's ring. "I'd say so."

The ladies gasped and then Tanya reached out to hold Bella's hand. "Esme, you've been holding out on us. You said he'd found his kapu but you never mentioned an engagement."

Esme chuckled. "I had expected he would share the wonderful news with you himself but you ran him off with all of your teasing."

"Ladies, the birthday boy has arrived," Whit announced as he joined them.

"Whit, how are you, sweetheart?" Tanya asked as they hugged.

"Nursing a broken heart, I'd imagine," Irina said with a teasing grin. "The love of his life is engaged to another man."

Whit grinned and gave her a hug. "Nope. Can't be anything but damn pleased that Esme is happy."

"My turn," Kate trilled while enthusiastically hugging Whit. Just as quickly, her smile turned to a pout. "I'm so sad we aren't getting to meet your Alice. From all Carlisle and Esme have said, she's a lovely girl."

"She is," Whit agreed. "Speaking of Carlisle, where is he?"

"He and Dale went down to the beach to inspect the bonfire setup," Esme answered.

"Deputy Dale came? No shit?"

Kate smacked Whit in the chest. "Be nice."

"We're not quite sure where we failed with him," a deep male voice said from behind them.

Whit laughed and walked over to the man, giving him an enthusiastic hug. "Commander, can't you cut a man some slack on his birthday?"

"No."

"Harrison," the woman beside him said sternly. "And you too, Jasper."

"I'm always on my best behavior, Mom," Whit said before kissing her cheek. "Come on, I want to introduce you two to Bella."

"Gotta admit, son, I'm still not sure she's real," Harrison said.

"Oh she's real," Whit promised. He brought his parents over to Bella and made introductions. "Mom, Dad, this is Bella Cullen. Bella, this is my dad, Harrison, and my mom, Jackie."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Bella said as she shook their hands.

"The pleasure is ours," Jackie assured her. "Whit's told us a great deal about you. He thinks very highly of you."

"I feel the same way about him," Bella said as she smiled at Whit. "In addition to being an amazing friend, he saved my life."

Harrison griped Whit's neck and gave him an affectionate shake. "Head as hard as granite but a heart of gold."

"Just like his best friend," Bella said with a chuckle.

"I heard that," Edward said as he joined them. "Commander," he greeted, shaking hands with Whit's dad. "Mrs. Whitlock," he said and then kissed her cheek.

"Masen, when are you planning to get those jet skis out of my garage?" she asked him.

"Tomorrow morning," he assured her. "We'll move them to the warehouse first thing."

"My turn," Esme said as she came over to hug Whit's parents. "How have you both been?"

"Good," Harrison answered.

"But not as good as you," Jackie replied. "We heard about the engagement."

"Yes," Esme said enthusiastically. "I can't wait to introduce you. Carlisle should be back any minute. Dale stole him away to check on the setup of the fire pit."

Harrison grinned. "Let me guess … You let these two boneheads set it up."

"I helped, Commander," Gopher added.

"I bet you did."

Bella tugged the side of Edward's shirt. "Why do you guys call Whit's dad 'Commander'?"

"That was his rank in the Navy. He retired when Whit and I were in our junior year of high school but by then we'd been calling him that for so long that we just kept on."

"Ah." Bella shivered from the night breeze and decided it was time to grab her hoodie. "Hey, I'm going to head inside for a minute."

"Want me to come with?"

"I won't be gone long, and you need to keep your eyes on the grill."

"I'd rather keep them on you." He followed his declaration up with a kiss that made her knees wobble.

"Pay up, Commander!" Whit half-yelled, half-laughed.

As Bella watched Harrison pass Whit a crisp hundred dollar bill, she realized the cash was the prize for a bet on whether or not she was real.

"Gas for the jet skis," Whit happily declared, waving the bill at his dad.

Bella reached out and snagged it. "The bet was _about_ me so the cash is _for_ me." She turned her head and found Lee in the crowd. "Girls' night out, Lee?"

"Abso-damn-lutely."

"Bella, you're gonna fit in just fine with all of us," Harrison told her.

Esme put an arm around Bella. "Told you she was perfect for our misfits."

Bella smiled, feeling ecstatic and lucky to be part of such a colorful and loving 'ohana.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

Bella walked up to her uncle who was drying the dishes Esme was washing and gave him a tight hug. "From Alice from our earlier chat."

"Thank you, Bug," he responded with a laugh.

She gave the same tight hug to Esme but held on longer. "That's from Alice and me."

"Alice I get," Esme said. "You I'm suspicious of simply because I don't recall doing anything hug worthy."

"You actually did it a while back but I didn't understand why then. You told me to talk to Edward about pygmy killer whales. I finally got to do that today and he told me all about Oahu's pod. He's going to take me to see them for my birthday in a couple of weeks."

Esme squealed and pulled Bella into a hug, getting them both wet from her soapy hands. "I was just telling Carlisle this morning that I'd have to remind you about it. I'm so glad you finally remembered."

"Me too. I'm so excited. I never thought I'd see them."

"Bug, I want you to be honest," Carlisle said. "You're dating Masen for the marine life access, aren't you?"

Bella gasped. "Uncle Carl!" 

Her shock immediately turned to humor as she watched her uncle and Esme laugh. "That was sneaky. Good and sneaky."

"We're really rubbing off on him," Esme said with a proud smile. "A little more time around us and he'll be another smart-ass in a long line of them."

"Even so I'll never reach the level you and your lovely ladies operate at," Carlisle assured her.

Esme just smiled and then changed the subject. "So, Bella, how do you feel after your whirlwind night of meeting the extended family?"

"Everyone is so nice. And I adore the way Whit and Edward stand up straighter and speak politer every time Whit's dad talks to them. They don't even know they do it!"

Esme chuckled. "They would absolutely be their normal clown selves if they thought for a second Harrison would tolerate it."

"I bet. Oh and Lee's mom is so funny. Lee definitely got her sense of humor from her."

"And her independence. It's the soft streak in her that she got from her dad. So! What about my girls?"

"Esme, they're as amazing as you said they were. I was surprised by how easily they got under Edward's skin though. He's usually so good at ignoring teasing at his expense."

"Oh, it's not the teasing that had him wound up. It was the fear that at any moment they could start sharing with his kapu stories of a young, foolish Edward."

"I think I'll need to have another chat with them before they leave," Bella said.

The back door opened and Lee's voice drifted down the hall. "Time for the show!"

"It's time!" Esme squealed. "I can't wait to find out what they're going to play."

Carlisle chuckled. "You're adorable in your support of them."

"Let's go find out if it's warranted," Bella said as she moved toward the hall.

They headed out the back door and down the beach to where a small bonfire had been set up. There was just enough room between Edward and Lee for Bella to squeeze in and sit on the log with them. The heat of the crackling fire felt so good on her skin; she closed her eyes and focused on that sensation as a pleased smile spread across her lips.

"You're beautiful." Edward's whispered words made her smile wider and she leaned in to him, resting her head against his broad chest. His arms enveloped her, giving her that wonderful sense of safety and security. This spot right here was where she was meant to be—everything else was superfluous.

It was also short-lived. "Kapu, I need to join Whit."

"I'm comfy."

He chuckled. "Then I'll be sure to hold you close the rest of the night once I fulfill my promise to Whit."

Her calmness immediately switched to excitement and she gave Edward a push. "Get going then."

He laughed again and quickly kissed her before joining Whit and picking up one of the two acoustic guitars.

Bella was so excited to hear the guys sing again that she found herself unable to sit still and it was making Lee laugh beside her.

"I want to thank you all again for coming out to celebrate with Gopher and me for our birthdays," Whit said to the group.

"We love you!" Kate, Irina, and Tanya shouted.

Whit chuckled. "I have the best groupies. I am a lucky man."

"Stop," Edward warned him. Of course the giant smile he was sporting made it hard to believe he really expected the command to be taken seriously.

"So as a thank you to everyone for coming out, and a gift to myself, Mase and I are going to sing a little something for the lovers sitting out under the stars with us tonight."

"_Wise men say_

_Only fools rush in_

_But I can't help_

_Falling in love with you._"

Whit's voice had been so controlled with the lyrics coming out slow and tender—it made Bella shiver, and she felt Lee do the same beside her.

Edward quickly licked his lips and then began to sing his part, following Whit's style of making the words sound like a promise and not just a song. "_Shall I stay?_

_Would it be a sin_

_If I can't help_

_Falling in love with you?_"

Whit grinned as their voices joined together. "_Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea,_

_Darling so it goes_

_Something's are meant to be._

"_Take my hand._

_Take my whole life too."_

Bella noticed Carlisle mouthing the words to Esme, her eyes locked solely on him.

"_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you."_

The look of love between them was unmistakable and beautiful. And as soon as she saw it in them, she noticed the same with Kate and Dale, Harrison and Jackie, Rebecca and Joseph, and Lee and Gopher.

"_Like a river flows_

_Surely to the sea,_

_Darling so it goes_

_Something's are meant to be."_

A nudge from Lee had her looking up—and right into Edward's eyes.

"_Take my hand."_

Her smile was as bright as the stars above as she put her hand into his.

"_Take my whole life too."_

He hugged her to his chest, his eyes full of love and devotion as he sang to her.

"_For I can't help_

_Falling in love with you."_

His voice dropped to a near whisper as his lips moved closer to hers.

"_No, I can't help_

_Falling in love with you."_

His mouth on hers felt hotter than the fire just a few feet away and so much more satisfying than anything she'd had to eat or drink tonight. The oddest sensation of flying and falling at the same time overwhelmed her and she clung tighter to him to keep from being knocked over by the feeling.

Edward pressed his forehead to hers, smiling and breathing as if he'd just run and won a race. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe Mau Loa, kapu."

"You added something. What is it?"

"Forever. I love you forever, kapu."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

"Whit, how is it that it's your birthday celebration and you let our asshat best friend steal the show?" Lee asked as she helped him hang the acoustic guitars on the shop wall.

Whit chuckled. "I didn't do it for his ass. I did it for Bella. That woman deserves some swoon for putting up with him."

"Hey, fuckers! I'm standing right here," Masen told them.

They looked back at him and replied, "We know."

Whit continued on as if there hadn't been an interruption. "Remind me to thank Gopher for videoing it for Alice. She's gonna love it when she sees it."

"He was happy to do it for you two. He really likes Alice. I think he even misses her already."

"I believe that. They have a love of talking in common while the rest of us take as few words as possible most days."

"Unless we get Bella excited," Lee said with a chuckle. "She was so giddy tonight meeting everyone and never realized she was chattering away like her sister."

"I love her seeing her like that," Masen admitted. "Comfortable with all of us. She trusts us as her family."

"She should because we are," Lee replied.

"That's true," Whit said. "But it's also true that her own family kind of fell apart so if she was shy about diving into ours, it would make total sense."

"Mase, has she talked to you at all about her mom?" Lee asked.

"A little. I don't press because I can tell it's painful for her. Out of concern, though, I did pull Carlisle aside to get clarification on a few things. Basically, her mom had always had issues with depression but it was under control with meds. When her dad was killed, her mom basically broke from reality and just detached herself from everything. There's a miniscule chance she could come back from it but after all these years, no one really holds out hope of it."

"Except Alice," Whit corrected.

"Except Alice," Masen agreed.

"How does Bella feel about it?"

"She's spent a long time feeling guilty, feeling like it was her fault. Lately though, she's starting to feel angry and abandoned. But as soon as she gives those feelings life by speaking them, the guilt comes back and she doesn't want to talk anymore. And like I said, I'm not pressing her. I know what it's like to not want to talk, to deal with all that pain just under the surface. I just tell her I'm here if she changes her mind."

"That's honestly the best thing you can do for her, Mase," Whit said. "And let her know Lee and I are here for her too."

"I already did that," Lee informed them. "But it's never a bad thing for us all to remind her."

Whit grinned while draping his arm across Lee's shoulders. "And yet it was only three short months ago that you were sure she was the devil out to ruin Mase."

"You know the nice thing about opinions, Whit, is that they change with experience," she replied. "Bella's proven she's a good friend to all of us this summer and I'm happy to entrust her with my best friend's heart. I know she'll keep it in one piece."

"Long as he keeps his act together and his life balanced," Whit said, lifting an eyebrow at Masen.

"I'll do my best to stay on track and you two nudgers will help see that I do," he told them.

"With pleasure," Lee responded.

Whit glanced at his watch. "There's still another twenty-three minutes to my birthday celebration. I say we head inside and have one last beer while we watch Spring Break 2006 and reminisce about our younger selves."

"As tempting of an offer as that is, I'm going to have to decline," Lee said. "Gopher and I have our own plans for ending this night with a bang."

"Nice," Whit congratulated with a high-five. "Get out of here and go get you some."

"Just don't get busted for public indecency," Masen warned as he gave Lee a big hug goodbye.

"No promises," she teased, smacking a kiss onto his cheek. "You boys behave. Whit, I'll see you on the boat first thing tomorrow."

"Night," the guys called as she headed off to the front of the house.

"So on a scale of one to ten," Masen said as he flipped off the lights in the shed. "What would you rate this birthday?"

"We broke the fucking dial, bro. Between the jet skis and our epic performance tonight, I am one satisfied birthday boy."

"Thanks again for that setup with Bella. She loved the hell out of that."

"By my calculations, I have been right nearly five hundred thousand times in our long storied friendship. Maybe, just maybe, it's time you listen to me without question."

Masen laughed while clicking the padlock closed on the shed. "In your fucking dreams. I don't care how many times you're right, you've been wrong just enough that questioning you is a form of self-preservation."

Whit decided the best way to respond was to sing loudly and purposefully off-key. "If loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right!"

"The fact that you can sound that bad after sounding so amazing earlier is mind-boggling," Bella called from the porch.

"Talent, sweetheart," Whit responded.

Masen laughed and gave him a good-natured shove. He then took the porch steps two at a time and reached for Bella, hugging her close. "Hi."

"Hi."

"How was your shower?"

"Wonderful. I think I actually managed to get all the sand off of me."

He leaned in and hummed against the side of her neck. "I'm happy to perform a thorough inspection for you."

"You know, if it wasn't your best friend's birthday, I might take you up on that offer. But it is so I won't. Instead, I'll leave you two to hang out while Lizzy and I crawl into bed and get some much needed sleep."

He pushed her hair back so he could see her face clearly. "Listen, if you have trouble sleeping, you just say the word and I'll come lay with you. I don't mind."

"I think I'm tired enough after today that I shouldn't have a problem. But I will happily take you up on your offer if I have trouble." She leaned up and kissed his lips softly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

They headed inside together and after another kiss Bella headed off to his room and he went into the living room where Whit was already camped out on the couch.

"I decided we needed to watch _Dude Where's My Car_ instead," Whit informed him while passing him a beer.

"Sweet," Masen replied with a grin.

Whit lightly clinked his beer against Masen's. "Dude."

Masen made every attempt to focus on the movie but his mind kept wandering down the hall to his room and to the woman who might or might not be asleep in his bed. She kept telling everyone she was having trouble adjusting to a bed that didn't move but the truth was that her trouble sleeping had started the day they'd left Gordon's Bay. Whatever it was troubling her, she hadn't yet found the words to express it.

"You want to be with her, don't you?"

Masen looked up to find Whit staring at him. "We're finishing out your birthday celebration. Besides, she said she was going straight to sleep."

"That's not what I asked you."

Masen looked him in the eyes. "Yeah, I do. She hasn't been sleeping great and I know it's easier for her when I'm there."

"Then give me your phone charger and get your ass to your room, you doofus."

"What do you want my charger for?"

"Without you around I can spend my night talking to Alice."

"You miss her a lot, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm not saying that to her because I want her to enjoy herself, but I really do miss her. Thankfully it's only a couple weeks until I head out there with Carlisle and Esme."

"What are we doing, bro? Turning our lives upside down like this for these ladies … Are we going to ever just be able to hangout without thinking about them?"

"Probably not," Whit answered honestly. "But you have to remember that it's a stronger sensation right now because we've just found them. We haven't gotten used to how damn good it is to be with them and already we're being pulled away. For me it's her school. For you it'll be non-stop work the rest of the week. We just have to adapt and adjust, secure in the knowledge that they are abso-fucking-lutely worth it."

"Feeling over logic," Masen mumbled.

"Exactly."

Masen retrieved the extra phone charger from the bin on the bookcase and handed it to Whit. "Say 'hi' for me, okay?"

Whit grinned. "No worries, Mase. I'll profess your love for her and loss without her."

He ignored his friend's teasing. "Thank you for calling off the movie."

"Maybe next time you could just ask instead of trying to force your participation."

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "That would require me giving in without a fight. I'm not there yet."

"No, you're not. But we'll get you there, Mase. Just trust your family and more specifically your kapu. Now get the hell out of here so I can call my girl."

"And in the morning, I'm making waffles," he said both seriously and to quote one of Whit's favorite animated movies.

"Damn right you are."

Masen left his beer on the table for Whit and then hurried down the hall to his room. He slipped inside and found Lizzy fast asleep at the foot of the bed while Bella lay wide awake listening to an audiobook playing on her laptop.

"I thought you were going to hang out with Whit?"

"I thought you were going straight to sleep."

"I was trying to turn my brain off with a book."

He paused the audio and closed the laptop before pulling his shirt off and throwing it on top of the hamper in the corner. He crawled into bed and let her get comfortable which for her meant pretty much draping her body over his, not that he minded at all. "What's your brain thinking about?"

"It was processing all the people I met and the way all of the personalities mix together."

"And now?"

"You smell like sunshine and wood smoke."

"Want me to shower?"

"No, I like it."

He chuckled. "It's really because you found your comfortable spot, isn't it?"

"It's both."

"Did we overwhelm you today?"

"Yeah but it was good. It was nice to finally meet everyone I've been hearing about. Though I did not expect Whit's dad to be so stiff. For some reason I thought Whit took after him for his laid back personality."

"No, Whit gets his meticulous nature from his dad, and the habit of thinking before speaking. His mom is the laid back one."

"You seem to really respect him."

"Yeah, he's a good guy. No matter how busy he was, he always made time for Whit and me. He took us fishing, camping, four-wheeling … Taught us about respecting people and ourselves. Even gave us some advice on dating when we started showing an interest in girls. He doesn't completely understand what we do with MMR, but he respects our commitment to it. He's tough for sure, but he's always fair."

Bella didn't answer right away and when she finally did it came out as a sleepy mumble. "I like him."

"He likes you too."

"Okay."

Masen smiled at her sleepy tone and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Sleep, kapu." He started softly humming the tune from tonight's song to her in hopes of helping her drift off.

His plan worked and soon she was sleeping so hard that she began to lightly snore. He smiled with a mix of pride and relief, hoping her sleep would be unbroken and last late into the morning. She needed the rest and he'd be busy working so there was no reason for her to be up early.

She shifted against him and her hand moved from being tucked under her chin to resting on his chest. His finger traced the edges of the stones in her ring while his mind struggled to fully accept his future would really hold this beautiful woman and that she would be his wife. All those years he'd been so sure it would never happen—his conviction backed by logic and cold hard facts. And yet here she was, and very little was logical and nothing was cold or hard about her or them together.

He looked at his own hand, trying to picture a ring sitting there. Would it feel like an anchor? Would it make him feel like he had to spend less time focused on MMR?

He smirked at his idiocy. If he felt either of those things, then it would be his own hang-up and not anything Bella said or expected. She knew exactly how much he loved getting lost in his work and she'd still agreed to marry him so she clearly accepted that about him. Whenever he would finally be lucky enough to have his kapu put a ring on his finger, he'd wear it with pride every day after. Pride in himself for seeing all of her amazing qualities and pride in knowing he would never let go. He had every intention of doing just as he'd promised and loving her forever.

He craned his neck to see the photo on his nightstand—Elizabeth hugging him close as they sat in the sand with happy smiles on their sun-kissed faces. "Thanks for being right, Mom."

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**Thursday, September 4****th**

**Esme's POV**

Esme knocked on Edward's office door, doubting he would even hear it. He'd been locked in there for hours and that was just the ones she knew about since getting up at eight this morning with Carlisle.

When she was met with silence and proven right, she opened the door enough to stick her head inside. Her brilliant, driven, focused son sat behind his desk with his too long hair and a pen perched between his lips. His hands were frantically flipping through the pages of a binder while his eyes occasionally darted to a stack of papers on the other side of his desk. He was speaking but nowhere near loud enough for her to decipher his words. She remembered how worried she'd been this time last year over his manic working, and felt relief at knowing this time it would be different. This year it really would be one final week and then he'd take a real vacation. This year he had Bella to share his time with and he truly wanted that time with her.

The pen between his lips suddenly dropped into his hand. "There you are. Scrawny female tagged on the back end of Seal Island. Theory posited for size was sickness." He leaned over the binder and scratched the notes he spoke aloud. "Test results show increased white blood cell count which points to infection." He paused to scan the photos attached to the daily. "Based on photographic evidence and personal eyewitness account, I doubt she survived the season in her sickly state with so much competition for food."

"That's a shame."

Edward's head jerked up at the sound of her voice. "Didn't hear you come in."

"I know."

"Do you need something?" he asked as she opened the door and stepped into his office.

She wasn't surprised that he had no idea of the day or time. "It's lunchtime on Thursday."

Edward sighed as he leaned back in his chair and surveyed the piles on his desk.

"We could do it next week instead," Esme offered.

"I'll be in Florida."

"And I'll be there the week after."

"And two or three weeks after that. Give me five minutes and we'll go."

"Are you sure? I don't want to derail your progress."

"You're more important than work, Mom."

Esme gasped. "I … I'd always hoped but to actually hear the words …"

Edward narrowed his eyes at her. "Not funny."

"Nope! Flippin hilarious."

"You certainly think so," he said as he turned off his microphone and closed the lid of his laptop.

"Now, Kid, you know you do too. You're just pissy you're stopping your work."

He looked sufficiently ashamed. "Sorry. I was in a groove."

"You'll get back into it quickly. You always do."

He smiled as he reached her and then planted a kiss on her forehead. "Sorry."

"You're forgiven," she said, patting his chest. "Now let's go get you full. I can hear your stomach grumbling."

"Max better be ready for us because I'm ordering everything."

Esme laughed. "When was the last time you ate?"

"About six this morning when I had two bowls of cereal."

She eyed him up and down as they walked toward the front door. "Maybe Bella really is right about that tapeworm."

He snorted. "I'm just a growing boy, Mom."

"Sure, sure." She grabbed the keys to his Bronco from the hook on the wall. "Carlisle borrowed my car to run some errands so I'll be driving your truck."

"Fine but I'm controlling the radio."

She smirked at him while locking the house up. "Driver picks the music. Shotgun shuts his cakehole."

He laughed. "You act like you don't enjoy the same music as me."

"I do but we are rarely in the same mood and therefore our musical tastes always clash and cause consternation. Honestly, Kid, I'm saving you time and trouble. I'm looking out for you."

"How altruistic of you."

She started up the Bronco and flipped the visor down, revealing the collection of CDs they stored there—and a picture that was very new. "When did you get this picture of you and Bella printed?"

"What?"

She smiled at his inability to fool her. "You heard me just fine, Edward."

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Sort of as soon as I found it on Whit's camera."

The picture was of Edward relaxing on the deck of their boat, propped up on one arm. Bella was sitting crossed leg beside him and Lizzy was jumping at the piece of rope in her hand. His eyes were glued to Bella's face and Esme knew his full focus in that moment had belonged only to his kapu.

"I want a copy." She expected him to at least pretend to be put out by her request but he surprised her and only asked what size print she wanted.

With the windows rolled down and The Rolling Stones blasting out of the speakers, they made their way to their Thursday lunch spot, upholding a tradition that had begun with Esme's arrival to the island and expanded once Elizabeth and Edward had joined her. The owner, Max, had been a good friend through the good and the bad, even bringing sandwiches to a sick Elizabeth despite him not actually having a delivery service. He was absolutely one of the good guys and they were lucky to have him as part of their world.

Esme glanced at Edward, studying his supposedly relaxed posture with his feet on the dash and his fingers drumming against his knees. It was the set of his eyes that gave him away, the way he seemed to be looking through the floorboard instead of at it. So much had changed for him in so short a time and she worried about his ability to adjust as quickly as the changes were happening. On the plus side, he had been asking for help lately and that in itself was huge for him. He had always leaned toward doing it all on his own until he absolutely couldn't.

She decided to test his new acceptance of help. "You look like you've got something on your mind, Kid. Care to share?"

"This lunch, it's as much about us having one-on-one time as honoring her. We can still do that right? I know not every Thursday like before, but most of them?"

"Why would you think that had to change? We've always kept it just the two of us."

He shrugged. "It feels like everything else has changed. It's probably selfish to want it to stay just us but …"

Esme smiled at him. "You have a right to be selfish in this instance. We have the relationship we do because we take care of it and make time for each other. That's more important than ever now that we have these partners in our lives who deserve to have and will have a big chunk of our time and focus." Her smiled turned into a predatory grin as she added, "You can still be a momma's boy."

He barked out a laugh. "The level of smart ass you reach even in serious conversations."

"I'm playing to my audience, Kid. We both knew you process better if there are breaks in the seriousness. Which by the way, I completely noticed Bella has already caught onto that fact."

He only smirked.

They made it to the restaurant in record time. This hidden gem was nestled in a busy shopping plaza, helping it to stay a local secret filled with comfort food and a relaxed, family atmosphere.

As soon as they stepped through the doors they were spotted by the owner, Max. "Esme! Masen! My favorites returned to me!" He immediately came around the counter and gave them each a fierce hug.

"Tell me, Masen," he said with his arm still around him. "Did you see her? Did you see the big, beautiful shark you went searching for?"

"Her and many of her friends," Edward confirmed.

"You come back here with pictures next time," Max demanded.

"You know I always bring them once Lee gets them printed."

"How she doin'?"

"Really good. Still with Emmett and still loving that galoot."

"And Whit?"

"Really excellent. Has himself a girlfriend now."

Max wagged a finger at Edward. "You could take pointers from him. Think long term and not instant gratification."

Edward rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I uh … I met someone too."

Max smiled. "I want all the details. But first, let's get your orders put in."

Once they were seated at a table covered in plates of food, Max urged Edward to give him every detail about the someone he'd met. The more Edward talked, the more Max smiled. He saw how different this version of Edward was from the man who had left here three months ago in search of sharks. That Edward had hardly known anything other than sharks existed. This one had only spoken about sharks in answer to direct questions. Everything else coming from him had to do with the woman he'd fallen in love with.

Max put his big hand on Edward's shoulder and lifted his chin at the picture on the wall—Elizabeth and Esme with Edward squeezed in between them at this very table. "If Elizabeth was here, her happiness would not be contained. But no worries because my pride is big enough for both of us."

Edward smile stretched across his face. "Mahalo, Max."

The door opened and Max sighed as he got to his feet. "Back to work. You two don't sneak off without saying goodbye to me."

"We wouldn't dream of it," Esme assured him.

"You didn't tell him about Carlisle," Edward mentioned as they watched Max greet his new customers.

"He didn't give me a chance," she defended.

"You're scared," he teased, giving her his shitty grin. "You're scared he'll make you go home and get him and bring him up here for inspection."

"You're such a shit," she said as she tossed a fry at him. "I didn't egg Max on even once while he was grilling you about Bella."

"That was your loss."

She tossed another fry but the little shit caught it in his mouth. "Brat."

"Seriously, Mom. We can't leave without telling him."

"We won't. Now let's talk about something else for a while."

"Alright," he agreed with a nod. "Carlisle. What did he think about meeting everyone last night?"

She chuckled. "He now understands perfectly how I can get into trouble with the girls. He saw the love they have for me. He also sees why this is home for me and I couldn't stand to be away from it for more than a few months at a time."

"Good. I know you were worried about that."

"Oh, and he was very impressed with your little show for Bella. I think he was actually jealous he didn't think of it for me with how much I love The King."

"Whit and I will teach him if he wants."

"I'll pass that along. Now what about Bella? How'd she fair with the big intro?"

"Overwhelmed but in a good way. I think her favorite part was watching Whit and me with the Commander, but she's definitely excited to have a girls' night with all the ladies."

"How's her sleeping? Has it gotten any better?"

"She slept solidly for a good five hours last night. That's the most it's been in a while."

"Any guesses for what's troubling her?"

He shook his head. "I figure it's got to be stress. She just made two really huge life decisions in picking MMR and accepting my proposal. Those choices negated all of her previous plans so she's got a lot of unknown ahead of her."

"And? I can tell there's an 'and'."

"And I think she's struggling with her feelings about herself and her mom. For so long she believed she was at fault for her dad's death and her mom's exit. Now that she understands it was never her fault, she's confused and angry. And I think really hurt too because she sees us, she sees how losing Elizabeth and nearly losing Whit pulled us closer. She wants to know why that didn't happen for her but she can't just go ask."

"Renee is not well, Edward. I don't mean that as an excuse because she certainly didn't make an effort to change that. I say it as a reminder that want and logic won't do Bella or you any good in this situation. I would tell you that you can't do anything but I know you'll try anyway. You have to help her accept there are no answers and to be satisfied with what she does have—a loving 'ohana that will never leave her behind or forget how special she is for a second."

"From your lips to her heart."

"Oh no, Kid, it's your lips it needs to come from. Before you two realized you were in love, you had already formed a bond through the loss of beloved parents. She knows you understand all facets of her feelings in this area and that lends you a level of trust that Carlisle and I don't have access to."

"I'm not pushing her to talk to me about this. Whit and Lee both said that's the right way to handle it."

"They're right. You want to let her come to you. Only then is it safe to push and only with the gentlest of hands. Delicacy, my bull in the china shop boy."

He grinned. "Says the woman who basically decided for Carlisle that dating you was in his best interest."

She gasped. "I did no such thing. I was perfectly willing to behave myself. _He _kissed_ me_."

"Well however it happened, I'm just happy that you're happy."

Esme looked up at her sister's smiling face. "She would approve of our matches. Hell, she'd probably drag us over to the court house afraid you and I would chicken out and change our minds."

"There's no going back. I get why people would think there's the chance, but it doesn't exist. She's my life now, just like he's yours."

Esme reached across the table and wrapped her fingers around his. "Separate trails, same path. We're still in this together, just with more people to love us."

"As long as Carlisle doesn't find out about your gnarly habit of crying into your popcorn over unrealistic romance movies."

"Or Bella realizes what a slob you are with your ridiculously long hair."

"Damn, we're the worst," he joked.

"_Right_? It's almost incomprehensible that they love us."

"Yeah, if we weren't so damn great, I wouldn't have any clue what they see in us."

They managed to hold in their laughter for a solid fifteen seconds before losing it and filling Max's small space with their happy noise. Their dreams were coming true and they were getting to experience it together. They truly couldn't ask for more.

Later that night, Esme witnessed more proof that her son was changing for the better. When she sent Bella into his office with his dinner, he not only seemed genuinely happy to see her, he stopped his work and invited her to eat with him. Of course, he completely monopolized the conversation with talk of sharks and results, but that was okay. He'd learn in time to stop and share. Esme had every faith in her son—and the willingness to kick his ass if he needed it.

"**~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"**

**A/N:**

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews from the last chapter. I enjoyed reading them and I'm sorry I wasn't able to answer them this time. But I wanted to get the new chapter out to all of you. After this chapter, we'll start jumping ahead to get glimpses of the future this wonderful ohana is building together. Many good things are on the way!

We hope you enjoy the new chapter, and we hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend :)

Translations:

Hau`oli la Hanau – Happy Birthday

Mahalo hoaloha – Thank you, beloved friend.

Ho'omaika'i 'ana – Congratulations

Mano – Shark

Moana – Ocean

Okole – Ass

Aloha Au Ia 'Oe Mau Loa – I love you forever more


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